Am initiated together with Adriana Sohodoleanu and Cezar Ioan supported by the Association of Romanian Gastronomy Writers* a debate, which we want to be broad, about the need to identify, create and promote local gastronomic brands. We believe that the gastronomic promotion of an area is impetuously necessary for the correct development of tourism and local business not only in the hospitality industry. Moreover, this is how we help local producers.
Because Timișoara is the European Capital of Culture, we are currently focusing on Banat. You can find a first debate in our newsletter that you can subscribe to subscribe here
A survey for anyone, whether local or not, that we ask you to complete (takes 2 minutes and NOT we collect data) is available here and represents a valuable research tool for the proposed theme.
Another direction is represented by the questionnaire addressed to experts in the field and Banat personalities. Today we start publishing a series of interviews (we keep the same questions for each respondent) about the necessity, potential or negative effects of a Bănățean/Timişorian Gastronomic Brand through which we try to identify the strengths/local dishes/future strategies.
Alina Săftulescu (Kibut, Gărâna) is one of the people whose gastronomic initiatives, especially for the valorization of tangible and intangible culinary heritage, have been appreciated by the Banat community. With Alina, we discussed the regional specifics and on the occasion of a podcast #Amintiri Gutoase by Cronicari Digitali, of which I am the host and which you can listen here.
QUESTIONNAIRE TIMISOARA, THE CULINARY-CULTURAL CAPITAL
Answers Alina Săftulescu
What do you consider representative/specific for Banat from a culinary point of view?
Ham (pork ham, ham) – smoked or air-dried and then rolled in ash
Bread made from white wheat flour, large, several kg
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Boiled meat (from soup) with apple/cherry sauce
Large-sized sarmales (bad mouths say this way they can only put 2 on the guests' plate)
Which product (wine/food/beer/distillates) do you think can be promoted as a symbol/brand of the region?
Recas: Cuvée Überland-La Stejari-Solo Quinta/chonc/Timișoreana/plum brandy, distilled once, as at Teregova
What benefits would a strong gastronomic brand bring to Timisoara/Banat in the long term?
Correlated with all Banat firsts (the first school in Romania/Cenad, the first library in Romania/Igriș, the first furnace/Bocșa, the first navigable canal/Bega, the first city in the empire-lit with lamps and then with gas/Timișoara, the first newspaper in Romania/in Timișoara, the first-oldest theater in Romania/Oravița, the first electric tram in Romania/Timișoara, the first railway in Romania/Oravița-Baziaș, the first robot in Romania/Timișoara, the first computer in Romania/Timișoara ), integrated into a broad regional cultural-tourism strategy, could finally make possible the phrase "all Banat-I fruncea"
What undesirable effects would a gastronomic brand bring to Timisoara/Banat?
None, if it is correlated, as I keep repeating, with a regional strategy. For example, we promote pickled crayfish from Rudăria for nothing if there are no places to stay.
You can choose the category of tourists that interests us.
What is necessary or what prevents building a gastronomic brand for Banat/Timisoara?
Pride is the ultimate brake. By the way, this was perfectly seen on the occasion of Timișoara-Cultural Capital 2023: the few factions managed to dilute everything.
What should a strategy for the promotion of food and wine Timisoara for 2023 contain?
Before the content, a group should be formed to outline the enogastronomic strategy, consisting of historians, writers, anthropologists, passionate chefs, sommeliers, winemakers, musicologists, folklorists, philologists, semiologists, teachers/art critics, yes! And, again, this strategy must be connected to the cultural-tourism strategy of the region. Which, for now, does not exist.
Should promotion focus on the gastronomic multiculturalism (multiethnicity) of the area?
It is a politically correct path, so it presents no vulnerability. But the existence of a gastronomic melting pot with multiple influences is evident and strong, so yes, I would emphasize multi-ethnicity. But I wouldn't just refer to that.
How and by what is local cuisine represented in the Timisoara HoReCa offer (restaurants, fast food, street food, catering, food trucks, etc.)?
It doesn't exist, or if you see it somewhere, it's just a packaged lie. The burger is the most common product you can find on the menus of restaurants in Timișoara. At least if it was Pljeskavica...which makes sense, it's regional...
What local dishes should be on the menus of local restaurants?
There should be a restaurant with Banat specifics, with correct food, which calls on local producers, supports them, and even makes its own products. Tourists don't want to eat burgers or shrimp pasta. And it would be absolutely necessary to represent the new Romanian cuisine, with regional, seasonal recipes, brought into the contemporary.
