Where the hell did Bulgarian yogurt come from?
Posted by Worried-Owl-9198@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 364 comments
Posted by Worried-Owl-9198@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 364 comments
PurpNasty@reddit
paulstefan@reddit
The main fermenting bacteria is Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
Game over!
Seximilian@reddit
There are hundred of Lactobacillus species that you can use to ferment milk into Yoghurt. My personal favorite Lactobacillus Reuteri.
paulstefan@reddit
There is no lactobacillus helleni or lactobacillus turkye
Seximilian@reddit
Other nations achieve more important things than naming bacteria after themselfs 😂😂
paulstefan@reddit
Like inventing gay sex
Seximilian@reddit
Coming from the country where Borat was actually filmed
paulstefan@reddit
You are weak sperm
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Yall miss the point in that different Yoghurts are made by different peoples.
Thick, high fat unstrained Yoghurt that we all know and call yoghurt is Turkish.
The more sour, thicker yoghurt is originally called "Oxygala" and is greek
The milder sour, but more watery/liquidy yoghurt is of Bulgarian origin.
And the Yoghurt dish with watery yoghurt and vegetables is from india and called 'Raita'.
The strained, thick, neutral and partially fermented type of yoghurt is called "Skyr" and comes from İceland.
All of those are diary dishes/products with different origins, not one of these cultures can claim the concept of diary for themselves.
The only thing that we can say for sure is that the first yoghurt that İ mentioned, the unstrained, high fat, creamy kind, is of Turkish origin as is the word "Yoghurt". And it spread so far and wide due to Turks introducing the Yoghurt to the french king who used it to treat his digestive ailment.
Cellshader@reddit
All of those other places were inspired by Greek though
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
What?
Cellshader@reddit
You heard me
ok-lazy1@reddit
Pretty accurate i think, but i found BG "yogurt" more sour that the Greek(and I prefer it),but never tried Oxygala. What about Kefir?
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
İdk much about kefir
İ've only tried the kind with fruit-flavorings.
riesen_Bonobo@reddit
tbh this discussions sounds like if Switzerland and France argued about who invented cheese. Like the concept of letting milk ferment into yoghurt/a yoghurt-like food is not that crazy to not have been developed in different places and at different times independantly. Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey are also so close to each other that cross-inspiration or the spread of some proto-yoghurt might have occured.
The most widespread term for it in European languages is originally Turkish, so you got that W.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Turkish Yoghurt doesnt come from Turkey though.
İt comes from Central asia and Siberia, because ancient Turks originated in Siberia, between the Altai-Sayan region and lake Baikal.
The reason it was invented there was because neither central asia nor Siberia is fertile enough to sustain agriculture.
So Turks relied heavily on animal husbandry and gatherings, its the reason why we are a nomad-descendant civilization and why we had to raid empires with fertile lands who had the luxury of agriculture.
Our overreliance on animal products and wild resources, made us invent various kinds of delicacies and dishes that prevent spoiling. İncluding excessive milk & diary consumption. Especially with things like horse-milk (qımız), which has 3x the lactose of regular milk.
So its only logical that we found some way to make our own type of Yoghurt that hasnt been done by other nations. Especially when our methods are primitive enough to be easily replicable.
WeakBill7974@reddit
Vay ingilizcenizi nasıl bu kadar geliştirdiniz ya harika verdiğiniz bilgiler için de çok sağ olun!
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Kimse bizi savunmuyor artık görev oldu başka seçenek yok
Alternative_Double48@reddit
İt İt İt
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Kime it diyorsun aq?
riesen_Bonobo@reddit
Really intersting, didn't know that.
Porkypineer@reddit
Youghurt like things are probably used in the Neolithic all over the farming world
Burrito357@reddit
It's not really "inspiration". Perhaps being under the Ottoman empires rule for a few centuries allowed Bulgaria and Greek to adapt the Yoghurt product into their own cultures. Like how Bulgarian ppl also make Baklava even though that's traditionally Turkish
riesen_Bonobo@reddit
Yeah, I didn't really know how to properly put it, I mean it in a way of experiencing yoghurt and then replicating it, taking their own spin on it, something like that, either through trade or through the cultural presence through the Ottoman Empire.
BlacksmithFair@reddit
you forgot serbian jogurt which is like thicker, less salty ayran
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Thats a beverage, not a type of yoghurt making
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
What?
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
He's talking about a beverage, not a type of eatable diary. Difference is that theres no fermentation happening to archieve the drink. Theres a step in-between the fermentation and the consumption. We're talking about diary products that are a direct result of fermentation
BlacksmithFair@reddit
I'm not sure if I understood your comment well but fermentation is necessary in order to make Serbian jogurt.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
You said its like less salty ayran. That implies that its a beverage, not necessarily a food
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
I think we just use different bacteria, ferment at different temperatures and different time periods, also I believe Serbian version omits adding salt, not sure if you guys actually add salt to aryan but it definitely tastes more salty.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
We put salt in ayran because ayran was primarily made with whey.
Whey separates from the milk proteins automatically during Turkish Yoghurt making, that whey is then mixed with salt to make ayran. Ayran likely originally didnt have yoghurt in it, only whey or a mix of both.
But whey can be a little bitter so we added salt.
The word "ayran" even references the seperation process of milk & whey protein. "Ayır-" means "to separate". "Ayıran" = "he/she/it who separates".
ok-lazy1@reddit
Interesting, in Bulgaria we usually make ayran just adding water and salt to yogurt and mix well
BlacksmithFair@reddit
I heard Turks do that when in Serbia too
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
They do it in Turkey too nowadays. İ was jist explaining the origins
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
İts one way to make ayran, İ was just telling yall the origins behind the drink.
When İ was little we used to make our own diary products in our family but over time my parents didnt wanna go the extra mile.
Nowadays we all make ayran with already-fermented yoghurt
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
Ah, cool info, was not aware that process for making aryan is so different from yogurt, which is basically just add bacteria and let it ferment.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Nowadays people dont use whey anymore and just mix whey, yoghurt, water and salt together. The point js to have an easy-to-make salty, refreshing drink. Some even put mint in it
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
Indians do something similar with their Lassi, add mint, mango or whatever to make it super refreshing, don't know if you ever tried it, i find it quite tasty.
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
This one absolutely is fermented though, just not as greasy and salty as aryan.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Ok.
Sorry İ just never heard of serbian yoghurt
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
I'd say it's somewhere inbetween aryan and that thick Greek yogurt, tastes kind of similar to Bulgarian version but a bit more sour and thicker.
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
Its pretty much this, all of those are different things that just get called the same in english. Its the same when Bulgarians and Greeks argue about feta when feta and sirene are 2 different things, same as yogurt and kiselo mliako
apeaky_blinder@reddit
but how the fuck is bulgarian yogurt watery when it's probably the thickest of the bunch? I get it forms a "cvyk" after opening so it has a bit of water but it's always separate form the milk and the other yogurts are much creamier. I don't get it
Slow-Hawk4652@reddit
thickiest??? have you "kusal" lately some Greek yogurt, labeled 6%. it is like a beton non arme:)
apeaky_blinder@reddit
naturally, but that's specifically asking for 6% - I have never been served 6% in Greece when I have asked for yoghurt. Is this what is usually done? Cause my experience is not this. Granted, I have no way to know whether this is the norm everywhere.
