Bulgarians going sweeter on yoghurt

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

SOFIA (AFP) — Proud of their traditional sour-tasting yoghurt, called simply "kiselo mlyako" or "sour milk", Bulgarians claim their country is the true home of the dairy product which is consumed all over the world.

But Bulgarian shoppers are increasingly opting for the creamier, milder-tasting yoghurts preferred by western consumers when given the choice at the dairy counter nowadays.

"Kiselo mlyako's uniqueness lies in the hot climate of the region and the very specific way in which it is prepared," said Svetlana Minkova, research director at LB Bulgaricum, a Bulgarian state-owned company that has developed around 1,000 different strains of the bacteria -- Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus -- used to turn milk into yoghurt.

The...