Pastroma as a Marker of Bulgarians’ Cultural Identity

Abstract

In this article, we discuss Bulgarian folk technologies of meat preservation, especially that of pastroma (Bulgarian “пастьрма”) which is recognized as a national brand at the European level. The tradition of long-term meat preservation by means of salting and drying has existed in Bulgaria since the First Bulgarian Empire. Due to transformations in food practices and folk perceptions, the recipe was re fined and enriched with renewed tastes, while the product acquired new local names. Pastroma, both as a ready product and as preservation technology, has been long widespread among various ethnic groups of Bulgarians and has become one of their essential identity markers. In historical sources, one can find evidence of different preferences in regard to the production and consumption of meat among the Bulgarians; and nowadays, pastroma is still one of the most popular meat products in Bulgaria.