Every year, hundreds of Chinese tourists flock to the Bulgarian mountain village of Momchilovtsi for a festival celebrating the local yogurt, 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.
Yogurt and cheese producers from the region, many of whom speak some Chinese, offer samples and products for sale.
"Bulgarian yogurt is very popular in China ... so we want to try the pure yogurt 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 yogurt. 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 yogurt helped Bulgarian peasants to live longer.
Bulgarian yogurt 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 yogurt may be the world's first probiotic and has been used to treat various ailments. Each bacterial strain isolated from homemade yogurt 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 yogurt 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 yogurt has been part of her daily diet for her whole life.
"Yogurt is good for me. The first foods on my table are bread and yogurt," she said.