For example: the so-called sarmales from Banat, which are made with meat cut larger, on a cleaver, hence their size, served with a sorghum flour pie with butter and dill. Or the ham (which, by the way, is made better in Şiria/Arad) expertly served, thinly sliced, with dandelion leaves, horseradish and a dressing, alongside a glass of Solo Quinta. There are many examples... creativity and passion.
Are there pages dedicated to local wines and/or spirits on restaurant menus?
Generally yes. But there is no menu in all of Timișoara, which promotes only wineries from the region on the wine list. And there are quite a few, with ambitious, good, award-winning wines...
What effects would the marking of local products (wine, food) have on the menu?
Mandatory! Timisoara is a cultural capital, tourists want something local. And not only them, the locals would consume local products, over time this would lead to a rightful increase in local pride. Maybe someone will come up with the idea to do the HAM FESTIVAL...
What should a tourist (Romanian or foreign) try from the local dishes? And why, what benefits does that tourist have if he tries the local food and drink?
I think I answered above, but I repeat: ham, large white bacon, kept in brine with garlic until it becomes buttery, soup with noodles or rags (dough as for noodles, but grated), etc.
The different taste of local dishes, for a tourist, rounds off the experience of the visit wonderfully. Beautiful buildings are everywhere in the world, so are concerts. It would be like an olfactory/gustatory surprise... the smell and taste of ham found somewhere around the world would remind him of Timișoara, of Banat.
How can local products be used?
Strategy – impeccable, smart concept – intelligent advertisement with a hook – appeal to famous locals to promote – testimonials – short videos with authentic Banatian folklore and testimonies of the elders, while we still have them...
For now, there are a few tricksters who got rich selling puffs, mitites, rum chocolate and Eugenia abroad. Where does the bad picture come from...
Local producers must be helped, with comprehensive and complex state programs, old seeds of good vegetables must be preserved, terroir must be taken care of – as with wines. I hope there is at least one minister who will focus on this topic... Maybe only a private initiative, on the scale of Via Transilvanica, would solve the problem!
There should be a kind of ROMANIAN SEED FARM in every county. But is it desired? Are EU rules being broken?…
EDIBLE BANAT: it can be an idea, a beginning... I have never eaten fruits like those on the hills of Gărâna.
SONCULUI FESTIVAL or SONC FESTIVAL.
What are the strengths of Banat from a tourist point of view, with which you would convince a foreign tourist to come for a visit?
Landscapes like in Caraș county are not found in all of Romania... It's like what Alin Useriu said: "there is the geography of Romania, and there is the geography of Caraș"
I would also add here the industrial heritage of Caraș, which is fantastic, the natural reserves, the gorges, the waterfalls, the water mills, the beech forests, the abundant lakes, the unique flora of the area, the splendid resorts (once famous in Europe) Herculane, Marila, etc. . The very clean air in Gărâna, Brebu Nou, Lindenfeld, Marila, Herculane, etc.
Did you know that in Bocsa, at the beginning of the century, there were many dance halls?! Many. And a special train had been set up to bring the people of Timișoara to Bocșa!
And I mentioned above all those Banatian firsts.
There is a lot to write here... fortunately there are some local private initiatives that promote the region, so there would be plenty of material.
Can you give examples of regions (in the country or abroad) whose wine and gastronomy is promoted as part of the tourist offer?
Now this phrase comes to mind, which is very true: ''What is food tourism? The act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place.'' I don't know whose it is, but it's very good.
Tuscany and Bologna, but also northern Italy, Rome/Italy, Malaga and Algarve/Spain, then Paris-obviously and all the regions of France, Epirus/Greece.
But there are new examples, such as the meteoric rise of Croatia (with its wonderful crni rižot or grilled lamb ribs with a garnish of raw red onion with red balsamic vinegar, swirling) in the field of culinary tourism, that is Istria, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik or Split And so on
Maribor/Slovenia was the capital of culture in 2012. Since then it has become a famous culinary destination, and even has restaurants with Michelin stars. It also has the oldest certified vine in the world.
As for Romania, I personally do not know of any region whose food and wine should be promoted. I know countless examples of beautiful places with good food all over the country. I know that Iasi is lagging behind, with art, literature, culture, events.
From the answers to the previous point, do you particularly like one of them for the way in which wine and gastronomy is promoted? If so, what exactly are those who promote doing well.
