Banitsa can be made in all kinds of ways, but it is invariably delicious and enjoyed by people near and far.

“Welcome to the traditional banitsa festival in the village of… Banitsa. And if there is anyone here not in the mood, they should know the weather is on our side. It is now nice and cool and the banitsas are all in good spirits, as are we all.”

A warm welcome, smiling faces, the sun peeking from behind a cloud – that is the first impression of the village with the most delicious of names. From a bird’s eye view, the village looks like… a spiral banitsa. And once a year it is the place with the greatest number of per capita banitsas in the world. On Saturday morning the village located near Vratsa has brought together more than 100 banitsa-makers who are putting their “wares” on display at the local chitalishte (community culture club). There, behind a table groaning with food we meet Ivanka Parisova from Pavolche village – wearing a traditional costume.

“I give pride of place to my “wolf” banitsa which is really difficult to make but is so tasty! There is cheese and bacon and mushrooms in it – for someone as hungry as a wolf. If you want your banitsa to be tasty, you must use products grown at home, not from the shop and it has to be made with love.”

7-year old Danny stands smiling next to a baking dish full of traditional banitsa.

“I make banitsa with my grandmother,” the little girl says. “With eggs, cheese and filo pastry. I help break and scramble the eggs and it turns out well.”

The chefs of what is perhaps the most famous of all Bulgarian delicacies have put long tables in the two corridors of the chitalishte, laden with the fruit of their hands.

Banitsas with eggs and cheese, with mincemeat, with spinach, with hot peppers, with pumpkin, chocolate, Turkish delight, halva, coconut – the whimsical imagination of amateur and professional cooks is a real treat for the guests. But also a challenge to cooking skills and artistic flair. The “exhibits” compete in four categories – salty traditional, with meat and vegetables, sweet and original. Ivan Zvezdev, host of a popular TV cooking show has stepped into the shoes of the no-nonsense judge.

And while the jury are doing their job, our tour continues. We stop to talk to a lady pouring out wine into brown earthenware mugs as an addition to her own “work of art”.

“Yes, the banitsa is spicy and it goes well with wine. With homemade red wine,” says Evalina Danova from Kostalevo village. “We start drinking when it gets too spicy. But I don’t recommend it at breakfast.”

Nikolay Nikolov’s “man’s banitsa” also seems to go well with alcohol.

“A little bit of flour, then cheese, a little bit of sausage and spices. The recipe is not my own, but I have added some ingredients – when I go out into the garden, I pick whatever I find there, chop finely, stir, put into the baking dish – and it’s ready. It goes well with practically everything – white wine, red wine, rakia or beer.”

We could go on and on because every banitsa has its own story to tell. So, to wind up here is the story of the ladies from Zgorigrad:

“We have ample skills and admirable capacity. We do what we do best,” says Sylvia Pavlova, speaking on behalf of the entire group. “Our most unusual banitsa is the hen banitsa and my own invention – with halva. Hen banitsa is actually typical of Zgorigrad - it is beautiful, designer banitsa and is made on the previous day. The hen is in the centre, brooding with the banitsa all around.”

English version: Milena Daynova