Yogurt, cheese and yellow cheese have been part of the Bulgarian table for centuries. Today, traditional recipes continue to be passed down, but are tailored to modern requirements and changing conditions, reports "Nova TV".
Mina Vardzhieva is a technologist with over 35 years of experience in milk processing. At the beginning of the new millennium, she replaced industrial production with artisanal production in order to get closer to traditional Bulgarian technologies. “Handmade production, microflora that is from the region. At first it was quite difficult, but now it has become popular. I pass this craft on to many colleagues who want to close the loop, as well as to people who want to make their products at home,” Vardzhieva said.
She chose to develop the craft in the area where her roots are. She works with local people and uses milk from animals that feed on vegetation from the area. “We have everything we need, including our Lactobacillus bulgaricus. It is present everywhere – in the air, in the udder and in the environment,” she explained.
The products are prepared according to traditional recipes, but the technology has been adapted to today's conditions. According to Vardzhieva, it is not possible to simply repeat the recipes of people from 200 or 300 years ago.
One of the reasons is climate change. Years ago, cheese could ripen in an ordinary basement at a temperature of around 12-14 degrees. Today, the same room can reach 18-20 degrees due to higher temperatures.
Consumer preferences are also changing. In traditional production, the main natural preservatives are salt, cold and lactic acid formed by bacteria. “Now we want it not to be salty. So preserving must go in a different direction – to use more cold. Despite everything, we are relying on what we know from the old masters. I have learned a lot from them“, said Vardzhieva.
Interest in traditional technologies attracts people from all over the country. Andon Baturov travels more than 300 kilometers from the Rhodope Mountains to the Northern Fore-Balkans to learn how to prepare yellow cheese the old way. “I wanted to come here to see exactly how this old-fashioned technology of yellow cheese is made from real milk and to become a nice, real product. "I want to do it for myself too," he shared.