File Elena

File Elena is a dried raw meat product made from chilled or frozen pork tenderloin. The name refers to the city of Elena in northern Bulgaria. When the country was a part of the Ottoman Empire, it was almost impossible to sell pork products for religious reasons.

The first record of a product similar to Elena being made from pork dates back to the 1850s. The fillets, locally called ribitsa, are salted and dried in a controlled environment suitable for natural microflora to develop and provide the meat with its typical aroma.

The fillets are repeatedly pressed in wooden presses giving the file Elena its flattened appearance. After the final pressing, the fillets are rolled in a mixture of ground black pepper and crumbled savory. This particular method of applying the mixture allows the essential oils in the spices to be preserved and absorbed in meat.

Consequently, the final product is salty, yet aromatic and succulent. File Elena has won multiple awards at fairs and exhibitions in Bulgaria and Europe, including the 2010 and 2013 IFFA international exhibitions in Germany. Traditionally, File Elena is served as an appetizer with a glass of wine or beer on the side.