BC Gorna Banya was the official sponsor of the second edition of “Ethno Kitchen on Wheels”
Ethno Kitchen on wheels is a project of the Together Foundation, which is implemented with the financial support of the Municipality of Plovdiv together with the local ethnic communities with the oldest history in the city under the hills. The project is part of the Cultural Calendar of the city in 2017 and 2018, and all events support Plovdiv as the European Capital of Culture in 2019. As the Bulgarian tradition calls for, the organizers from Together Foundation welcomed their first guests with bread and salt, under the accompaniment of bagpipe player Radoslav Ivanov, head of the ensemble "DIKANI". The turnstiles were made especially by three masters from the Diado Ivan Arabadzhiyata Cultural Centre in the village of Tsaratsovo. The young talents from the folk dance ensemble “Sedenchitsa” attracted everyone with their performance and guests and hosts took a playful Bulgarian national dance (horo).
On the day of Turkish cuisine at the fair were presented not one, but three traditional breads. The evening started with a menu of "tarnak" bites with sudjuk. Tarnak is a hand-made sliced bread that has a special kneading technology. One of the most anticipated things was undoubtedly a delicious “simid". In order for a Turkish turkey to be truly Turkish, there is a mandatory condition – the crust has to be cracked and very crisp, and inside the dough is soft and fluffy. The simid has become a food for the Turks during breakfast, lunch and dinner and is usually served with black tea, fruits, cheese, various types of sweet and jam. Guests of the Turkish evening also ate from soft bread “poacha”, most often prepared with olive oil, cheese and cheese.
Jewish cuisine keeps millennial traditions, so one of the most traditional Hebrew bread was presented during the evening. This is unleavened bread, which is prepared for the Paques holiday. According to the legend of the Jewish people, the first “matsa” was made at the time of Moses. Bread is also present at the festive dinner "Seder". It is made only from two ingredients – water and flour from different types of cereals. According to the tradition of the Jewish table, there are always two types of food – sweet and bitter, with bitter dishes being the epitome of the Hebrew people's difficult years.
Besides the traditional bread “lavash”, which is part of the intangible cultural heritage of “UNESCO”, the Armenian community in Plovdiv has, of course, also distributed Armenian sweets. Among the most popular dishes of the first edition of the fair, according to the audience who voted every night, was the Armenian anush abour. The honorary consul of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Echiyazar Uzunyan, was personally responsible for the preparation of the big skewers with chorovads. This year's guests also tasted a delicious chicken salad with rice and butter and dried fruits.
The public on the Russian day of culinary art can taste the delicious “oladi” (mini pancakes with cranberry jam), as well as a wheat pulp with raisins. On May 12th, mobile ethnic cuisine offered, besides the lovers of Lyubov Demireva, several types of patties, as well as a mushroom pulp. During the evening, the most popular Russian songs sounded.
Since this year’s “Ethno Kitchen on Wheels” is devoted to BREAD - the sacred food and the main dish of the people’s table all over the world, all guests have also tried the Italian “Altamura” – the first bread in the European Union with protected origin and names. The bread is named on the town of Altamura in southern Italy (province di Bari), where for years it is believed that the most delicious bread is prepared. In Althamura there are only a few licensed bakeries, from where tourists can buy authentic bread.
