Delicious home bread made under authentic recipe with live yeast and spring water, farmer goat cheese and mozzarella, canned vegetables and aromatic jams made under authentic rural methods, meat delicacies without added preservatives and soy, are some of the mouth-watering temptations people can taste with a glass of raspberry wine at the stand of the Healthy Food workshop. The initiative belongs to Sustainable Community Association which is to participate for the third time at the FoodTech International Exhibition of Food and Drinks at the Plovdiv Fair from March 4 until March 8, 2015. The workshop aims at encouraging the preservation of traditional and healthy cooking techniques during the preparation of local organic food. This year the event is addressed towards young people, in order to encourage their professional development in the field of the traditional food technologies and social entrepreneurship. A special program consisting of training courses and demonstrations will enable them to gain experience from celebrated culinary experts. The Chairperson of Sustainable Community Association Gergana Kabaivanova has more about this year's events at the Healthy Food stand:

“We have several interesting workshops. On one of them we show people how to make buffalo cheese and mozzarella from cow milk. The demonstration will be made by an engineer-technologist. This person is a professional in his field, but also knows an ancient recipe used for the preparation of food without additives. This technology will be interesting to students and young people, as well as to all farmers who process dairy products. Visitors can also attend a demonstration of a method used for the preparation of meat delicacies from natural components and spices. The meat producers are to tell the guests details about the traditional meat production which made Bulgaria famous worldwide in the past and why it is worthy to keep authentic traditions. A professional baker from the town of Plovdiv will make bread with natural leaven. ”

The manufacture of authentic organic products under traditional techniques is about to vanish for good. This is so, because the current legislation obstructs the small and the medium farms to sell their produce on the ground of the necessity of food safety control. Now only 487 Bulgarian farmers sell their produce directly at the market and the rest must rely on middlemen and resellers.

 “Unfortunately, the legislation affected the traditional technologies over the recent years and did not allow Bulgarian craftsmen to develop on their own”, Mrs Kabaivanova contends. “People who make these types of food face serious challenges. They look for information from the elderly people in our villages. On the other hand, some of them studied abroad. For instance, one of the bakers who will attend our workshops gained experience in France. When he returned to Bulgaria he adjusted his food technology in accordance to Bulgarian traditions. However, it is now difficult to gain experience in these old food techniques. Moreover, most experts contend that Bulgaria does not have enough raw materials and the necessary equipment to follow these traditions. Those who wish to develop authentic technologies have to make the machinery themselves, as it can not be found anywhere else. These people are driven by their strong will and succeed thanks to their own efforts only.”

At the end of 2014 Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture and Food promised to amend the legislation, so that the small manufacturers can sell their produce at the municipal markets. One thing is for sure - the direct access of small farms to the markets will boost the local economy and guarantee a better-quality food on the Bulgarian table.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov