In the past, trahana used to save people from famine, today - from amnesia

Radio Bulgaria meets Temenuzhka Mateva - the initiator of the first Trahana Festival in Bulgaria

published on 8/2/24 9:05 AM

Photo: Facebook /Кулинарни празници и фестивали

The first Trahana Festival in Bulgaria will take place this Saturday, August 3. The event, which celebrates the memory of ancestors encoded in traditional Bulgarian food as a gift from nature, will be held in the village square of Pelevun, a village in the Ivaylovgrad municipality, at the idea of Temenuzhka Mateva. "For several years I have been trying to popularise and restore this traditional Bulgarian product on the domestic market.

It has been forgotten over the years because of its time-consuming preparation," she tells Radio Bulgaria, admitting that the event is a dream come true for her. According to her, only twenty years ago trahana was staple food item for breakfast in the past in households all over Aegean Thrace, and today there are few who know about it. This is a very sad fact, not only from a culinary perspective but also from an ethnographic standpoint.

That is why Temenuzhka and her family have devoted their time and energy to reviving the foundations of the Bulgarian trahana tradition, so that one day this healthy and nutritious food can return to Bulgarian tables. The truth is that trahana is still made by hand by our grandmothers in the Strandzha and Rhodope regions, but can be found only in people's cellars. The lack of mass production makes it unknown to most Bulgarians, explains Mateva.

What exactly is trahana?

"Trahana is a traditional fermented grain product made with sourdough. And here is what makes it unique - the sourdough is wild fermented and made from legumes and herbs," explains the Bulgarian. - The herbs are harvested early in the morning so that there are bifidus bacteria, which we ferment. The process itself takes an average of three to six months and allows for a three-stage fermentation of the final product, making the trahana rich in lactic acid bacteria. There is no thermal processing involved at any stage of its production, making it one of the oldest natural probiotics".

When the sourdough is ready, the second fermentation begins, with the addition of spelt flour. A very firm dough is kneaded, left to ferment again, then rubbed through a sieve and left to dry in indirect sunlight for about a week, depending on the outside temperature. Traditionally, trahana is made in the summer, after the harvest, when the sun is at its strongest, to ensure it dries properly. The dried dough 'crumbs' are then stored in cloth bags in a dark place for consumption during the winter.

"It can be used for almost anything - as a main course, in a soup, to enhance your already prepared dishes. It can be eaten sweet or savoury, boiled or simply mixed with milk, yoghurt or broth. Trahana has incredible benefits for the body, and because it is made entirely from spelt products, it is also very filling" - explains Temenuzhka Mateva.

According to historical sources, trahana originated in ancient Persia and can still be found in the culinary traditions of south-eastern Europe and the Middle East. This Saturday, the village of Pelevun will host trahana masters from Greece and Turkey, who will demonstrate their unique recipes for making it. Temenuzhka Mateva is looking forward to showing her trahana to the guests and learning new things. And then pass the knowledge on to others in her small trahana workshop, the 'Trough School', which she set up in Pelevun earlier this year.

Years ago, it was her childhood memory of the taste and aroma of trahana, which she wanted to pass on to her grandson, that made her remember her grandmother's recipe for trahana.

"I knew which herbs to use, but I struggled to remember what the dangling pod was that Grandma used to put in the sourdough - we called them 'earrings' when we were kids. Eventually I remembered it was hops. And so I made several attempts, using intuition, until I got it right," admits Temenuzhka, her voice ringing with excitement as she explains that trahana was once used to save people from famine. Now it is a protection against memory loss:

"When I was little, we used to all get together, the whole family, and prepare it together. Afterwards, we could taste the same grains in the meals our parents cooked for us. Trahana made our family whole, and I think it is the key to remembering our ancestors, to preserving ourselves as a family, as a people, if you like. Right there - in that great kneading together. And with this year's festival, I want to rekindle that excitement in more families, so that people can experience the joy of that togetherness and taste the real food," Temenuzhka Mateva tells us.

And if you're one of those people who have never tried Bulgarian trahana, the best time to do so is at breakfast.

"In the morning you put it in yoghurt, without boiling it, instead of muesli, with a pinch of bee pollen. It's unique," Temenuzhka assures us.

Photos: Facebook /Culinary Holidays and Festivals, Facebook /Temenuzhka Mateva, festivali.eu

Translated and posted by E. Radkova

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In the past, trahana used to save people from famine, today - from amnesia

Radio Bulgaria meets Temenuzhka Mateva - the initiator of the first Trahana Festival in Bulgaria

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