Chubritza

[dlwerden]

I'm making Bulgarian moussaka for a Relief Society International dinner.  I purchased chubritza online.  However, I also purchased a packaged of "chubritza po shopski".  It has a picture of a shopska salad on the front of the package and the spice inside is a red powder (I'm thinking maybe it has paprika in it...haven't opened it yet).  I've yet to find a recipe for shopska salad that even mentions a spice.  Does anyone know how the "chubritza po shopski" is used?? 

Thanks,
Deb Werden 

[Blindspot]

Chubritsa is the all-purpose Bulgarian spice.  Presumably, anything can become more Bulgarian with chubritsa.  (I think you can find it in the states under its English name - Savory, although I haven't had the two next to each other to compare them)  I've never seen it po shopski though.  And shopska salata traditionally doesn't have any spices, although on occasion they do throw in a little magdanoz (aka parsely).

If you do decide to try it out, let us know what it is.  I've asked several Bulgarians with which I work and they had no idea what it was.  Admittedly they weren't shopi, but my guess is that it isn't a terribly popular spice.  They seemed to think it was probably just regular chubritsa mixed with red pepper.

In any case...good luck and happy...uh...chubritsa.

   

[Brinton]

Hi Deb...

I've used chubritza po skopska, and it is as you guessed, a mixed spice blend.  It has savor, paprika, garlic and some other spices in it.  It's very good, and it will work well in your mussaka.  I would also recommend to anyone who wants to cook "istinska hrana" get a bottle of ground savory -- but it needs to be summer savory.  There is an herb called winter savory, but it is different.  You can find ground savory in the spice isle at your grocery store.  You can also find just dried savory in the dried whole spice section of health food stores.  Another good substitute for savory is Mexican or Greek oregano.

Good luck.

Joyce

[dlwerden]

Thanks to both of your for answering my question.  You both always have such good information!