Also if I buy, if I want a thick one, I have to put effort in finding thicker. The normal greek yogurt you find is nowhere close to that.
Like if you ask for 6% anywhere from any yoghurt it will be thick as fuck.
Where have you eaten 6%?
ok-lazy1@reddit
I agree with you, I found the normal BG yogurt thickier that the Greek found on the stores
North-Library4037@reddit
Bulgarian yogurt is not strained unlike the Greek one. You can compare our цедено кисело мляко with their yogurt.
Slow-Hawk4652@reddit
yep.
dilqncho@reddit
Both Greek and Skyr are much thicker than our yoghurt
apeaky_blinder@reddit
I wouldn't use think as a word for Greek yogurt - it is slimey, if I had to use one word. Skyr is thicker, yes.
Do you mean Greek yogurt with added cream? Cause this one is more popular around the shops but their natural yogurt has runnier, slimey texture
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
Imo bulgarian yogurt is not really thick, if youve tried skyr you would not what a thick yogurt means. Bulgarian yogurt is much more light and has the consistency of soft tofu rather than cream cheese
fat-wombat@reddit
But then how can we have these stupid posts where we argue about who invented and who stole yogurt
Optimal_Most3665@reddit
-Bulgarians invented rakia.
🍿🍿🍿
jaclars66@reddit
I’m not trained in yoghurt-knowledge. But i’d say that you forgot the Swedish filmjölk which is eaten like yoghurt
Key_Refuse_843@reddit
Home made Bulgarian yogurt is not watery.
Slow-Hawk4652@reddit
depends on закваска.
Burrito357@reddit
Some Yogurt brands are very creamy and liquidy tho. Perhaps the "recipe" changed over the years after it was first invented
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Early Bulgarian Yoghurt was pretty liquidy. Not that it was literally like water but it was probably the kind of yoghurt that cant hold a shape. Think of it like a gooey substance.
Like this
For comparison Turkish Yoghurt can hold its shape pretty much like scooping up a mountain
d1xt1r@reddit
I think there are a few things here that might be a bit oversimplified.
Yogurt doesn’t really come from a single country. It most likely developed across different regions like Central Asia and the Middle East, where people discovered that milk ferments naturally.
Some of the specific claims about types are a bit mixed up too. For example, Bulgarian yogurt (with Lactobacillus bulgaricus) is often quite thick, not necessarily watery. What people call “Greek yogurt” today is basically just strained yogurt rather than a completely different original product.
Also, Skyr is usually considered closer to a fresh cheese, even though it’s eaten like yogurt.
The Turkish connection is definitely important, especially since the word “yogurt” comes from Turkish, but the food itself likely existed in multiple places before that.
And the story about Francis I of France being treated with yogurt is interesting, but it’s more of a popular anecdote than something firmly proven.
Overall, I’d say it’s more accurate to think of yogurt as a shared tradition across many cultures, each with its own variation, rather than something that belongs to just one origin.
baxulax@reddit
Oxygala is not yoghurt, it’s something like kefir
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
According to the few sources that we do have it was pretty much a Yoghurt-like food. What we define as "Yoghurt" comes from Turkish anyway, which is why İ referred to it as Oxygala. Because "Yoghurt" only defines a very specific type of diary product, like Skyr or Dahi
baxulax@reddit
The difference is that you during the one the other not
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
baxulax@reddit
Fkn autocorrect
Voldypants_420@reddit
The autocorrect aside, did we actually agree on something for once? Daym.
baxulax@reddit
They are all similar products for sure. The one labelled as “Greek yogurt” is strained. I prefer the fatter unstrained sheep’s yogurt myself.
z4j3b4nt@reddit
My favorite is acidophiline milk/yoghurt... Taste is GOAT. Acidophilus, the bacteria used to make it was first found in baby shit. AND you can find it in every vagina.
I love pussy yoghurt.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Ah, so you're a man of (bacterial) culture as well
z4j3b4nt@reddit
A man has to know what he's eating.
ProxPxD@reddit
I thought the Turks and Greeks always thought over the same product. I can't perceive by the descriptions alone which is which. Apart from Skyr, I know two basic types, one I call "sweet" and it's all around the word often with Vanilla and berries it's mild. The other is more sour and thick which I use to some non sweet dishes. Like to eat with Mantî or just with pasta and its sauce, which I was taught by the Turkish friends. This type is called by everyone I knew in Europe (outside Balkans) "Greek Yogurt" and it suits your description of a Greek Yogurt
Is it what I called "Sweet Yogurt" the Bulgarian one?
Is what's called West and North to Balkans a "Greek Yogurt" Turkish?
Is true Greek Yogurt rather unknown and the Turkish one's sold under a label "Greek"?
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
İts because companies like "Chobani" took Turkish style Yoghurt and sold it under the name "Greek Yoghurt", because the founder of Chobani may have a hatred for Turks.
Greek Yoghurt-making today is pretty much like Turkish yoghurt but strained of its liquids, while Turks prefer it "al naturale". The liquid is basically whey protein that seperates from the milk during the fermentation process. Ancient Turks used that whey with salt to make Ayran.
İts possible that the greek yoghurt evolved from their Oxygala-making process and decided to strain it since Oxygala is pretty watery, which is why its strained today.
No, idk what its called in Bulgarian because Bulgars only arrived around 200-400 AD in Bulgaria, and idk much about Bulgarias history prior to the slavic migrations.
Gotta ask a bulgarian for this
Not sure actually. İ dont think they make much distinction.
İn Turkey, strained and unstrained Yoghurt are just sold as "Yoghurt". Some companies make that distinction but the people generally dont care. We are more appalled by the fact that our yoghurt is sold internationally as "Greek".
People eat more unstrained Yoghurt though, by a large margin even İ think.
İ dont think anyone would've been pissed if Yoghurt was just sold as "Yoghurt" and not "Greek Yoghurt", "Turkish Yoghurt" or "Bulgarian Yoghurt". İts the fact that others slapped their name on it thats insulting, not that they omitted our name
ProxPxD@reddit
I get it. And yeah, the lack of distinction in details is definitely present outside of the yogurt-enojoying regions.
This product is called "greek yogurt" in my region just to distinguish by both the sourness and thickness (I believe) from the sweet or natural (mild) yogurt.
Earlier if I had a yogurt coming from Turkey or something I'd probably call it "Turkish Greek Yogurt" because the label "Greek" was fixed within the phrase for that kind of product. It's a bit like the letter "y" is called "greek i" in some languages, but it's treated as a whole
But it still has a cultural reference and a form of appropriation. There's also no usable alternative as without any label "yogurt" would refer to even a greater variety of products, now with very different usage.
Thank you, Now I want to try and compare those varieties to understand it better
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Turks dont usually care about cultural appropriatiom as long as we are credited and ur not passing it off as your own culture/erase us from the heritage.
So this is really one of the few things thats stinging.
Either way, good luck and Smacznego 🤙
ProxPxD@reddit
Yeah, I didn't mean it as the "cultural appriopritation" is presented sometimes nowadays. Just as this lack of acknowledgement.
