Festival of Fermentation Products from the Northwest Bulgaria
The Festival of Fermentation Products will be held in Northwestern Bulgaria for fifth year in a row. The event will take place on 4-5th of June, in the village of Prevala, Montana municipality.
The festival presents food and beverages produced according to traditional recipes with the help of fermentation processes - natural wines, craft beers, handmade cheese, yogurt, pickles, sourdough bread. The organizers promise to include product tastings, workshops on how to make your own fermentation products, talks, music and lots of fun.
See how to register and showcase your production on the website below. The participation fee is 10 BGN.
What is fermentation?
This is a natural process in which specific bacteria and yeast convert carbohydrates into alcohol or organic acids. The process has been used for centuries to preserve food without refrigeration.
It is believed that the first person to use fermentation was the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung (3000 BC). He found that rice and wheat fermented when left in water near decomposing leaves or straw. His discovery led to the preparation of beer, as well as other foods such as soy sauce and vinegar.
After the discovery of pasteurization and refrigerators, the role of fermentation began to diminish. And with the introduction of mass production, it has become much easier to use a standardized way of preserving food. Nowadays, with the resurgence of interest in organic and locally produced foods, people are returning to fermentation. This is no longer so much a matter of economic reasons, but a matter of realizing that there are many health benefits associated with living, fermented foods such as kombucha or kefir.
The benefits of fermentation
During the fermentation process, the so-called good bacteria multiply, which do not allow the appearance of the bad ones. These good bacteria can be found in yogurt, sour cream, sourdough bread etc. They improve digestion and overall health of the intestinal tract, which is associated with a general increase in immunity. The human body has become accustomed to fermented foods throughout most of human existence.
More information about the festival and its program: