Or maybe you'd be more interested in Bulgarian Cucumber Soup With Walnuts?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Bulgarian Tarator Soup! "]<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/09/28/health/28recipe_walnuts.600.jpg"><img title="Tarator Soup " src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/09/28/health/28recipe_walnuts.600.jpg" alt="Bulgarian Tarator Soup! " width="600" height="337" /></a>[/caption]

Okay, it turns out that the NYT has an article online right now in which tarator is actually a cold cucumber soup.  So I guess it was a trick question when I asked if you wanted Tarator or Bulgarian Cucumber Soup with Walnuts.  Yesterday my MoM sent me a link to the NYT and an article in the Recipes for Health section.  For whatever reason the article was titled:<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/28/health/nutrition/28recipehealth.html?emc=eta1"> The Mediterranean’s Secret Ingredient: Walnuts</a>. Mediterranean. Interesting.<!--more-->

Sure walnuts are a hot health food these days.  In fact, they're supposed to be--what--a super food? Good fats, filling and delicious to boot.  Turns out this little nut has a lot to live to live up to.

Thing is I don't think that there's anything in particular about that makes them Mediterranean. I mean my grandmother had a black walnut tree in her backyard--in Walla Walla for pete's sake.  I'm afraid that what it comes down to is that the idea of the Mediterranean is just sexier than either Walla Walla or Bulgaria.

So, the columnist does a round of cheerleading for the walnut--hitting most of the major "sexy" cultures in greater Europe--Italy, Greece, Turkey and France and highlights the role of the walnut in these cuisines.   Then comes Bulgaria.

She writes this:
<blockquote>Before the weather becomes too chilly for cold soups, try this one. Bulgaria once was well known for the number of centenarians in its population, which some scientists attributed to the daily consumption of Bulgarian yogurt. Now, both the yogurt and eating culture in this mountainous country have changed for the worse, and so have local lifespans.</blockquote>
Hum. Apparently, Bulgarians are falling apart.  The quality of the Bulgarian yogurt goes down hill and so do the number of centenarians.  The eating culture in general has gotten worse and the lifespan has followed suit.  Sweet.  At least we've still got the Bulgarian Cucumber Soup With Walnuts (aka tarator).  That seems to be the only thing holding us together.  And we're just hanging on by a thread.

Thank god for the tarator--made with thick Greek style yogurt, European cucumbers (or Persian cucumbers) and ice-cold spring water!?!

The thing I can't get over is that when I read the article and recipe to start with I thought: cliche Bulgarian tarator being highlighted as a fresh and healthy recipe in the NYT but then I thought: nothing about this article makes the country shine--even though Bulgaria is the focus.  Ger.

Okay, maybe I should be nicer to the NYT columnist. I mean it's pretty clear that she's never been to Bulgaria. But I guess that's the point.  There's a lot of really great food here.  Most of it is healthy, tasty and fresh and in my mind that's the best thing about Bulgarian cuisine.  The second best thing is that serine is added to most dishes.  I especially like it on french fries.  actually, I think I'd eat it on almost anything.   In fact, I can't really think of something I wouldn't eat it on.  Well, it might be a bit much on tarator...