> Either way, good luck and Smacznego 🤙
Haha, I'm eating a cake rn! Thanks and afiyet olsun (if that's right)
peachpavlova@reddit
Brother the founder of Chobani is Turkish lol
Accomplished-One5765@reddit
Correction, he is a Kurd. He has stated his strong commitment to Kurdish rights, citing this as a reason for leaving Turkey due to the Turkish state's oppression of its Kurdish minority.
Hamdi Ulukaya is the guy we’re talking about by the way.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Yeah? You think we dont have traitors in Turkey?
ACM96@reddit
There's a Turkish yogurt producer, Cobani, in the USA that's been selling as Greek yogurt, just a marketing ploy.
dr_ra1chu1@reddit
I'm Greek and I award this man the metal of honor for typing this masterpiece, you cooked man, I would like to reddit award you but koulis stole my money
Palagrin@reddit
gods damned koulis, not letting us award brilliance
dr_ra1chu1@reddit
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Separate_Trip8964@reddit
Nah its pretty much bulgarian
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Not rly
Nikoschalkis1@reddit
What the. So I'm eating Icelandic yogurt? I'm just eating strained yogurt bruh
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
İcelandic yoghurt is much more firm and thicker than greek yoghurt. İts not just strained, its goddamn dry. Almost like cream cheese
zelenisok@reddit
That Greek /Bulgarian yogurt the world just calls yogurt.
What I want to know is what the world calls the liquid yogurt that we drink in ex-Yu counties.
Almost always they dont even know what it is.
Oh you mean ayran? No, thats different, we have that too in stores, not the same thing.
Oh you mean kefir? Nope, again, we have it, different thing. Different taste and texture from both of those.
Here in ex-Yu countries we just call it yogurt (and the one that you take with a spoon we call Greek yogurt).
And its a very popular drink, its probably more consumed than milk and any other dairy product. Its drunk usually for breakfast, alongside burek, or pretzel, or sandwich, etc.
Outside of ex-Yu counties people dont even know about it.
GeorgiPetrov@reddit
The bacteria responsible for the creation of the yogurt is called Bacillus Bulgaricus / Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
CommieAlert@reddit
Duuude I mean bacteria itself isn't of bulgarian ethnicity bxbdbdbdnxnsnx it's not like 2 bulgarians had sex and the baby was a lactobacillus
munchmills@reddit
nothing is impossible if you say gex
mob74@reddit
😂
North-Library4037@reddit
That's only one of the bacteria in yogurt.
Separate_Trip8964@reddit
And its the most important one
mob74@reddit
Don’t make discrimination among bacteries, it’s not kind
North-Library4037@reddit
You can make yogurt without that exact bacteria. It'll just have different taste and consistency. So, that's not an evidence that yogurt originates in Bulgaria.
GeorgiPetrov@reddit
Yes, and you can grill Cauliflower steaks, yet that doesn't make them the real thing.
North-Library4037@reddit
This has nothing to do with the subject. Fermented milk has been made for centuries in Asia, and in Europe, and has changed a lot since the first time people discovered it.
GeorgiPetrov@reddit
Yes, and it's not yogurt. We're talking about yogurt here. Not kefir, airag, amasi, or labneh, just to name a few examples.
North-Library4037@reddit
People outside Bulgaria didn't make yogurt until 1910-1920 when the industrialization of yogurt came or until the patent in the 50s when we started selling those specific strains? 😂 Okay...bye.
GeorgiPetrov@reddit
Yes, you clearly understand how a fermented milk product created without Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are not fit to be called 'yogurt'. Bye.
Odd-Organization-740@reddit
Only because it was named by a Bulgarian.
mob74@reddit
And the Bulgarians are named after a Turkic tribe, so 😁
riesen_Bonobo@reddit
That means its rightfully Bulgarian bacteria
i_want_shokola@reddit
Damn, just give it the right to vote already. Thee who controls the bacteria controls the Bulgaria
Separate_Trip8964@reddit
It was named like that because its found in Bulgaria
MrKorakis@reddit
But keep in mind that Arabic numerals are from India so what a thing is called does not really always correlate with where it's from / who invented it
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
Arabs didnt call the numerals "arabic numerals" tho
Fit-Strawberry459@reddit
Its named after yoghurt's invention and thus irrelevant to its origin
ketchupadmirer@reddit
what an idea throw bacteria into milk to create yogurt,from time imemorial, and ofc serbs, made it and bulgarians stole it /j
GeorgiPetrov@reddit
Of course it is. It's a time honoured tradition between Balkan states to Strategically Transfer Everything (and anything) to Alternate Locations
basedfinger@reddit
was about to say. nice to see a fellow dairy fermentation nerd here
seraflm@reddit
At first there was milk (mleko) then sour milk (kiselo mleko), then someone started to add water (mukenica). We are talking centuries. “Kiselo mleko” preferably sheep (ovco) homemade (domashno) is the real thing.
thanasis87kav@reddit
It came from their tits
Cellshader@reddit
Albania, obviously
ouzans@reddit
There is Bulgarian Yoghurt, there is Greek Yoghurt and there is plain Yoghurt which is turkic.
Hataydoner_@reddit
I just call it yogurt.
Stealthfighter21@reddit
Greek yogurt is the biggest scam and all thanks to a Kurd from Turkey.
Free-Celebration4562@reddit
i did my master thesis on yogurt and for the introduction I had to find the historical source of the yogurt. The truth is nobody knows but the earliest evidence we have is pointing to an area that is currently Bulgarian. Don't ask me for sources, that was 15 years back lol
Live-In-Berlin@reddit
That may be one of the most Balkanic sentences I've ever read in my life.
Free-Celebration4562@reddit
Hahahaha 100% valid take!
Away-Ad-1310@reddit
War for yogurt
abandonedtulpa@reddit
I created it and made sure to spread my glorious creation across the world, no need to thank me
i_want_shokola@reddit
Truly the Milk Man of our time.
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
Mr. Lactobacilicus is that you?
LingonberryDizzy6633@reddit
Mr. Lactovasillevski*
brownnoisedaily@reddit
Or just Mr. Lactov.
GeorgeChl@reddit
Mr. Lactobacilicus was his father; you can just call him Lac.
Voldypants_420@reddit
Lac Jr
Ill_Scarcity4650@reddit
I was there, u did it.
Ev_Batchvarov@reddit
Totally agree, saw you both
wifesboobs42@reddit
I saw it live on the news when it happened. Al three of you were there.
gladendemon@reddit
I saw you on the news watching the news and i can confirm you did not see them because you went to shit and proceeded to stay in the toilet for 2 hours.
HorrorsPersistSoDoI@reddit
My former roommate's brother's nephew heard a story from one of his classmates, it really happened
Ok-Caregiver-1588@reddit
i can confirm as my ex wife’s brother in law sister’s son was also there an saw it happen
Glittering-Poet-2657@reddit
My wife’s boyfriend was there, I can confirm.
Silver-Bee-3979@reddit
I’m the milk, he’s telling the truth.
voolandis@reddit
Thank you, God bless you
VelocitySatisfaction@reddit
I pulled hacked camera footage and screen recorded video from his laptop i can confirm he did it.
Putrid_Speed_5138@reddit
HuckleberryUpbeat518@reddit
It came from Bulgaria. It is obvious, it is right there in the name "Bulgarian yogurt".
Seriously though, "yogurt" is a greek word that they've managed to turn into a kind of brand. I Bulgaria we call it кисело мляко, which literally means "saur milk". Most languages use a name that is some variation of that.
