Why Are Bulgarians So Proud Of Their Yoghurt?

There are many things that make Bulgarians proud, and yogurt comes pretty near the top of the list. Long-believed to be the secret to longevity and good health, it is a part of traditional Bulgarian cuisine, a hangover cure, and even a sunburn remedy. Read on to discover what makes Bulgarian yogurt unique and why Bulgarians are so eager to share it with the world.

The scientist who discovered the yogurt bacterium

One of the main points of national pride for Bulgarians is the fact that the bacterium which causes milk to naturally turn into yogurt was discovered by a Bulgarian scientist and was named after their country. In 1905, Dr. Stamen Grigorov discovered Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus bacterium, which until 2014 was simply known as Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Today, Dr. Grigorov’s village Studen Izvor hosts a small museum dedicated to him and his discovery.

Typical Bulgarian yogurt Snezhanka salad

What makes Bulgarian yogurt different than yogurt in other countries

In 1972, while Bulgaria was still a communist country, Japan bought the technology and yogurt samples to produce Bulgarian yogurt (and is producing it still today). This fact was publicly acclaimed by the national propaganda and even today, every Bulgarian will tell you that Bulgarian yogurt is so good that it has reached the far lands of Japan.

Homemade yogurt

Until 20 or so years ago, many Bulgarians still made their own yogurt at home. The process is easy and straightforward. You need a spoon or two of yogurt which you put in jars of fresh milk and keep in a warm place. After a few hours, the yogurt is ready. Homemade yogurt tastes sour and will spoil in a few days, while industrially produced yogurt in Bulgaria doesn’t taste so sour nowadays and has a longer expiry date.

The best ways to try Bulgarian yogurt

Yogurt is one of the typical Bulgarian culinary delights you should try on your trip to the Balkan state. Many Bulgarians eat it alone or add it to traditional dishes such as stuffed peppers with rice or green bean stew. One of the locals’ favorites is the cold summer soup tarator made of yogurt, dill, diced cucumbers, and garlic. If you water down yogurt and add a little bit of salt to it, you get ayran, a popular drink you will find on almost every restaurant menu in the country, as well as in every supermarket and bakery. Ayran is also believed to be one of the best Bulgarian hangover cures which earns it extra points. Yogurt is also strained and the thick, creamy result is used as a base for the Snezhanka salad (the same ingredients as the tarator) and desserts with blueberry or green fig jams.

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