Today I wanted to write about what comes from Bulgaria. There are some fascinating things that come
out of Bulgaria that you may use on a regular basis and not even know it.
The big one is rose oil.
Bulgaria produces a large percentage of the world’s supply of rose
oil. Pure rose oil is very valuable, and very hard to produce. There is an entire valley full of a
very specific kind of rose that can be used to make one of the key ingredients
in most perfumes. If you are wearing
deodorant, perfume, or cologne there is a good chance you are wearing something
that began in the Valley of Roses in the heart of Bulgaria.
A lesser-known flower that also comes from Bulgaria is
lavender. Lavender oil also smells
pleasant and is said to have several helpful medical benefits. Bulgaria produces quite a lot of lavender as
well.
Bulgaria is also home to wonderful produce. Grapes grow especially well in Bulgaria and
this has made Bulgaria a great producer of wine. At a cheaper cost than many other European
countries, Bulgarian wine is appreciated by connoisseurs around the world.
Finally, Bulgaria is also home to a bacteria called Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. Generally speaking, bacteria is not seen as a
good export, but in this case it is.
Lactobacillus Bulgaricus is used to make yogurt.
In fact, yogurt was first discovered in
Bulgaria. I am told that in some parts
of Bulgaria you can leave a glass of warm milk on the counter and find it has
turned into yogurt naturally in a day or two.
We tried this experiment in our home in Sofia. I’m sorry to say that in our case all we
managed to produce was a cup of sour milk.
There are many other wonderful products and commodities that
come from our home country. These are
just some of my favorites. And now,
whenever you eat a cup of yogurt or put on some nice smelling sent, remember that
you are quite likely enjoying a product of Bulgaria.
