Momchilovtsi Festival Showcases Rhodope Dairy and Bulgarian-Chinese Traditions
An exhibition in Momchilovtsi on Saturday brought together dairy products, farm goods, food, arts and crafts from the Rhodopes and other Bulgarian regions. The event forms part of the village’s traditional Yogurt Festival, which continues until Sunday and is organised jointly with Bright Dairy, a Chinese producer that sells dairy products in China under the Momchilovtsi brand.
The programme includes concerts, the Miss Rhodopes 2026: Queen of Yogurt beauty contest and a discussion called The Secret of Longevity: From Yogurt Traditions to a Healthy Lifestyle. A Chinese pavilion at the exhibition displays yogurt carrying the Momchilovtsi name, while visitors can have their names written in Chinese characters. The festival presents Bulgarian and Chinese traditions together.
Momchilovtsi became known in China as a place linked with long life and healthy living after dairy products using the village’s name became popular there. Bright Dairy has sold products under the Momchilovtsi brand since 2009. Mayor Siyka Surkova said the yogurt is among the best-selling brands in Shanghai, the neighbouring area and China more broadly, and that Chinese consumers increasingly regard it as a healthy drink.
Surkova said millions of people who purchase the yogurt know that its name refers to a Rhodope village where health and longevity are valued. She also said the brand’s popularity had contributed to the village and the wider Rhodopes becoming a tourist destination. Chinese tour groups have returned to Momchilovtsi after visits were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stalls at the exhibition offer Mursal tea, Smilyan beans, homemade yogurt and freshly baked Rhodope-style banitsa. Dairy producer Violeta Krushkova said demand for farm-made food was strong because such products were not available in large retail chains.
Festival visitors signed a petition calling for a legal route for Bulgarian homemade and artisan foods. Exhibitor Gergana Nikolova said the initiative supported small home producers because Bulgaria lacked a specific framework allowing foods such as cheese and yogurt to be made at home under simplified rules. She said the proposal sought clear regulations rather than an absence of controls, adding: “I want homemade food to be offered in Momchilovtsi because this is the taste of our tradition, and our children have the right to eat genuine Bulgarian food.”
During the festival, Bright Dairy gave Momchilovtsi a donation voucher worth EUR 36,000. The money is intended to renovate the village sports ground, and the voucher was presented to Mayor Surkova.