Slovenia – a small, almost unknown country that has managed to be a top culinary destination. I emphasize rural, nature, simple and natural. In an increasingly plastic world, it's a welcome breath of fresh air. Hiša Franko is the best example (Chef's Table). Advertising campaigns don't lie, what you're told is what you get. Truth is needed these days...
Are you involved in any project/initiative with a food and wine profile? Please elaborate.
Yes, it's about the Kibbutz. A small, secluded restaurant, at 1000 m altitude, in the village of Gărâna, with 4 tables in winter and 6 in summer, with a radio station, art gallery, and concept store. We promote local products, given in season, we have several producers with whom we collaborate, for example in the vegetable side we have a close connection with "Dintre Dealuri", which grows certain products for us. The menu is limited, a few starters, 2-3 soups/broths, 4-5 main courses and a dessert. We improvise according to the product offer, modify old recipes, etc. We also have an old wood-fired oven in the kitchen, but also sous-vide or sodium alginate, calcium chloride, spherifier, etc. Most of the guests are from Timisoara who come up to us specifically to eat (about 2 hours by car).
I work for the Gastronomic Guide of Caraș-Severin county and I collaborated with Digital Chronicles on the "Tasty Memories" project.
I'm writing a book, it's short prose behind which are hidden recipes that have marked my years, starting with my fabulous childhood, spent in Transylvania.
Do you know of other initiatives to promote local gastronomy? Which?
From the Caraș area, Banatul Montan, I don't know if it is. No restaurant, no NGOs, etc. It would be "Flower Girl", but I don't know much. Along with her, there are also a few recipe collectors from the mountain Banat, they also have some shows on local television stations, but I don't know how seriously they are bent on the subject, especially since it is a secondary activity for them.
Do you think these initiatives are enough or should they be multiplied? How do you think such events should be?
They are not enough. Unfortunately, in most cases, restaurant owners have nothing to do with gastronomy, nor are they willing to learn.
Do you think that money should be allocated from the local budget or through the Destination Management Organization to promote local food and wine?
Yes. And not just money, a coherent and serious program should be designed for all those interested, courses, books, guests from the field, organized visits to other places-examples of good practice, etc. Local enogastronomy must be supported by the administration, associations, and the state, it is a landmark of notoriety and must be treated as such.
Banat has local products similar to some foreign ones with international notoriety - see ham vs. prosciutto, jamon. What do you think about the proud use of ham in HoReCa menus as prosciutto/ local ham?
I have already answered, see questions no. 11, 12 and 13.
Is the flip flop representative? What is the difference between Serbian and Banatian? Other examples (pancakes from Banat, clear soup, covered with rump...)
Yes, I think she is representative of Banat. After all, all of Banat is a cultural mix. And, very importantly, the Romanians from Banat are pro-Serbian: there is no Banatian who does not rip off the Serb, who does not sing (with words!) songs by Serbian bands (after the breakup of Yugoslavia, Croats, Montenegrins, Bosnians, etc.): Bajaga i Instructors, Riblja Čorba, Ekaterina Velika, Leb I Sol, etc.
The difference between the Serbian and the Romanian/Banati one is that the first one uses kaymak/kajmak, a slightly acidic, thick, young or matured, fermented cream, from buffalo milk in general, from cows raised in the mountains, with a strong flavor of mountain flowers, slightly bitter. By the way, kajmak is very popular with our neighbors, it is also served plain, only with bread or stick. The Banat version is with French mayonnaise (but here too it is a local adaptation, a lot of oil and a little yolk is used, when the ratio should be the opposite, hence the slightly nauseating, heavy taste). Oh yes, and there is another difference! In the Serbian restaurant, you are ALWAYS served by a man. Usually tall, with a thick voice 😉
Some very cool people are digitizing old recipe books (https://caietederetete.ro/) and ask for your advice: What do you think we can do for the Recipe Books of our mothers and grandmothers?
A nationwide call, heavily publicized, made even with the support of the Ministry of Culture, and a platform where pictures of old recipes can be uploaded.
*We believe (and we are not the only ones) that the identification of potential local/regional or national gastronomic brands and opportunities to capitalize on tangible and intangible gastronomic heritage can be of real benefit to the communities in question.
This endeavor is a private research initiative with no pecuniary benefits for the initiators; it consists of complex interviews addressed to researchers and experts in the field of HoReCa & related fields, but also a simplified questionnaire with wide addressability.
The conclusions will be transparent, accessible to anyone and published on our websites and in the gastronomic newsletter.
Main photo: Food © Miroslav Pavicevic | Dreamstime.com
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