To be good, boza – the cereal-based slightly fermented drink – should have a hint of the grain it is made out of, master boza-makers say. How is boza actually made, following the traditional Radomir recipe – that is something guests to the town of Radomir are going to find out if they go to the town on 14 October when the colourful festival dedicated to boza takes place.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, Radomir was known as the centre of the boza-making trade, and the fame of the boza from Radomir had spread far and wide in the country. The people of Radomir learnt the art of making boza from Albanians - of whom it is said they are the top master boza-makers in the whole of the Balkans.

Ali Serbez’s famed boza shop is going to open doors once again this year – he was Albanian, and the “father” of boza making and trading in the town.

 The old marketplace is also going to come to life – with elegant ladies with their parasols and their fans, coming to buy home-made products, and together with the gentleman, replicating the atmosphere of the market from the turn of the 20^th century. Besides boza, there will also be baklava-making demonstrations. In addition to all that – the museum exposition at the Stoyo House will display ancient utensils and objects connected with the boza-making trade.

The world’s only monument to the boza-maker is to be found right here, in Radomir, and it is a reminder of the skills of old master Ilia. And the recipe for Radomir boza sounds simple enough: “It is made out of millet, if you don’t have millet – out of barley or rye flour. Roast the millet, then boil in water for 3 hours, pour into a trough made out of pine-wood, add leaven, leave for 8 hours – and there you have it, the miracle is done.”

Compiled by Gergana Mancheva

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova