Elenski but facts for kids

Elenski but (pronounced eh-LEN-skee boot) is a special kind of ham from the town of Elena in northern Bulgaria. It's a very popular and tasty food all over the country. This ham is dry-cured, which means it's preserved by drying and salting it, rather than cooking it.

The meat has a unique flavor. It can stay good for many years! This is thanks to the special way it's made and the cool, clean air in the Balkan Mountains where Elena is located.

How Elenski But is Made

Making Elenski but is a careful process. First, the legs and other parts of the pig are prepared. Traditionally, they are singed (lightly burned) and scraped clean. Then, any extra parts are removed so that the remaining meat is protected by its natural skin or the tissue around the muscle.

After the legs are shaped, they are covered well with salt. They are then placed at the bottom of a special barrel called a postav. The meat stays in the salt for about 40 days. This helps to draw out moisture and preserve the ham. After this, the ham is taken out and left to dry in the fresh air.

Ways to Keep it Fresh

Families in Elena have different ways of preserving Elenski but, passed down through generations. In the past, people would sometimes put the ham in well-packed maize (corn) meal or treat it with a special lime mixture.

The meat could also be stored in bags made of cheesecloth or in wooden boxes with thick nets instead of solid walls. These boxes were called muharnik. The most important thing was to place the ham somewhere airy. The clear mountain air helped it dry and stay good. This also stopped flies from laying eggs on the meat.

In many small towns near Elena, people used to keep the ham in rooms where a daily fire was lit. This gave the ham a slightly smoked flavor, adding to its unique taste.