Toast the New Year with Bulgarian Toast at the Coffee Company
Terrific vegetable spread from Bulgaria with Bakehouse bread
One of my favorite foods in the ZCoB has, over the last five or six years, developed quite the cult following at the Coffee Company! It’s what we call Bulgarian Toast. If you’re already one of its many advocates, you’ll be well acquainted with the reasons why I’m such a big fan. If you don’t know it yet, swing by soon to taste it for yourself.
The Coffee Company’s Bulgarian Toast features the Bakehouse’s very wonderful Sicilian Sesame Semolina bread, Zingerman’s handmade old-school Cream Cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a generous spreading of lutenitsa (read on!). We top the toast off with a coarse grinding of Zingerman’s 5-Star Black Pepper blend. The golden Semolina bread, just the right amount of the lutenitsa, and the pale white of the Cream Cheese make the toast as lovely to look at as it is to eat!
Dignity, a topic very close to my heart and high on my personal priority list, is, is very much integrated into the current constitution of Bulgaria, the land from whence lutenitsa originates. It’s also deeply ensconced in the country’s culture. In late November, tens of thousands of Bulgarians began peacefully demonstrating in the central square of the capital city of Sofia, and it’s still happening today. They’re speaking out against the Russian-leaning, corruption-supporting government. On December 11, the government resigned. Elections are now scheduled for early 2026. Since the citizens of Sofia are standing up for dignity, and given the integrity of the ingredients on this great dish, the Bulgarian Toast would be a good way to bring a bit of dignity into your day!
While lutenitsa is hardly ever found in the U.S., regulars will have likely heard of it. Every Bulgarian I’ve ever asked about lutenitsa has lit up with excitement at its mere mention. Food and sustainability writer and author Jill Lightner wrote in the Seattle Times that lutenitsa is “a contender for the crown in a late-summer contest of deliciousness,” and I would eagerly agree!
Most Bulgarian cooks make their own lutenitsa at home, but a little over a decade ago, we stumbled on the very good bottled version made by a company called Deroni. Named after an ancient Thracian tribe that thrived in Bulgaria centuries ago, the company is clearly devoted to crafting super high-quality vegetable products. Deroni does its own seed selection in house, runs its own nurseries, and farms its own fields to grow the vegetables. The company has been crafting this artisan recipe since 1966, and it’s won multiple awards for its quality-control systems and the flavor of its products. Deroni says that its lutenitsa will “wrap you with the warm embrace of your beloved grandmother, take you back in your smiling childhood and the forgotten smell of autumn, with the aroma of roasted peppers, coming from the gardens of every Bulgarian house.”
Swing by the Coffee Company for breakfast or lunch and lean into a slice of Bulgarian Toast, a bit of both dignity and deliciousness served in one lovely combination! And toast to a positive 2026!
Try this toast
P.S. We sell jars of the Deroni Lutenitsa at the Coffee Company, Deli, and Mail Order. It’s become a staple at our house. Spread it on toast, toss it with pasta or rice, add it to a grilled cheese, or serve it as a side dish! It’s delish!
