Bulgarian village draws Chinese tourists for its famed yoghurt

MOMCHILOVTSI: Every year, hundreds of Chinese tourists flock to the Bulgarian mountain village of Momchilovtsi for a festival celebrating the local yoghurt, which is renowned for its health benefits and has become a hit among consumers in China.

The Chinese visitors mingle with locals in the village in the Rhodope Mountains near the Greek border. On a stage in the village square, singers and bagpipers in traditional embroidered costumes perform folk songs in the late summer sun.

Yoghurt and cheese producers from the region, many of whom speak some Chinese, offer samples and products for sale.

“Bulgarian yoghurt is very popular in China … so we want to try the pure yoghurt here,” said Ge Lin, 37, a tourist from China.

Chinese tourists have been visiting Momchilovtsi since 2009, when a Chinese dairy company first imported the bacteria found in the local yoghurt. The company’s product, branded Mosilian, is now sold in most Chinese supermarkets.

In the early 20th century, Bulgarian microbiologist Stamen Grigorov and Russian zoologist Élie Metchnikoff found that consuming yoghurt helped Bulgarian peasants to live longer.

Bulgarian yoghurt contains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and other bacteria unique to the region, which boost health, immunity, and longevity, said Prof. Dr. Penka Petrova, director of the Institute of Microbiology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

“Bulgarian yoghurt may be the world’s first probiotic and has been used to treat various ailments. Each bacterial strain isolated from homemade yoghurt has distinct properties,” she said.

A number of recent scientific studies, have found fermented dairy products from Bulgaria have beneficial health properties.

Dimitar Danchev, 37, a fourth-generation livestock breeder from the region, said local yoghurt is made from both cows’ and sheep’s milk and its properties vary according to the season.

“In spring, when animals graze on fresh grass, the yogurt has specific characteristics, … while in autumn, when the grass is drier, the milk is thicker.”

Mitra Pareva, 95, said yoghurt has been part of her daily diet for her whole life.

“Yoghurt is good for me. The first foods on my table are bread and yoghurt,” she said.