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Paper short abstract:

This paper traces the processes through which Bulgarian lyutenitsa, a relish made from tomato and paprika, has been constituted as both a national and local heritage. It shows how the product has become an important resource for various players acquiring new cultural and economic importance.

Paper long abstract:

Culinary traditions are considered an important part of cultural heritage that unites people in national and local communities. Bulgarian lyutenitsa, a relish made from tomato and paprika, has been constituted as a national heritage through processes of commodification and standardization of traditional knowledge. During socialism, lyutenitsa was defined as a basic food product which was produced by state standards in big factories. The socialist product had neither logo, no name, but alluded through its label to Bulgarian folklore traditions. Following a similar line in labelling, post-socialist brands of lyutenitsa, borrow various ethnographic elements suggesting rural life and agrarian traditions. In this sense, the celebration of lyutenitsa as national culinary heritage can be viewed as part of Bulgarian socialist legacy. Meanwhile, the last decade has seen a process of locating the product as part of the local cultural history and heritage of the village of Kurtovo Konare, which is well-known for its local varieties of paprika and tomatoes. An annual culinary festival dedicated to the local culinary traditions is significant part of this process. In a relatively short period of time, lyutenitsa has become an important resource for local development projects through which it has acquired a new cultural and economic importance for the local community. Thus, lyutenitsa has been the subject of a multi-layered process of heritagization that involves various stakeholders.