The bacteria used for the fermentation is called Lactobacillus bulgaricus as it was first discovered in Bulgaria, so we have that as the legitimation for the claim that yogurt is Bulgarian.
chezeeburgerlover@reddit
yoghurt (yoğurt) is a turkish word that derives from the verb of "yoğur-mak"
tokalper@reddit
Close but not really it comes from Yoğ as in yoğ-un which means thick or thickened
Burrito357@reddit
It's not the only bacteria that's responsible for the fermentation. You can make Yoghurt with and without it. It just makes Bulgarian Yogurt more unique. Just because the Bulgarian researcher distinguished that one bacteria from Bulgarian Yogurt, doesn't mean that Yogurt is Bulgarian. It in fact finds it's origin in multiple countries both close and far. Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and even Iceland all have the same product but it's still unique to their cultures.
Here in Bulgaria we love to say we invented everything but it really isn't true. It's kinda akin to propaganda at school. We are all told here that the first computer was made by a Bulgarian for instance. But that guy had a hand in making smth very different from a legit computer. Yk.
HuckleberryUpbeat518@reddit
It is the same bacteria used in the Greek yogurt. Yes, there are other strains in the same family that can be used to ferment milk. However each one would give slightly different tasting product. The one present on the Balkans is the Lactobacillus bulgaricus and it defines the "original yogurt".
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
"First discovered" is a weak term, İ discovered cigarrettes before tea, doesnt mean that İ started smoking my first cigarrette before İ started drinking my first tea. Also doesnt mean that cigarrettes are more ancient than tea.
Especially in regards to bacteria...which really is uncertain where they come from exactly and where they went
According to the wikipedia article the bacteria gets its name because the Bulgarian researcher looked specifically at bulgarian yoghurt and isolated the bacteria responsible for the fermentation. The bacteria isnt the oldest yoghurt making bacteria, it was jist the only one that researchers looked at.
The bacteria also lives naturally in the intestines of livestock in and outside of Bulgaria, meaning that probably any species that lives in a bulgaria-like climate could harbor that bacteria & make yoghurt. Lots of other bacterias from the species "Lactobacillus" also make yoghurt.
According to "sciencenews.dk" people in the Balkans and Turkey (before the establishment of either ofc) used crushed ants, flowering buds and roots to make Yoghurt like dishes since the bacteria found there were useful for that.
And if these things get into livestock intestines you can see how that caused the bacteria to evolve into the variants you see today with Bulgaricus.
Separate_Trip8964@reddit
smartest turk
Comprehensive-Bike36@reddit
This is not entirely true Lactobacillus Bulgaricus is just a single species of bacteria, which was discovered in Bulgaria and is "patented" by us.
Other countries have their own species/strains that they use to ferment yoghurt.
Also, no, we didn't discover yoghurt. Neither did the Turks and the Greeks probably didn't either. It was discovered a couple thousand years ago around Mesopotamia/Persia and just spread around to the other peoples.
The only sensible discussion here is from an etymological standpoint as to the origins of the word "yoghurt".
HuckleberryUpbeat518@reddit
The bacteria used for what people usually call yogurt is the Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Other strains from the Lactobacillus family can be used, but the resulting product tastes different, so it can be argued whether it is really yogurt.
Comprehensive-Bike36@reddit
This is quite literally wrong. Go to any other country and when you find yoghurt it's usually not with lactobacillus bulgaricus.
Yes, in Bulgaria
And yes, yoghurt made with other strains tastes different, but that doesn't make it less "yoghurty". Like, no shit, there are different species that make different tasting yoghurt.
Yoghurt in Germany (for example) and every other country is still called yogurt, despite being made with different bacteria species.
And just for the protocol, the first yoghurt was also made with other bacteria species. Our strain is just another one among many.
ZemlyaNovaya@reddit
Yogurt is a Turkish word tbf
HuckleberryUpbeat518@reddit
Yes, but everyone in the western world associates yogurt with Greece. They've turned it into a brand.
TrueSpinach@reddit
Its a Turkish word tho
HuckleberryUpbeat518@reddit
Damn, so the stole the name from you and the actual food from us! 😆
/s
Exciting_Target4002@reddit
Yogurt is turkish word, google it
Glazer_4379@reddit
It aint called yogurt. Its literally translation means sour milk, and yogurt is sweet....I think
Many-Rooster-7905@reddit
Im not an expert but i think bulgarian yogurt came from bulgaria
tokalper@reddit
Hmmm interesting conclusion, thanks for the insight and have a nice day
No_Jokes_Here@reddit
Scientific Discovery: In 1905, Bulgarian microbiologist Stamen Grigorov identified the essential bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) responsible for creating yogurt
MaxDrexler@reddit
I've seen Syrian woman to make a home made one claiming it's old Syrian recipe so we can expand the area
P-l-Staker@reddit
I've never ever heard anybody say "Bulgarian yoghurt". It's always "Greek yoghurt" as a staple, whether it's true or not. Others get called with their localised name (like Skyr from Iceland).
radube@reddit
I have had several encounters with Japanese and South Korean people and the moment they understand I am Bulgarian, first thing they tell me is they know about the Bulgarian yogurt.
d0nghunter@reddit
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
Kind of funny how so many words in Japanese sounds like some bad interpretation of American speaking Japanese.
Cant wait to try Shopskuru salatu with slivovu rakiju
EarlGreyKv@reddit
Burugaria, Nippon🇯🇵🇯🇵🌸🌸
Bourbonmmm@reddit
At least they didn’t ask you how to do a split squat.
Sound0fSilence@reddit
Greeks just take shit and market it properly
samir_saritoglu@reddit
In Russia, it's Greek yogurt.
ExoticAd7546@reddit
Definitely greek yoghurt has been successfully marketed globally and is recognized as a category even nowadays. Bulgarian yoghurt by itself is majorly popular outside of Bulgaria only in Japan as far as I am aware. In any case I have lived in the UK and eaten the greek style yoghurt there - it is not the same thing neither in taste nor texture. Bulgarian yoghurt is sour (where the names sour milk which is what we call it in Bulgarian comes from) and not that dense.
atzitzi@reddit
Im not so sure if it was suslccesful marketing or simply tourists eating yogurt in Greece and making it famous. I mean, English made famous lokumia as Turkish delights. It wasn't a Turkish marketing idea. But I'm not certain.
Seximilian@reddit
Yeah but the name Lokumia comes from the turkish name Lokum, which is derrived from the arabic word "rahat-ul hulkum".
ExoticAd7546@reddit
Surely that's part of it Greece is getting a lot more tourists.
P-l-Staker@reddit
Yeah, because as I said, it's just a name that's been assigned to it. It doesn't refer to its origin. "Greek yoghurt" is used to differentiate from other sweetened dessert "yoghurts".
fat-wombat@reddit
There’s a lot of yogurt in the US marketed as Bulgarian. It is not the same as Greek.
atzitzi@reddit
Greeks make plenty of yogurts, and traditional greek yogurt is homemade with milk of sheeps and goats. Still, what the world calls greek yogurt is the strained one.
fat-wombat@reddit
Yeah I know that, I’m talking about what is marketed as such.
Worried-Owl-9198@reddit (OP)
What does yogurt mean in Greek?
