site.btaProf Zhivko Danailov: Bulgarian Tomato Varieties Best Foreign Ones in Taste Qualities, Just as Good in Terms of Yield

Bulgarian tomato varieties significantly surpass foreign ones in taste qualities and are just as good in terms of yield, Prof Zhivko Danailov said in an interview for BTA. He holds a PhD in agricultural sciences and is among the most well-known tomato selectionists in Bulgaria, author and co-author of over 30 tomato varieties and hybrids patented at the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Prof Danailov's varieties are highly sought by producers and amateur gardeners alike because of their high yield and taste qualities typical of Bulgarian tomatoes.

He told BTA that Bulgaria is world-known not only for being the first country to create hybrid tomato varieties but also for the selection of fruit varieties and hybrids with very good taste qualities, which are the result of both the varieties' specifics and the agroclimatic conditions.

Prof Danailov recalled that tomatoes were found for the first time at an Aztec market around 1520, during an expedition headed by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. In 1527, they brought tomato seeds to Spain. In the mid-16th century, the tomato reached other European countries, starting from Italy and then spreading to the Netherlands, England, France and other countries with a warm climate. It is believed that tomatoes were brought to Bulgaria from Austria, Hungary and other countries by travelling gardeners in the 17th century.

Around 1890, the village of Kourtovo Konare grows the first tomatoes, brought from Istanbul by Alexander Dimitrov. The story goes that he transported the seeds in his cane. Since 2009, Kourtovo Konare hosts an annual festival of the tomato, pepper, traditional foods and crafts.

After 1918, tomatoes became widely spread in Bulgaria to now be grown across the entire country. The field production is concentrated in the regions of Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Petrich, Sandanski, and Veliko Tarnovo, Prof Danailov said.