Festivalul Dulceţii, The Sweetest Festival in Romania!

On August the 27th and 28th Brebu village held the first ever Sweetness Festival; a gourmet event that was designed not just to attract tourists, but to bring together producers from the surrounding areas and to showcase the talents of local cooks.Brebuvillage organised the event in partnership with several sponsors and the total cost amounted to about 16,000 lei, of which half was provided by the local budget. The Sweetness Festival was without a doubt a resounding success and was enjoyed by everyone, from the 7 foreign ambassadors in attendance down to the smallest child. Producers from several villages flocked to Brebu in order to display their goods, some coming from as far away as Brasov and Harghita. Upon my arrival, I was immediately distracted by many delicious, sweet scents, but where was I to begin? The stands themselveswere overflowing with jams, compotes, syrups and juices, and were all lined up and arranged within Brebu’s bountifulorchard - a fitting location for a festival celebrating the flavours of fresh produce. The first stalls I came across were quite intriguing, as they boasted only bare tables and small gas stoves, upon which one would see that simmering saucepans were perched. As it turned out, these stalls were run by local housewives who were there not to earn a profit, but to share their enthusiasm for cooking. Anyone attending the festival was free to stop by their saucepans and, plastic spoons in hand, sample some homemade jam and learn a new recipe. Upon my first taste of a local woman’s jam I was blown away not just by the lovely taste (a combination of lemon curd and zucchini), but also by its creator’s obvious passion for the art of jam-making. As we roamed about the orchard tasting sticky plum-encased walnuts, rock melon jam and berry syrups, at each stall we were greeted by a new smiling face, eager to share with us their love for food. Of course, sweet fruit-based products were not the only goods on display at the festival. Visitors were able to snack on gogosi or pancakes, or perhaps sip on some cool lemonade to cleanse their palates. There were also workshop spaces for traditional products and artisans dotted around the orchard, such as the stall of Maria Dilimut, who was displaying pieces of traditional clothing from her home-run ethnographic museum. Maria had turned her house into a museum a few years back, stocking it with her own traditional family heirlooms and various pieces collected by her from around the village; I was astonished to see a piece of clothing on display that dated from 1870! Entertainment was provided by various folk dance ensembles, and naturally there was the sound of traditional Romanian music filling the air throughout the day. In my opinion this festival was a priceless opportunity to celebrate some of the best aspects of life in Romania; the beautiful country atmosphere, delicious fresh food, fascinating traditions and customs and of course, the friendly and generous nature of Romanian people. By Katherine Clinnick Photos: Ana A. Negru