P-l-Staker@reddit
Nothing. "Yoghurt" is a word IN English.
Commercial_Leek6987@reddit
Yoghurt is literally a Turkish word. Just google yoghurt eymology lol
P-l-Staker@reddit
Thank you. It's always nice to know the origin of words. However, it still is a word in English and has 0 meanings in Greek.
Burrito357@reddit
Yogurt is a work in Turkish
icancount192@reddit
Galen in 200AD mentions yogurt by the name oxygala. Just because it changed name doesn't mean it wasn't consumed by the Greeks.
Worried-Owl-9198@reddit (OP)
Dude I honestly don't care, it was just a joke. I even tagged it with the humor flair but people are taking it way too seriously.
icancount192@reddit
You cared enough to downvote
Worried-Owl-9198@reddit (OP)
icancount192@reddit
Yeah me too, see I upvoted you
Worried-Owl-9198@reddit (OP)
Alright, there's no problem the only issue is that our batteries are running out. 😂
LizardmanJoe@reddit
Yogurt is such a simple product that it has existed for thousands of years, every single ancient civilization has records of producing some form of yogurt and calling it different things. Ancient Greece had a form of yogurt too, the fact that the modern word for it comes from the Turkish version doesn't exactly mean much. This is such a sad thing to try and turn into some kind of cultural dispute.
Exciting_Target4002@reddit
It means "westoleitandwearenotashamed"
Worried-Owl-9198@reddit (OP)
Lmao no worries, we stole all our fish names from you anyway. 😂
indigo_void1@reddit
Bulgarian yogurt is a different yogurt.
SweatyLake6695@reddit
it is called "greek yoghurt" to distinguish it from the "bulgarian yoghurt", because everyone just calls that one "yoghurt" and doesn't think about it any further.
Greek yoghurt is strained bulgarian yoghurt, if i understood it correctly.
SassyKardashian@reddit
I've lived in Croatia, Austria, UK and now Spain. We only have greek yoghurt or skyr here. Never heard of turkish or Bulgarian yogurt
Taki32@reddit
It's a stupid argument since it was created before there were Turks or Greeks
refinedeuropa@reddit
Yoğurt word itself speaks about its origin
_Spiderbrood_@reddit
It's the name of the fermentation bacteria. Although it feels a bit "RAAAA 🦅🦅🦅🇧🇬🇧🇬" for me when I see it occasionally
dachaubica88@reddit
Who in the world calls it Bulgarian?
Suitable-Decision-26@reddit
You sir are questioning Bulgaria's supremacy in dairy products. Such impropriety will not be tolerated, indeed.
nikiarch@reddit
We don't have yogurt we have Kiselo Mliako. We don't have cheese we have kashkaval. We don't have feta we have Sirene
Pomegranate2026@reddit
It all mostly comes from Iraq and Syria, and it was discoverd by dumb luck. And yes, even all the variations we have now already existed thousands of years ago so all three parties should just shut up.
MeMoZaKi@reddit
Mesopotamians 5000 years ago created yogurt, I don't believe that there was any turkey there yet😂
NimrodvanHall@reddit
In the Netherlands shops sell both Greek and Turkish yoghurt. There are differences in taste and texture.
mssarac@reddit
Literally NOBODY calls it Bulgarian
Kuzy-C33@reddit
we dont even call it turkish yoghurt we call it strained yoghurt
Familiar-Custard-216@reddit
Because Bulgarian yogurt is a variation of yogurt from Bulgaria?
It’s so stupid how some nations claim “basic” foods like yogurt and claim them as solely their invention. It’s like claiming bread or cheese or pasta or alcohol
You can claim derivatives or variations of certain foods, but claiming the food innit of itself exists because of you is idiotic
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
Not true. Bread is an invention of the first people that invented agriculture. So bread is from Mesopotamia. It spread from there to the rest of the world. So indeed people can claim a basic good as an invention they made.
Sometimes variations to the original product also can cause that a brand new product is invented for instance ice cream. It went from fruit with ice invented by Persians to a dairy product invented by Italians .
Most basic foods are so old and so long used that it is impossible to exactly pinpoint where it started and who invented it. Because some foods are older than writings but this doesn't mean it doesn't come from some region.
sunsetpolar@reddit
You are right about spread but I think bread or aleast things close enough to bread orignated in mutipkw parts of the world it too simple of an idea Mesopotamia would be the first through
Being first doesn’t necessarily mean you were the only ones to make it we aren’t talking about guns or electricity here bread is pretty basic of a concept
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
If you want a patent for your invention the patent office always checks if someone was prior to you. This doesn't mean that an invention can't be invented by multiple persons in multiple places at different times. You are right about that.
I never said that being first makes you the only one that invented it but being the first gives you the patent rights. And I know this is not always true like Columbus getting the credit for discovering America but in general this is how it works
JUYED-AWK-YACC@reddit
Some things are so common that they have multiple inventions separately. Things don’t necessarily start in one place and then spread out.
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
There is always one first. The discovery of Fire probably also happened in multiple places and times but someone was first. It doesn't need to spread to have a first.
Worried-Owl-9198@reddit (OP)
Chill, nobodys saying you cant eat it
cloudgirl_c-137@reddit
Me, a Greek : I look just like Turkan Soray. Please, find a Turkish Aliki Vouyiouklaki, dear Turkish people.
atheras87@reddit
3.rd balkan war
vbd71@reddit
Presumably, Bulgarians' throat singing ancestors brought it.
Flechette-71@reddit
Its not called yogurt in Bulgaria. We call it sour milk- literal translation. Yogurt becomes yogurt in different way. Sour milk Is a matter of technology and mainly specific bacteria and it made only here.
Takadant@reddit
Yogurt was discovered ten thousand years before the any abstractions known as states began their petty existence
PantalonFinance@reddit
WTF. I didn't know about bulgarian yogurt untill now. For me it's just yogurt or greek yogurt, lol.
themaelstorm@reddit
I’ve never heard anyone call yogurt Bulgarian outside Bulgaria. Greek yoghurt is the dominant name I think
IncompletePunchline@reddit
I thought Bulgarian yogurt was a different bacterial strain.
scanfash@reddit
I don’t think the rest of the world calls it Bulgarian yoghurt at least western world. Germany, Denmark, UK, USA it’s all Greek yoghurt
Substantial-One1934@reddit
Every country makes yogurt, but in Bulgaria it is sour milk and it must taste sour, all of the others are just the same. A Bulgarian scientist has invented the lactus bacillus bugaricum and it exist only in our country and we are famous with our sheep sour milk.
No-Championship-4632@reddit
That bacteria never crosses borders?
canastataa@reddit
As far as i know its native to the area. Not exactly the Bulgarian borders like you joke, but for example we send new crop of bacterium for the Japanese each month or so. Once you start ferment a new batch with the old batch at a far different location it fails to replicate the original bacteria.
-XenoSine-@reddit
I have never ever heard anyone referring to yogurt as Bulgarian. In fact I don't think I've ever heard anyone referring to anything as Bulgarian.
r3giment75@reddit
It’s Lactobacillus bulgaricus not greekius or turkeyus
They can fuck off
Mr_Kikos@reddit
they can keep the yogurt we have sour milk
canastataa@reddit
Some of the sour milk is not really sour and i wonder why people still call it sour milk. Should be outlawed, soury is the best taste. Else call is sweet milk.
