One of the pleasures of visiting other countries and one of the privileges of those who come to discover and experience other cultures remains the chance to enjoy an authentic gastronomic culture tour, with local dishes, prepared exactly by those who invented them. As I was telling you in a previous article, Sibiu area, located in Southern Transylvania, is in 2019 European Gastronomy Region and provides a program that aims to give an extra chance to authentic local products, obtained from traditional agriculture, environmentally friendly. Through events meant to celebrate local tastes and healthy food, you have the chance to enjoy seasonal dishes in a picturesque landscape. If you want to try tasty experiences and you can hardly wait to know new cultures assessing and tasting authentic gastronomy, a culinary tour which complements your senses, it may be the most appropriate choice.
Foods, events, and customs : a gastronomic culture tour through Transylvania
Cultural diversity and varied relief have shaped the gastronomic culture of the region that celebrates the richness and unforgettable tastes in 2019. The gastronomic scene region is shaped by the diversity of ancient practice: large and small transhumance of sheep flocks, using the bread oven and the cultivation of vegetables and aromatic plants in the traditional household. Also, the food conservation in community spaces, like the tower of fortified churches, biodiversity, and respectful agricultural practices, and last but not least, the cultural footprints of Romanians, Saxons, Hungarians, and Armenians, have highlighted the culinary patrimony.
Shepherds and crafts in Marginimea Sibiului
Sibiu region has always been known as the homeland of sheep cheese and meat products. Traditional products reflect the richness of the land and cultural diversity of the area. The sheep cheese and pastry from Mărginimea Sibiului brought the fame of the region’s shepherds throughout the country, but also the inherited dishes from the Saxon cuisine – hencleş or rhubarb pie or those specific to the Hungarian culture – poppy seed cake, plum dumplings. These specialties can be found on the restaurants and guesthouses in the area.
Through events that give the rhythm of the seasons, you can discover life as a shepherd. “Upon Mount Jina” in July aims to preserve, conserve the traditions and customs, inhabitants songs and games and their way of life. It is the oldest folk festival of the region, reminiscent of the old days when the shepherds descended on the fields around the village and were celebrating, playing, trading, falling in love, marrying.
Another traditional festival takes place in August when the shepherds leave their flocks and meet at a camp brunch, accompanied by specific activities, songs, and cheers.
September marks the descent of the sheep from the mountains, being a joy for the pastors of the place, especially for a reunion with loved ones. This moment is properly celebrated with folk ensembles from all over the country, where you can see and learn from locals folk dances specific to the area.
You can also participate in festivals where you can taste the shepherd-specific dishes at ” dinner at the sheepfold”. The shepherd’s basic food is polenta with milk, cheese, and sweet or sour yogurt. Among the dishes made especially for holidays are balmoş (butter, cheese, cream, and corn flour) and sheep specialty (sheep meat, tallow, garlic, onion). In the traditional smokehouse, they use beechwood for smoked cheese.
I invite you to know closely these ancestral customs and wonderful landscapes in the Marginimea Sibiului. Then you can follow the mountain paths and you can get from the village hearth to the summer huts and the cattle in the Cindrel and Lotru Mountains.
Transylvania, the land of big bread
A bread like the wheel of the cart! Bakers bake round and large loaves, weighing one kilogram. When they take the bread out of the oven, it has a black surface like charcoal, but, while it’s hot, the bakers start to remove the burnt bark and … the final result: the bread gets rusty, just good to eat.
If you want to discover the secrets of traditional bakeries, you can visit The old mill at Hosman. Here are a traditional bakery and a wood-fired oven. The bakers work a lot manually to get the best result from traditional recipes. Specialties such as bread with seeds and potato bread can be bought from the Hârtibaci Valley and Sibiu city, at various shops and fairs.
