The village of Bosilovo, located near Strumica, hosted its inaugural Ajvarijada red pepper festival with the aim of promoting traditional cuisine, supporting small-scale food producers, and celebrating local pepper growers, as reported by MIA’s Strumica correspondent.

The festivities commenced with twenty home cooks setting up and igniting their wood-fired stoves. They proceeded to roast locally cultivated red peppers and started crafting Bosilovo’s traditional ajvar sauce.

Bosilovo Mayor Risto Manchev expressed his hopes that, being renowned red pepper producers, their home cooks would showcase the finest ajvar, prepared following a time-honored recipe that has been passed down through generations.

Visitors to Ajvarijada 2023 were given the opportunity to sample freshly prepared ajvar, which was served alongside homemade white cheese.