Have you heard of Bulgarian yogurt? Probably not. However, it is tremendously popular in Asia and in Bulgaria it is a staple of the diet. Find out how to prepare it at home. Do you want to know why Greek became so popular compared to Bulgarian?
The magic of bacteria
We have all seen the ads for the Greek yogurt. In them, endearing older ladies enjoy it in completely white villages on the Greek islands. These dream landscapes are quite different from those in Bulgaria. Its yogurts are unknown despite rivaling in taste and quality with their neighboring country. To top it all, many claim that the Slavic country is the cradle of yogurt. Kiss it Mliáco: sour milk in Bulgarian, it is a food whose elaboration method is unique. We owe it all to one b.
This is called Lactobacillus bulgaricus and it is found in Bulgaria due to climatic and geographical factors. It was discovered in 1905 by scientist Stamen grimorov. Meanwhile the Pasteur Institute of Paris I was investigating the longevity in certain areas of Bulgaria. He concluded that it is due to the beneficial health effects of this bacterium. This would be frequently since in the Eastern European country it is used as a common resource in gastronomy.
You can find it in a multitude of traditional dishes. One to keep in mind is called tarator. It is a cold soup made from yogurt, water, cucumber, nuts, and herbs. We can also refer to the snezhanka: yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill salad. Bulgarians have had time to get creative with their yogurt since the arrival of the Thracians. This took place six thousand years!
Why is Bulgarian yogurt not as well known as Greek?
Both the Bulgarian yogurt like Greek they are delicious. This is so. However, that of the Hellenic country has captured all the attention. It is probably due to various events that have taken place during the twentieth century. First of all, in Greece it is called straggisto to your yogurt. It literally means filtered yogurt. A Greek brand started selling filtered yogurt in the United States under the label of Greek strained yoghurt. Since then to any yogurt in which the whey is filtered and removed from the yogurt.
It does not matter if it is based on the Greek recipe or not. The trend was consolidated by the brand Chobani of Turkish Hamdi Ulukaya. Bulgarian yogurt, meanwhile, has not been so lucky. At least in the West. In Asia it has been quite a phenomenon. According to the portal Bulgaria Guide, they have bought their patent in Japan for some time. This country manufactures and distributes it, according to the portal, not only within its country but also in others. The main ones are China, Singapore and Thailand.
How can I do it at home?
The Bulgarian yogurt recipe is not as complicated as it sounds. To start with, we need 400 milliliters of whole milk or with a Bulgarian crop envelope (the bacteria). You can find this bacterium in some herbalists or specialty stores in Eastern Europe. To begin its preparation we must activate the culture we must heat the milk until the 71 degrees. Then you cool it down to 43. This is when the culture is added to the milk. Later we introduce the mixture in jars where it will ferment between 10 y 24 hours.
For the subsequent step we need a yogurt maker or a oven. In the case of the yogurt maker, we should not worry about monitoring the mixture because it will take over. On the contrary, with the oven what is necessary will be preheat and watch that the interior is warm without getting hot. You also have to take into account the ambient temperature of the kitchen. If it is cold, we must activate the oven a little every two or three hours so that the yogurt sets. The heating of the oven must be gentle so as not to spoil the process.
When the yogurt sets after waiting, it is stored in the fridge. Here it will hold for more or less dice días in perfect state. You can use it both to eat it as is and to cook the aforementioned dishes. If you prefer to eat it alone but you don't like the sour taste, you have several options to consider. You can accompany it with miel, fruit o sugar. You can actually mix it with whatever you want. You will surely discover great flavors.
