Food | Yogurt | Bulgaria | History
Bulgaria Played a Vital Role In Bringing Yogurt To The World
And it all started with the nomads!
I’ll start by saying this: Bulgarian yogurt is delicious!
It certainly stands shoulder to shoulder with the yogurt found in its neighboring countries of Greece and Turkey.
And for good reason!
I was confused with the spelling of yogurt. I had seen it spelled a couple of different ways and when I looked it up on Wikipedia, I learned that people can spell it the way I have as ‘yogurt’ (and the way that Grammarly seems to like it), but yoghurt, yogourt or yogurt are also correct.
Some say that yogurt was discovered in Bulgaria 4000 years ago. I was told this, and even went so far as to tell others this, but it’s not necessarily correct.
According to this BBC article, it was discovered in this way:
The nomads carried their milk in animal skins, creating a ripe environment for bacteria to grow and cause fermentation, producing yoghurt.
While it’s difficult to say exactly where it started, there is a general consensus that it was discovered in the Balkans somewhere. However, the article also goes on to say:
In all likelihood, yoghurt was discovered in this way in different places at different times, and probably originated in the Middle East and Central Asia.
I also read that it was discovered in Mesopotamia around 5000BC. So there is certainly some conflicting information and it seems that nobody really knows where it was initially discovered.
No matter where it started though, the article also states that Bulgaria played a vital role in bringing it to market which has largely contributed to making it the popular food that it is today.
In 1905, Bulgarian scientist Dr. Stamen Grigorov was able to break down the essential bacteria that caused the milk to ferment into yogurt. From that discovery, in 1907, the microorganisms were named lactobacillus bulgaricus which sealed Bulgaria's association with this important food.
In 1908, according to Wikipedia:
The Russian biologist and Nobel laureate Ilya Mechnikov, from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, was influenced by Grigorov’s work and hypothesized that regular consumption of yogurt was responsible for the unusually long lifespans of Bulgarian peasants. Believing Lactobacillus to be essential for good health, Mechnikov worked to popularize yogurt as a foodstuff throughout Europe.
Mechnikov even went on to write a book that included his findings from Grigorov’s work called The Prolongation of Life which established a link between the Bulgarian peasants living very long lives and their consumption of vast quantities of yogurt. This spurred a bit of a health craze among the wealthier nations like France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and Great Britain.
Maybe there is something to this because the people in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains have one of the highest concentrations of centenarians in Europe!
It seems that everyone wanted to live a life as long as the Bulgarian peasants.
I am currently traveling in Bulgaria and I can attest that yogurt is found everywhere. The dairy section in the grocery store has a huge area just for yogurt, and as we can’t quite understand all the Bulgarian words yet, it has been a challenge to find the yogurt that we really like to eat.
Of course, Bulgaria's dairy consumption does not stop at yogurt. They are also masters at producing feta cheese, and many other types of cheeses. We have really been enjoying the vast array of cheeses, and can’t quite seem to get enough of them after being in Africa for over two years with no cheese.
I’m sure our digestive systems don’t know what hit them! HA!
The cheese above is a goat cheese that has a hard rind around the outside, like brie cheese, and is soft and creamy on the inside. Cheese is also incredibly cheap in Bulgaria. This one cost just $1.20 USD.
We will never tire of the amazing cheese selections that we can find here in the country.
Plus, what goes better with cheese than wine? Wine is also produced here on a large scale, and we have enjoyed sampling many of them, and again, also really appreciate their affordable price!
From yogurt, cheese, wine, and so many more food items, Bulgaria has certainly made its mark on the world with its consumable items.
For a country that is largely unknown to much of the world's population, Bulgaria is FULL of surprises!
And no matter what, you can not deny the important role that Bulgaria played in the creation of the yogurt that we all know and love today.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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