P relepe plaže, mnoštvo vodopada, živopisna Sofija… Mnogo to- ga može se videti u Bugarskoj, ali vaša čula ne smeju da pro- puste čuveni bugarski jogurt. Zemlja je ponosna na proizvod kojim je zadužila čovečanstvo. Da li je priča počela još pre 1.500 godina, kada se mleko prenosilo na leđima, u vrećama od janjeće kože, pa je usled fermentacije izazva- ne telesnom toplotom nastao jogurt, može samo da se pretpostavi, ali bugarski naučnik Stamen Grigorov otkrio je bakterije mlečne kiseline od kojih se dobija jogurt. Jedna od njih nazvana je upravo Lactobaci- llus bulgaricus . Početkom 20. veka Rus Ilja Mečnikov, dobitnik Nobe- love nagrade za biologiju, otkrio je da jogurt utiče na proces razgradnje u crevima, koji je usko povezan sa starenjem, i istraživanjima dugoveč- nosti na francuskom Institutu Paster pokazao je otkuda toliki broj sto- godišnjaka na obrocima bugarskih Rodopa. Sva bogatstva nataložena vekovima oživljavaju na julskom festi- valu jogurta u gradu Trn, na obroncima planine Balkan, u blizini srp- sko-bugarske granice, a neguju se i u svakodnevici Bugara, koji re- dovno konzumiraju jogurt. Posebno se ceni onaj od kravljeg mleka iz Jablenova, na zapadu zemlje, gde se proizvede 750 kg nedeljno. Buga- ri godišnje potroše oko 135.000 t jogurta, oko dve milijarde ljudi širom sveta konzumira njihov proizvod, koji je obavezan u doručku oko 40 miliona Japanaca. KOLEVKA JOGURTA CRADLE OF YOGHURT
Čuvena banica Famous banica pie
soup, served, according to taste, with pre- viously fried sausages. There is another se- cret to a good bean soup, and that’s for it to simmer in a traditional clay pot known as a grne. Whoever tries food cooked in this way, in its own juices, quietly over a fire for a long time, will always gladly welcome its return. This is also how the famous kapama are prepared, from different types of meat, with sour cabbage and rice, and similar to that is kavarma, which does not include rice, but has fresh tomatoes, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers etc. Dishes from minced meat are com- mon in Bulgaria, and many of them - like sarma, moussaka or stuffed peppers - are al- so known in Serbia, but we have one mince- meat dish that isn’t served in Serbia (or at least not that I’ve heard) and those are Prin- cesses. This simple dish involves spreading spiced minced meat onto a slice of bread and then baking it briefly in the oven. Crispy and hot, these Princesses are served with a glass of cold yoghurt. The rolled cabbage leaf and stuffed minced meat dish known as Sarma is made in different ways in various parts of Bulgaria, and in the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains there are famous mini sarma, which are only four to five centime- tres long and must be Lenten and are most commonly served at Christmas. Our favourite vegetable is the potato, especially the one from beneath the beau- tiful Rhodopes. A typical dish for this area is the aromatic and extremely tasty Patatnik. The potatoes are grated, along with onion, then salt and parsley or mint are added, after which the mixture is baked on both sides. Bulgaria is also known for its grilled meat, which is traditionally prepared for St. George’s Day. And for the finale, there’s the sweetest jams or liqueurs made from the oil of Bulgarian roses. Our cuisine is carefully preserved part of our cultural heritage, and even though we like many dishes of other national cuisines, we most enjoy returning home. And we await you there with bread and salt. Come along!
Bugarski naučnik Stamen Grigorov otkrio je bakterije mlečne kiseline od kojih se dobija jogurt It was Bulgarian scientist Stamen Grigorov who discovered the lactic acid bacteria needed to create yoghurt
B eautiful beaches, countless waterfalls, picturesque Sofia... There’s plenty to see in Bulgaria, but your senses mustn’t miss out on the famous Bul- garian yoghurt. This country is rightly proud of this product, to which hu- manity is indebted. Whether the story started 1,500 years ago – when milk was transported on peo- ple’s backs, in lambskin sacks, and body heat caused it to ferment, leading to the emer- gence of yoghurt – can only be assumed, but it was Bulgarian scientist Stamen Grigorov who discovered the lactic acid bacteria needed to create yoghurt. One of them is actu- ally called Lactobacillus bulgaricus. At the beginning of the 20 th century, Russian scien- tist Ilya Mechnikov, a winner of the Nobel Prize for biology, discovered that yoghurt in- fluences the process of breaking down food in the intestines, which is closely linked to the aging process, while longevity studies at the French Pasteur Institute showed that this is why there are so many hundred-year-olds living on the slopes of Bulgaria’s Rho- dopes mountains. All the wealth preserved over the centuries comes to life during the July festival of yoghurt in the town of Tran, on the slopes of the Balkan Mountain, close to the Serbian-Bulgarian border. However, it is also nurtured in the everyday life of Bul- garians, who regularly consume yoghurt. Particularly highly valued is the yoghurt made from the milk of cows from Yablenova, in the west of the country, where 750kg is pro- duced per week. Bulgarians consume around 135,000 tonnes of yoghurt annually, and around two billion people around the world consume their product, which is an oblig- atory part of breakfast for about 40 million Japanese people.
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