Hosman is a typical Saxon village of the Hartibaci Valley, which conceals one of the last authentic medieval landscapes of Europe as neighboring villages: blooming meadows, woods, foothills, and the fortified church. The Old Mill is a splash of color with an educational role in the life of a Transylvanian village. The handicraft life including the mill and the bakery ensures the preservation of the area’s cultural traditions and heritage.
Famous wines in Sibiu region
The most famous wine in the Sibiu area is Apold wine, with an old tradition closely related to the presence of Saxons, continued by the Romanians today. Apold vineyard is located in the western county of Sibiu and is one of the best wine regions in the country. In this area, viticulture is traditionally ancient. The terraced and sunny hillsides alongside the rich soil have allowed the cultivation of these famous vineyards. The production of good wine depends first of all on an oenologist, an artist of wine, who will decide when grapes must be harvested to give the perfect flavor. After harvesting, the grapes are removed from the bunch, sorted, squeezed, and again the oenologist will decide how long or whether to leave the grapes to maceration. Then depending on the method and the recipe after which the wine is made, it is left to ferment until it clears. However, the grape variety is decisive and will determine the final flavor.
This year, you can participate in Apold vineyards at events and tastings, including the day of harvest where participants will have the opportunity to squeeze the grapes themselves and then make their wine.
Desserts inherited from grandparents
We continue our gastronomic culture tour of Transylvania with desserts. The cohabitation of Romanians, Saxons, and Szeklers in the area of Sibiu has greatly influenced the diversification of culinary recipes, and the category of sweets is a significant example. The locals will welcome you with delicacies prepared from old recipes having the chance to discover a truly savory Sibiu, tasting of childhood, with preserved traditions and refined reinvention.
We, therefore, invite you to a feast of the taste buds where you can not refuse to taste the sweets of the house because they are natural and delicious. In 2019 you can attend events where local producers present their own sweet stories, combining old recipes with new trends. The most virtuous masters in sweets will hold a true symphony of flavors, colors, and irresistible forms.
Future Events held in Gastronomic Region
Sibiu is in the midst of preparations for the Sibiu European Gastronomic Region 2019 summer events, so Romanians from all over the country and tourists from abroad are expected in Sibiu to taste traditional dishes specific to the area. So we have prepared a list of events that you should not miss this summer:
The Fair of Rural Communities Țara Secașelor will take placeinthe Astra Museum Sibiu on June 9th.
Slimnic chefs cook in front of the public during a weekend, and craftsmen, folk songs and dances complement perfectly the landscape.
The Goat Festival of Târnava will be held in Târnava, 50 km from Sibiuon June 26th.
The festival promotes Romanian tradition and traditional products, also supporting small farmers farming their goats. The visitors will be able to taste and buy specialties made from cheese, goat meat, jams, syrups, teas and spices, homemade bread, oils, wines, and other delicious dishes from the Târnavelor area.
Burduf Challenge is another interactive event held in Râul Sadului on July 12th.
Organized in Mărginimea Sibiului, Burduf Challenge proposes 3 days of active tourism combined with gastronomic activities: tasting local products, food workshops and discussions with manufacturers. During the day you will be able to hike at huts and sheepfolds, and in the evening you will have activities and delicious dinners in the village hearth.
Culinary traditions în Mărginimea Sibiului can be tested in Rășinari on July 27th.
At this gastronomic event, local chefs will prepare specific dishes, such as “sour soup” – beef soup specific to Răşinari, balmoş like in the Râu Sadului, cheese pies from Gura Râului, “bride” cake specific to Sadu area, the famous cheese, and dill pie and others. A holiday in the Sibiu region is a journey into the world of authentic tastes of sheep cheese and buffalo cheese, pork and sheep meat products and hot bread, freshly removed from the oven. Also, the desserts with fruit from traditional orchards and local wine varieties complement a rich meal in the region’s guesthouses and restaurants. Book now the gastronomic culture tour that will take you around the shepherd’s huts, and where you can taste bulz or mutton stew, traditionally made.
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