Burrito357@reddit
Truly. Even tho it's the same thing
Powerful_Actuary577@reddit
Man I am not even from the balkans but I love it here and reading these posts
Don't mind me folks.. Just chilling here 💺 🍷
vasjpan002@reddit
Mongolia. Yogurt is a mongolian word. But the bacteria is named Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus
eucalyptus_Ribose@reddit
According to bacteria name yoghurt is bulgarian
analogue_archaeology@reddit
Well, the bacteria that makes yogurt is named Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. It was discovered by a Bulgarian microbiologist Stamen Grigorov in 1901. Also the Japanese brand of yogurt is named Bulgaria after the fact that the bacteria came from Bulgaria. So yogurt is Bulgarian.
fekanix@reddit
The word yogurt literally is one of the few turkish loan words that are used all around the world. So yeah its turkish.
Greek yogurt is a different kind of yogurt, so is skyr and every other kind of yogurt. But the invention is turkish.
ItJustWontDo242@reddit
Clean_Cry_3567@reddit
EzerchE@reddit
“Yoğurt” is a Turkish word and derives from the root “yoğunlaştırmak” (to thicken).
atzitzi@reddit
Yes, everybody knows the word is Turkish. This doesn't mean it is a Turkish invention or that people before Turks didn't eat yogurt. They did but probably called it sth else.
Serious_Vacation_638@reddit
Bro just ask to google about origin of yoğurt and you will be dissapointed on your idea, unfortunatly
icancount192@reddit
I did maybe you won't like the results
noodlemoelester@reddit
I dont really care about whether or not yogurt is greek or turkish but doesnt the source kinda agree with the guy you're replying to?
icancount192@reddit
No? It literally says it was eaten in Ancient Greece
People like the guy above me have a hard time that things existed before they got a different name
noodlemoelester@reddit
But like right after its said that pliny the elder wrote about how barbaric tribes ate yogurt which could be turks or any other nomadic tribe and he talks about it as if he is unfamiliar with it
icancount192@reddit
Yeah he was a Roman
And I assume he talked about Scythians or even Hunns since Turks were in Northeast Asia back then
noodlemoelester@reddit
Dawg who cares if he is roman he lived like 200 years before greek yogurt wss a thing appearently im more baffled you didnt read your own shit 😭
icancount192@reddit
That's serious brain dementia.
Galen offers a recipe for yogurt, he isn't the first one who mentioned it.
Even Herodotus mentions it.
But even if Pliny mentions it he couldn't have meant the Turks. They were in Mongolia and Siberia back then.
I don't know what's so hard to get and why you don't try harder for your gotcha moments.
atzitzi@reddit
I don't have any expectations in order to be disappointed
Serious_Vacation_638@reddit
So you should not be abstain of searching on google about origins of the yoğurt
EzerchE@reddit
The reason the Turkic word became the universal standard is that the specific methodology and the stable culture we recognize as 'yogurt' today were standardized and spread by Turkic nomads.
The linguistics and the food technology in this case are inseparable.
atzitzi@reddit
You maybe right!
EzerchE@reddit
Although I believe they are part of our shared culture; the same goes for songs, other dishes, and culture in general. Our shared culture has emerged as a result of having lived together in the past. So, i think the origin is really not that important :)
LucasLeo75@reddit
The best alternative ethnic group to invent Yogurt would be the Sychtians and even then if they had a word for it, it did not survive, there is basically no evidence to suggest it was them. Saying "It may not have been Turks even though the name is Turkic" is silly levels of denial.
atzitzi@reddit
All I'm saying is that 1.I don't know who invented yogurt. Do you have proof? Please share 2. People were eating yogurt before Turks 3. Chances are it was created itself as a happy accident and not intentionally invented.All it takes is hot milk and some bacteria. Still kudos to those who discovered it.
Waitform3@reddit
baklavaki caciki kokoreski gyro
Burlotier@reddit
«Οξυγαλα» (acid milk) is the Greek word and it was before the Turks even thought to come to Anatolia
atzitzi@reddit
I have never seen a greek claim that yogurt is a greek invention. I mean, chances are that yogurt invented itself as a happy accident
Slow-Hawk4652@reddit
https://www.agriculturalmuseums.org/2023/05/24/yogurt-in-greece/
this is the closest thing i think:)
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
What I have heard in terms of theories of how yogurt was invenvted is that nomadic steppe tribes used to carry milk in their horse saddles and from the specific temperature they have made it into what we know today as yogurt.
atzitzi@reddit
Yes, I read that too
AirJinx@reddit
Never seen Bulgarian yoghurt in stores.
My store removed Turkish yoghurt 3 weeks ago (had it for at least 10 years).
They still offer 25 different Greek yoghurts....
Slow-Hawk4652@reddit
where is that?
ZedGenius@reddit
All I know is that there are foods and drinks of let's say disputed origins but yogurt has always been ... just yogurt to me? First time I saw the term "greek yogurt" was on reddit and I was googling why people call it that. Didn't even know we had a claim for it. And it's mostly other countries disputing it too (often times not even the turkish, just random 3rd countries). But yeah it's just yogurt same way chocolate is just chocolate. Not something I'd think to figure out who invented it and label it that. Worth noting that we use a derivative of the turkish word for it, even though it exists in greek, no one ever uses the greek one
slickeighties@reddit
Turkey seem to take ownership for 90% of Greek cuisine and their land
MajorEmploy1500@reddit
I only now Greek yoghurt, normal yoghurt and “kwark” (soft cheese according to translate).
OkArmy8295@reddit
Hahah everyone knows JOGURT IS SERBIAN
Successful_Item_2853@reddit
Where the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus came from.
Seximilian@reddit
It's only one type of Lactobacillus bacterias you can ferment milk with. There are also others. And this one was called because a bulgarian scientist named it like this.
Prize_Management9936@reddit
Neah, we call it greek yogurt
Seximilian@reddit
But the name yogurt itself is turkish.
SnooChipmunks2407@reddit
Some people say bulgarians have Turkish roots.
knispler@reddit
Maybe, just maybe, several people in several regions of the world found out that you can age milk under certain conditions and receive some jelly which tastes well? And maybe this all precedes the idea of nations we have?
Street_Couple2456@reddit
I'm from Italy, here we have Greek yogurt and "regular" yogurt. Never heard of Turkish or Bulgarian yogurt.
Arbaces420@reddit
And I thought the ancient Thracians invented it
Intelectualu@reddit
in Romania it is Greek Yogurt
Mesenterium@reddit
People on the Balkans have been fermenting milk long before Greece, let alone Bulgaria or Turkey were founded.
MrThrowawayperC@reddit
Lmao what yogurt?
EfficientTrick9195@reddit
Both Turkish and Greek yoghurt taste differently, and I love them both!!
Infamous-Chemist-502@reddit
Not a popular take in this sub but whenever I see anyone seriously arguing about the origins of foods using modern nation states I can’t help but see them as idiot.
Silgad_@reddit
Culture-theft at its finest.
(Please tell me someone will get this joke before too many kneejerk downvotes happen 😆)
Silgad_@reddit
Can the Greeks have anything anymore?
