Tasting of traditional Bulgarian farm cheeses in Northwestern Bulgaria
Details
The traditional Bulgarian farm cheeses
Have you tried traditional Bulgarian farm cheeses - white brine cheese, handmade yellow cheese, katak, ahchak, made from real buffalo, goat, sheep, or cow's milk? The only female master of these old traditional cheeses in Bulgaria is Eng. Mina Vardzhieva, whose Cheese School is located in a picturesque village in Northwestern Bulgaria. The region is considered the poorest in the EU, but it is also the cleanest from an ecological point of view. Mina raises her own animals and prepares all the cheeses by hand, recalling that the famous Bulgarian Shopska salad would not taste the same if it was not generously covered with delicious white cheese. See more...The traditional Bulgarian breakfast also starts with a slice of toast and a piece of cheese. And the thought of the fluffy pie with eggs and cheese takes you back to childhood and provokes the palate. A piece of cheese and bread was a salvation for the people working in the fields. In years of poverty and hunger, cheese is the most luxurious delicacy on the Bulgarian table. Cheese is also present in Bulgarian folk art. The saying "Friendship is friendship, but cheese is money" is widely used.
In Bulgaria, the word "cheese" is usually used for white brine cheese, but yellow cheese is also the famous Bulgarian yellow cheese. Lactobacillus lactis and Lactobacillus casei sourdough is the secret of Bulgarian brine cheese.
In Bulgaria, the main assortments of cheese are white brine cheese, ahchak, katak, made from cow, goat, sheep, or buffalo milk, as well as yellow cheese. After the Second World War, Bulgarian dairies gradually began to introduce new products. Now there is a return to the quality and specificity of cheese, especially if it is made from unpasteurized milk.
Mina Vardzhieva is an engineer in milk and milk products technology. She has trained technologists at some of the most successful farm dairies whose products are a hit at farmers' markets. It is a true encyclopedia of milk and its products in its purest, natural form. She graduated from the University of Food Technology in Plovdiv, and for many years she worked in a large company in the industry.
In 2001, craftswoman Mina Vardzhieva protected the trademark "Zaraliyski dairy products" and began to work independently. He has his own small farm with animals in North-West Bulgaria - one of the most ecologically clean regions of Bulgaria.
Mina is a kind of encyclopedia of milk and milk products in their purest, natural form. In her work, she does not use any additives such as calcium dichloride and citric acid, which increase the yield, but also noticeably change the quality of the final products.
The village of Dolna Beshovitsa itself will enchant you with its picturesque views and preserved atmosphere. It is located by one of the tributaries of the river Iskar, and there are many fountains and bridges along the river bank. In the village of Dolna Beshovitsa is the monastery "St. Archangel Michael".
See less...
Mina Vardzhieva's cheese-making secrets
Mina Vardzhieva is an engineer in milk and milk products technology. She has trained technologists at some of the most successful farm dairies whose products are a hit at farmers' markets. It is a true encyclopedia of milk and its products in its purest, natural form. She graduated from the University of Food Technology in Plovdiv, and for many years she worked in a large company in the industry. In 2001, craftswoman Mina Vardzhieva protected the trademark "Zaraliyski dairy products" and began to work independently. He has his own small farm with animals in North-West Bulgaria - one of the most ecologically clean regions of Bulgaria. See more...Mina is a kind of encyclopedia of milk and milk products in their purest, natural form. In her work, she does not use any additives such as calcium dichloride and citric acid, which increase the yield, but also noticeably change the quality of the final products.
The village of Dolna Beshovitsa itself will enchant you with its picturesque views and preserved atmosphere. It is located by one of the tributaries of the river Iskar, and there are many fountains and bridges along the river bank. In the village of Dolna Beshovitsa is the monastery "St. Archangel Michael".
See less...
HIGHLIGHTS
- Tasting of traditional Bulgarian farm cheeses - white brine cheese, handmade yellow cheese, katak, ahchak
- Meeting with the only female master of old traditional cheeses in Bulgaria
- Possibility to learn how to make cheese and yellow cheese at home
- A walk to one of the most picturesque villages in Northwestern Bulgaria
Price from:
40€
per person
40€
per person
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Free cancellation | |
Reserve now & Pay later | |
Pickup included | |
Distance: approx. 165 km in one direction | |
Trip duration: 6-8 hours |
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
Insurance | |
Drinkable water | |
Air-conditioned vehicle | |
Fuel and parking fees | |
Tips |