Romanian story
A hiccup in time
The room where the meet was held was beautifully lit by the
traditional chandeliers. The tables full of dishes spread such an
intense smell that my mouth was just watering. All the participants
were going to and fro, searching for a place to sit as it was time for me
to deliver a speech.
“Every state has its own food and its own traditions. All these
particularities play a very important role in the countries’ personalities.
Each of them is unique and beautiful in their special way. My journey
began when I realized I was nobody and I didn’t belong to anyone.
I’m just an ordinary cupcake, who is searching for what I have
once lost… my identity. We live in a computerized world, where
globalization is the most common phenomenon. Differences between
countries become less evident each year. Nowadays, all over the
world people share the same fashion, advertising, brands, eating
habits and TV channels. As a consequence, I don’t know who I am
anymore, or which country I belong to.
A few months ago I decided to visit ten countries, in order to
find my origins. Travelling throughout some important historical events
from each country, I discovered how wide and promising the culture
and the traditional cuisine can be. I served interesting and unique
dishes from different regions, that put their imprint on the evolution of
food, starting with the Verze e Luganega (Catalan Beef Stew Recipe),
a classic north Italian winter dish, Gruenkohl und Pinkel(Kale and
Sausage), a North German Specialty and a Polish dish known for its
rare mushroom sauce,Poledwiczki wolowe. I bloated myself with all of
these delicious dishes, learning about the history of the countries. And
so did my journey go on.
The next country on my itinerary was Romania, and I was eager to
learn more about its culture and traditional cuisine. The first historical
site I wanted to visit was The Bran Castle, a hidden gem waiting to be
found in a small town that shares the same name, Bran, in the
immediate vicinity of Braşov.
It was a stormy afternoon when I reached my goal. I was in the
rear garden, listening to the guide talking about the history of the
castle when the sky suddenly filled with ebony clouds. The cotton
candy on my body stood up and I feared that a lightning bolt was
about to hit me. Instead, the sky changed its color to a dazzling white
and the smell of ozone surrounded me. Seconds later, the sky cleared
up and I found I was still in the same garden. But there was a stunning
difference: people were wearing clothes from the late 14th century.
The young ladies and the women wore beautiful silk andvelvet long
dresses with brocaderobes. The men’s costume did resemble with the
pictures I had seen inside the castle, shirtsembroidered withgold
thread.
I couldn’t believe my ears when a nobleman told me that Mircea the Ist
of Wallachia was planning a feast in order to celebrate the receiving of
the Bran Castle, and that everyone from the court was invited. That
was the chance for me to finally find more about Romanian traditions.
As the wise ruler of the land spoke to his people, I was able to
serve dishes such as Romanian Sausages, Sour Meatball Soup,
Romanian Stuffed Cabbage and Polenta – Mamaliga. My taste buds
were tickled by the delicious taste of every one of the plates. There I
realized how Romanian cuisine tastes like: a shade of sourness in the
soups, a healthy and nourishing meat and well-cooked vegetables.
Before I could take another bite out of the Polenta, the ruler
finished his speech and approached the chair I was sitting in. When
he spotted me, his eyes filled with such an obvious happiness that I
could not help myself but smile. Mircea sat next to me and explained
how these dishes were made, and then asked me whether I belonged
to those times. After hearing my answer, this wonderful man helped
me get back to the present.
I was a dish among many others, but with my own cultural
identity. I understood then that the key of knowledge is accepting that
we are unique, even if we look alike. That is why my journey
concluded in realizing that I am a part of the entire world around me.”
All the participants were looking at each other more happily
and open-minded now that the cupcake opened their eyes. A man
even went closer to the one who helped them and hugged it tight, then
asking for its name. After thinking a few seconds, the cupcake
whispered something to the man, who turned around and asked.
“Foody?”