The gastronomic Balkans and only

parguably the largest comparative study of regional gastronomy

Over 100 days of field documentation

Two books

An ambitious journalistic approach

Dozens of articles, hundreds of posts

We are looking for sponsors! 😊

Duration:

March 1, 2023 – March 1, 2024

We aim to spend at least 7 days in each Balkan country (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia + Kosovo region, Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro + a foray into Eastern Turkey).

Purpose:

In 2023, we proposed to take the Balkan countries "in step" in search of the dishes that unite us, but also to identify the microlocal, local, regional or even national specifics.

All gastronomy has a continental and subcontinental specificity. Located in the immediate northern vicinity of the Balkans, the Romanians have created a traditional gastronomy in close connection with the food habits of the South of the Danube (and not only). The Ottoman influence is visible both here and in the rest of the mentioned area.

We have extremely many dishes similar to our neighbors, but the Romanian specificity can only be identified after documenting the regional differences. Our little ones are different from their Balkan cousins - cevapcici - by the amount of garlic and, above all, by the addition of Sodium Bicarbonate - a differentiating ingredient so that the dish is Romanian and not Balkan.

Our long-running expedition aims to tell these culinary stories and more.

Apart from the main line of approach, we will document and write articles or series of articles on different topics: social, about diaspora, about the image of Romania in the Balkans, about post-industrial remains, markets, tourism, people and relevant stories.

Who we are?

Cosmin Dragomir - gastronomy journalist, founder of gastroart.ro (the first magazine dedicated to the research of Romanian gastronomic history and hospitality), author of the volume "Curator of Zacuscă and other Romanian gastronomic stories", co-author of "Dulce Românie - a history of desserts from us", publisher of old gastronomy books, Eurosomelier.

He writes constantly on gastroart.ro, Zile si Nopți, MindcraftStories.ro, eisberg.ro, Dilema Veche, revistatomis.ro and.amd. He is the moderator of the Amintiri Gustoase by Cronicari Digitali podcast. He is the author and curator of dulceromanie.ro by Dr. Oetker. He has published hundreds of articles, studies, editorials, interviews on culinary topics. Co-organizer of the National Gastronomy and Wine Congress, co-initiator of the National Gastronomy and Wine Day law, organizer of dozens of conferences and debates.

Awards: Gault & Millau, National Association of Chefs and Confectioners in Tourism, National Association of Travel Journalists, webstock: (2021 – 3rd place Best Company Blog – Word salad for Eisberg: #simplyfresh; 2022 – 2nd place Best Branded Podcasts with #asty memories by Digital Chronicles & Electrolux)

Cristian Iohan Stefanescu – Journalist for 30 years, starting as an intern at an agency, then at the newspaper (ZIUA), from where I also left as a war correspondent in the former Yugoslavia, in 1995. Since 2000, I have been working at, for or together with Deutsche Welle. I spent almost 15 years of my time at Deutsche Welle in Germany, in the newsrooms in Cologne, Bonn and Berlin. Between 2005 and 2007, at Jurnalul Național, I coordinated two reporting campaigns that contributed to the newspaper's success: the "Discovery of Romania" caravans and the Jurnalul cruise on the Danube, from Sulina to Baziaș.

From the summer of 2015 until the end of October 2022 I am / was the news producer for Digi FM.

I have published, over time, alone or together with other colleagues, reports, analyzes or photographs in Romanian and foreign publications, including The Telegraph, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, WDR 5, Funkhaus Europa (currently Cosmo). I was a correspondent in Germany for the public television TVR and for the newspaper Adevărul. Other collaborations: ARD, ZDF, ORF, Mediaplan.ba, Scoop Balkans, CRJI.org, JazzCulture.ro, Active Watch.

Apart from journalistic activity, I also worked together with the UN Development Program UNDP in a communication training project for parliamentarians and government officials from the Republic of Moldova, I was the coordinator of a German language education program at the Unum foundation in Bucharest.

Photo 248942977 / Balkans Map © DM Stock Production | Dreamstime.com