#DoljInDishes. Red peppers of Dolj, the stars of an exceptional gastronomic parade
Since 2014, "Dolju-n bucate" (“Dolj in Dishes”), an event aimed at promoting the culinary traditions of Dolj through the hands of the county's skilled housewives and gastronomy enthusiasts, has charmed everyone and it doesn't stop. And it does well by doing this!
Conceived by the team of the Dolj County Centre for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture, under the auspices of the Dolj County Council, "Dolju-n bucate" means history and tradition exposed to the public through our live food, brought back to the public's attention through the specific Dolj full of aromas, greens, flavours and sometimes through unknown secrets of local gastronomy.
This was also the case with "RACI at Dolju-n bucate" from the "Cromatic" Galleries, on May 15, when the public was invited to a special tasting: the “crayfish” one. And not those crayfish from the water, but red peppers, dried in the sun, on strings, and then soaked in juices such as soups, sauces or filled with meat or vegetables, so as to appease the most demanding or selective tastes.
Along with those from CJCPCT Dolj and - dare we say - without whom the event would not have been the same, there were local volunteers from the Dolj towns of Moțăței, Carpen, Galicea Mare, Calafat, Băilești and Bechet. Together with them, students and teachers of the High School of Food Industry from Craiova, as well as friends from Bulgaria, from the Vlach Association, Gomotarti village, and from the Probuda - Florentin Culture House, from Florentin village, made a good team.
In addition to our traditional red sundried peppers, the housewives and householders also put on their generous tables pies, cakes, goodies from the pantry, bread baked in a pan, pies on the stove, polenta and cheese, onions and green garlic, nettle food, meat dumplings to the bucket or garnish as they call it in some places, roast chicken in bread, cakes, jams, wine and brandy.
We could say that it was a delight for all kinds of taste buds and a fair and natural way to know our traditions and history.
Of course, we can read books about the people and our area, but it is another thing to taste, fork by fork, spoon by spoon, mouthful by mouthful, and feel the ancestors who send us their dearest messages through such skilful tastes.
In 2024, “Dolju-n bucate” turns a decade old and will be "Dolju-n bucate de 10" (“Dolj in grade A dishes”). We hope that, until then, we will have more such surprises from those who have chosen to share their secrets with us and, thus, make us feed not only our body, but also our soul, with their sewn stories in plates, from the most precious fruitage of the earth and nature! ❤️