25Bruh25@reddit
Yogurt does exsist since B.C 4.000-6.000 with the Turks. How tf greeks think they invented that
Character-Pirate1297@reddit
All foods are common between Balkans, but I’ve never seen yogurt being labelled as Bulgarian. American movies usually depict it as greek.
sonnyhayes_ysf@reddit
Yoğurmaktan yoğurt oluyorsa neresi olabilir aq?
biendeluxe@reddit
You’d almost think that Turks, Greeks and Bulgarians were once upon a time living in the same villages, buying other’s cows, selling each other’s milk and tasting each other’s yoghurt…
ImmediateFee4015@reddit
Ive argued in the past whether its actually Greek or Bulgarian with a friend so idk what is actually the case. But I dont think the rest of the world calls it Bulgaran Yoghurt my dude
Optimal-Broccoli6063@reddit
Nobody says yogurt is bulgarian lol
tomjah_@reddit
Meanwhile, I’ve been to Turkey and Greece, asked for yogurt, and people didn’t even know what I was talking about. Apparently it’s all ayran in Turkey and confusion in Greece.
giannidelgianni@reddit
There is only one question to be asked...is it thick???
Voinat107@reddit
The real yogurt is literally made because of a bacteria called lactobacillus bulgaricus endeming to the bulgarian region
stoyanovbobby@reddit
Bulgarians din't clame the invention of yogurt .We call it Sour milk and what makes it one of a kind is the bacteria only we have - Lactobacilicus Bulgaricus.
Indubitabil12@reddit
What's Bulgarian yogurt? Is it like our Romanian yogurt?
Sea_Negotiation_1871@reddit
Lol, no. The world eats Greek yogurt.
unemployedbasedgod@reddit
Bulgars were Turkic thats why.
No_Sea_2139@reddit
Most ridiculous claim in human history. Yogurt is 100% Turkic food. By etymology first. Second is there any dried yogurt in Greece or Bulgaria ? No In Central Asia ? Yes It means they invented yogurt before anyone And second Being nomad push you to preserve milk. Yogurt, dried yogurt (qurut, qurt, kurut, kurt, qqet, jameed, shilanch)
Again when the subjects are Turks all western politics become against to Turks
BasedEmu@reddit
Who has the best baclava tough.
icancount192@reddit
I like Turkish with pistachio more.
baxulax@reddit
The Greeks, of course
TronBackpacker@reddit
It's indian end of the drama.
Trenmonstrr@reddit
Just wait until you try Romanian Yogurt, which is the best of all of them.
It’s all three……stolen, combined, then renamed. Classic
Moist_Ad2066@reddit
Why does "Bulgarian yogurt" sound like a nasty sex move?
Commercial_Leek6987@reddit
Yoghurt Etymology:
The word yoghurt (or yogurt) originates from the Turkish word yoğurt, derived from the Old Turkish verb yoğurmak, meaning to thicken, curdle, or coagulate. It describes the fermentation process of turning milk into a thick product. It first appeared in English texts in the early 1600s, often spelled as "yoghurd" or "yaghourt".
Objective-Expert771@reddit
Yogurt is Turkish and Greek Yogurt is Greek. Doner is Turkish and German Doner is German.
Loopbloc@reddit
Annoying_guest@reddit
Bro who the fuck cares, we all like yogurt
OhWellImRightAgain@reddit
ah yes, the world famous Bulgarian yogurt
Yogurt originates from Mesopotamia, not from the Balkans.
Putrid_Speed_5138@reddit
Its origin is obviously not the Balkans.
Also, people who cite Mesopotamia don't present any sound evidence.
On the other hand, there are many evidences for Central Asia.
First of all, the word is Turkish. It means "to knead" or "to be curdled or coagulated; to thicken".
The original Old Turkic word is yugrut, found in Uyghur texts from before the year 1000.
The oldest writings mentioning yogurt are attributed to Pliny the Elder, who remarked that certain "barbarous nations" knew how "to thicken the milk into a substance with an agreeable acidity."
OhWellImRightAgain@reddit
The word is Turkish because yogurt reached Western Europe through the Ottoman Empire, 16th century. That doesn't make yogurt Turkish, same way countless Greek words being adopted in English don't make whatever they describe Greek.
As for Mesopotamia, I remember reading yogurt originates from modern day Iraq / Iran, more than 7000 years ago. Central Asia, Mesopotamia, whatever, it's not from the Balkans.
https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/yogurt/
Putrid_Speed_5138@reddit
The article that you cited is quite a confused piece from the 1970s. Regarding Mesopotamia, it only refers to the early "dairying procedures" and "the earliest absolute evidence for the use of milk". So, there is no link between Mesopotamia and yogurt in this article. In fact, it states that Sumerians would have mentioned yogurt in their texts if they had known or used it.
Most of those who cite Mesopotamia as the origin of yogurt usually make this mistake. They think that if the earliest evidence of milk processing was in southern Iraq, then the first yogurt, too, should have been made there. But there is absolutely no evidence for it.
The oldest textual references and archaeological evidence all point to the Turkic groups of Central Asia as the originators of yogurt. We are talking about sound evidence from more than 1,000 years ago. And around 2,000 years ago, Roman historians referred to some "barbarians" as yogurt's inventor --- a term that they also used for Central Asian / Turkic groups at the time, who were also drinking kimiz (or koumiss) whose processing is related to yogurt.
So, yogurt is not from the Balkans as for the geography, but it still has two connections to Bulgarians:
Firstly, one of the main elements that led to the modern Bulgarian ethnicity comes from the Bulgars in history, which was a semi-nomadic Turkic tribal federation originated in Central Asia.
Bulgarians kept consuming yogurt and carrying it with them in history as they migrated. As a result, they kept interested in it and the main bacterium used for the production of yogurt was first identified in Bulgaria by Dr. Stamen Grigorov in 1905, hence the name "Lactobacillus bulgaricus".
Personally, I prefer to eat what's called the Greek-style yogurt, which is thicker than the traditional Turkish version.
However, the traditional Turkish version may be an even healthier food because it's got the juicy part which contains many nutritious elements.
One of them is whey protein, which is good especially if you want to build muscles. But this is a controversial issue, as there are scientific studies that did not find any additional health benefits of whey.
Various-Barber-7162@reddit
Can you tell me which of these countries are from the Mesopotamia?
OhWellImRightAgain@reddit
What's the purpose of your question exactly? I was answering OP's claim that somehow a Balkan country invented yogurt, which in reality has nothing to do with the Balkans. There are ancient Greek texts talking about the Athenians eating yogurt in 600BC - does that make yogurt Greek? Nope. It's from Mesopotamia & Central Asia.
I looked up top yogurt exporters because I've never even heard of Bulgarian yogurt and I posted the list.
Various-Barber-7162@reddit
You stated that its origins and exporters list which I think irrevelant and asked you about it. I think you should chill out.
OhWellImRightAgain@reddit
Maybe you should rethink your sarcastic attitude if you want a friendlier discussion
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
Biggest exporters of something and the origination of something have absolutely nothing in common though.
The Greeks have done a great industry and have managed to market yogurt very well, it does not mean that yogurt originates in Greece.
OhWellImRightAgain@reddit
Did you even read what I said?
P-R-E-S-S__F@reddit
Yeah and everybody from Mesopotamia is Proud Turks so no problem
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
Really?I thought the Indo-Europeans brought it ,the Yamnaya.
Istar10n@reddit
We have something called Greek yogurt in Romania. It's less lactose and more protein than regular yogurt.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
you also have something like turkish yoghurt in dorbruja.
its creme like...lovely.
Axel0010110@reddit
He want to say the on retail we have mainly Greek yoghurt. Of course, some regions have different influences and of course the Dobrogea region has tatar, turkish and bulgarian influences
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
cant unederstand why i got downvoted when i say about the turkish yoghurt from dobruja...strange.
can aynbody explain me?
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMTAiyioYsC/
shogunlazo@reddit
My great great grandfather was the guy, he made it, and then evil turk and gay greek stole it ...
Bourbonmmm@reddit
I’d say whoever first domesticated livestock which was sheep in Mesopotamia invented yougurt.
This_Lion5856@reddit
Yogurt is a nomadic thing though, nomadic people had a diet of mostly meat and dairy while agricultural societies have a diet of grains and rice
jesushatedbacon@reddit
Mongolians lived on milk and products made from it.
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
Exactly this. Turkic and Mongolian people lived on meat and Milk because they lived on grasslands without agriculture. They even made booze from horse milk. Much more logical that they invented yoghurt.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
We created ONE type of Yoghurt, the most definitive type we know today.
But we werent the only ones to make diary products. Greeks, indians, icelanders and Bulgars had their own type of Yoghurt that they made under different names like "Oxygala", "Dahi" and "Skyr".
The only difference is that Turkish yoghurt has made it around the world, even if its sold under different claims.
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
I think Oxygala is more like kımız but let me tell you why Oxygala is not the invention of yoghurt.
Oxygala was way later invented than yoghurt because we can prove that yoghurt was used in mesopotamia 5000 bc.. The first mentioning of Oxygala was 200 AD. Skyr is much later. Indians I don't know anything about should look deeper into that
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
We generally dont know much about Oxygala other than that it was sour, runny and got thicker with honey.
Which stands in contrast to todays greek yoghurt which gets thinner with honey and isnt sour.
"Kımız" is a whole different thing, its carbonated like beer and tastes sour-sweet. Also Kımız isnt a yoghurt its a beverage.
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
Both Oxygala and kimiz are fermented sour milk. Other things can be different ofc about then. But the earliest proof of thought and Oxygala is 5200 years apart. Sorry but I don't believe Oxygala can be older than Turkish or Mesopotamian yoghurt.
Zealousideal_Cry_460@reddit
You can think that
sunsetpolar@reddit
Pretty sure the first evidence goes to Mesopotamia which makes sense since earliest farming socties originated there before spreading to others
CryptographerOk7588@reddit
Although Mesopotamia also had yoghurt like 5000 bc the general idea is that it was invented in central Asia and Mongolia. Because people carried milk in animal skin and that caused it to ferment. Yoghurt is also a Turkic word. It comes from the word yogurmak which means thickening.
We can argue if it is Mesopotamia or central Asia all day here and both sides can present good arguments but we can't exactly pinpoint where and who did it first because of lacking evidence. But we know for sure that it wasn't the Greece.
RangerSome9549@reddit
Yogurt is literally a Turkish word
sheynzonna@reddit
When we were making yogurt desserts you were still tribes.
RangerSome9549@reddit
We were here before Greeks even existed on Earth. Turks are mostly native Anatolian with some Turkic mix. Only fascist and nationalist jerk off to steppe fetishism.
Vestout@reddit
We wuz yoghurt makers n shiet
Specialist-Juice-591@reddit
Arabic number are not from Arabia, imagine that
Excellent_Jeweler_43@reddit
In Bulgaria we call it kiselo mliako though, not exactly the same as yogurt. We just use the word yogurt when talking in english
Longjumping-Bid-2212@reddit
a Bulgarian Turkish word
Exciting_Target4002@reddit
Yes
CastielTM@reddit
Bulgarians might start to become nationalistic when they switch from the Russian alphabet to their own.
Many-Rooster-7905@reddit
ⰽⰰⱌⱁ ⰴⰻ ⰿⰵⱃⰴⰰ
CastielTM@reddit
MechoThePuh@reddit
CastielTM@reddit
One of my closest friends is Bulgarian, and that's definitely someone you don't want to mess with.
CastielTM@reddit
Professional-Fee-488@reddit
Kefir for the win🫡
Thetidiestpig@reddit
Lactobacillus bulgaricus, I rest my case.
Radiant_Put_3609@reddit
“Yoğurt” actually comes from Turkish. It’s derived from the verb “yoğurmak,” which means to thicken, curdle, or knead. There’s also a bit of regional food rivalry, since dishes like cacık/tzatziki are yogurt-based, people sometimes argue over origins, and you’ll see claims going both ways.
bojanboksa@reddit
Never never in my life I've heard someone say bulgarian jogurt
DeltaObserve@reddit
Well, a meme won't change it's Turkish.
No_Pangolin_4853@reddit
Try to clarify this with moussaka/мусака or some old national songs, where same melody has text in Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish and Serbian. Pretty easy way to start a fight :))
ChecksOutIndeed@reddit
From Turkey
Elias_Sideris@reddit
Believe it or not, I've never heard any Greek claiming that yogurt is Greek. Inside of Greece, we don't even call it "Greek yogurt", we just call it "yogurt". Having said that, I don't know where yogurt originated from, but it's undoubtedly part of the Greek cuisine.
shifaci@reddit
There is no such thing as Turkish yogurt because "yogurt" is Turkish. Greek yogurt is its Greek variation. Always thought its pretty clear.
pinkfatcap@reddit
Man everything goes so south that the least I could care is if it is their yogurt our yogurt, or Antarcticas
Incha8@reddit
arent turkish and greek yogurt different anyway?
ZemlyaNovaya@reddit
In Slovenia we have brands that say both Turkish Yogurt and Greek Yogurt on the same product label lmao
Axil_GR@reddit
It's mostly branded as Greek Yogurt abroad though
WorldlinessRadiant77@reddit
Probably the Yamnaya culture or something like that.
Yoghurt is right there with beer as one of the earliest inventions.
zeisme@reddit
I'm not a nationalist and I believe most of balkan foods can't be traced back so they might be anyone's. I think there is nıo point in arguing. But the way we learned it in school is that the yogurt is turkish because turks invented it way before the ottoman empire. So it has nothing to do with balkans. I don't knows who called it the yogurt or who made it the most back in ottoman days but that doesn't change the fact that yogurt was found by turks. That's how I know it. Is there any data on that or anything that says otherwise?
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
My Theory is: The Cumans, Pechenegs brought the yorghurt to Balkans.
you forget allways that turkic people was long before the ottomans there.
We are Cumans-Pechengs descendants in the Balkans who speak Turkish.
HumonculusJaeger@reddit
Yogurt is greek
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
mmm Turkish Kaymak, Bulgarian Smetana and greek santigí
which one taste better? LOL
Skydiverbg@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillus_delbrueckii_subsp._bulgaricus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streptococcus_thermophilus
Well, it we want to be literal it's these guys that are creating it.
I'd guess in ancient times there were many other bacteria that were used but nowadays when we talk about real yogurt it's based usually on the Bulgarian version, and sometimes on the Greek version.