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talkpoliticsGreetings, my fellow gluttons health-obsessed folks! A certain sense of national pride has whiffed into our poor Balkan souls in the recent days, one coming from the imposing headquarters of UNESCO in Paris. Wohow, turns out we happen to have some strong lobby over there, eh? Just three blocks away from the Eiffel tower, right in the middle of the world capital of gluttony, a new scroll is being written for the coming generations: UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. That is, of things that only exist in the minds of people and that are passed from mouth to ear.
The reason for all this hubbub? Those Euros have finally acknowledged the awesomeness of some of the most typical Bulgarian meals: "Tarator", to begin with. This poor man's version of the Milk Salad (another East European invention) will join a few other delights and make it into the list.
Now, granted, there's nothing bad about having a list of geographical locations and historical sites being put on a list and attracting lots of tourists, and from there it's just one more step to adopting cuisine as a cultural heritage. It gives a sense of continuity, no? But on the other hand, come on! It's just a list of things on a piece of paper. That's all. We have to go way beyond that to have any effect at all. Whether it's the "sujuk" (flat-sausage) from Gorna Oryahovitsa or the typically British Cheddar cheese... people would've hardly learned the difference between the "sujhuk" and a common salami, or between the Cheddar cheese and the one you put in those American hamburgers that pass for food in some places, had it only been up to a mere list of... meals.
But I gotta admit that my eyes watered with tender tears of pride and accomplishment when I heard the news about the "tarator" and "sujhuk" making it into the UNESCO list. Maybe because it was the time around March 3rd, when the shabby national pride temporarily overtakes this tiny country that has seen so much ups and downs; it's when you know the time of heavy eating and drinking has come again. The happiest time for my tummy! The time when I can blissfully slap on my belly after a nice lavish meal, twirl my Balkan moustache, and roar like a dark Balkan type: "Bulgar, Bulgaaaar!" And the world is at my feet...
Otherwise, yeah. A nice country, beautiful countryside, good people... It's all endless valleys of roses, and endless sands of gold along the coast, and dairy farms loaded with cheese, and light, cool, delicious "tarator" (with a little garlic, for taste) - right? Probably that's what the French Minister of Culture must've encountered, and that must've enchanted his soul. Otherwise I can't explain why they'd include a cold summer soup of yogurt dashed with water and chopped cucumbers floating inside, into the prestigious list of world heritage!
But let me remind that including non-material heritage into a list is a typical example of pure bureaucracy that bears no practical consequences, unless used very wisely. And there's a certain shortage of sages in this country right now, I have to say...
As sad as it may sound, we have to admit that the much craved popularity of the Bulgarian cuisine (or any cuisine) can't be achieved through official lists. Alas. And, while we're still about Paris where the UNESCO headquarters is located, just a short gourmet voyage around the popular Parisien supermarkets would show that there's not one Bulgarian product on their shelves. Even if you include another 100 BG meals in the list, there's still no "sujuk" and no "lyutenitsa", and none of our famous yoghurt in the West European markets. Let alone our famous red wines. And imagine what effects some minor investment in an avant-garde grocery store would've had, even a small store if you like. A small shop somewhere in Paris would've done a way better job for making the BG cuisine more recognizable, than any food lists possibly could.
In fact that's not even happening here in Bulgaria, mind you. Lots of small producers are complaining that the large retail chains won't let them into the game, because they're eager to keep their share of the market, and suffocate their smaller competitors with lower prices and better conditions due to quantity and marketing might. But what about the quality? It's just of secondary significance, as long as the prices are low (that's a major factor with poorer peoples like ourselves). Those who provide real good quality combined with good diversity of products can be counted on the fingers of one hand. There's just ONE producer in Sofia who dared to open a shop of their own, where they're offering really super-quality products. It was a bold decision but you can imagine how well recognized their brand is and what a dedicated clientele they have. A lot. Really really a lot. And we're not talking of the worn-out "bio"-mania, just on the contrary! The products in that little shop are anything but "bio". Nah, they just correspond to the kind of quality you'd get from the small producers in more civilized places like Italy, France, and Switzerland. And they don't even have to match the EU regulations for "bio product made of 'happy chickens'" (no, I kid you not!)
When you taste the specifically Bulgarian yoghurt (here called literally "sour milk") from that shop, you'd instantly see what I mean when I say that UNESCO lists and such stuff isn't important. Where you're buying from, is.
What's more, that place wasn't created afer the fancy project of some wacko post-modernist architect who doesn't know shit about what they're talking about. It was created by a simple guy from a small village, one with talent and who happens to live in 2012 rather than 1982, and who is stepped firmly on the ground.
You know, the most common PR phrase I keep hearing around here is, "We must promote our national products abroad". OK? How exactly? By publishing a column at La Liberation or airing a commercial on TF1, huh? Excuse moi, it doesn't work that way!
Even the Italian government doesn't subsidize such massive PR invasions. And while we're about Italy, the most famous and the loveliest cuisine in the world obviously, let me tell you of a really nice initiative. Some guys from the Italian community in New York decided to help with popularizing the typical Italian cuisine. But believe me, they didn't even think of incluing the Sicilian pasta in any cultural heritage lists, and neither did they run any commercials at the NYT. Instead, they did something that's brought them tremendous success. They opened a small restaurant, they hired 7 old ladies from 7 different regions of Italy, and they asked each of them to go to work just once a week and cook something typical for their region, using typical Italian products. Of course, they added a small shop next to the restaurant, where people could buy the same products. This spread the word about the regional Italian cuisine and made its products accessible to a much larger audience than any UNESCO lists possibly could. And the Italian embassy supported the initiative, because it's working well, without any official lists involved.
Meanwhile, we can try participating in all food expos around the world, slip our foods into all possible promo shelves, run ads on TV that tell you little of who we are and how all this stuff really tastes like... And then we'd keep wondering how come our very own "sirene" (white brined cheese) is suddenly trademarked as Greek "feta" cheese; how come we're reading now on the Webz that "tarator" is being claimed by Turkey; and I wouldn't be surprised if "sujuk" pops up in a Kazakh advert or something.
And don't get me started on the old tradition of boiling and pickling "turshia" (pickled vegetables) which is a nation-wide autumn ritual here, along with closing all this food in big jars and jamming them in the cellar for the winter. Or this typically Bulgarian invention, the "chushkopek", this gadget that bakes red peppers before you store them in those same jars for the winter. It's all an echo from the old times of misery and yoke that's been ingrained in our national psyche for centuries, and is probably the very essence of being a Balkanite: Save for the future, store stuff for darker days, because the next darker days are surely around the corner, and ready to come knocking at the door before you know it. So be prepared!
It's also why we have the "storing money under the mattress" phenomenon. We just don't trust banks! Banks are frauds! They'll eat all your savings, don't believe them! It's all a scam, including politics - politicians are entering politics in order to fill their pockets, they don't care about you, the cheaters! Fuck'em. Fuck'em all. I'm fine with me at my home and with my money under my mattress and my pickled vegetables in my cellar, thankyouverymuch!
It's probably why we've excelled so much in the little things in life: like enjoying the moment to the full, not caring about work and politics too much; and raising food on a pedestal. Awesome, gorgeous food, and drinks. Lots of them. What else do we need? Life is a bitch anyway. That's the Balkan mentality.
So, yeah. Instead of pushing for membership in some stupid lists that nobody cares about, better open a restaurant and a shop or two, then see the result. Everything else is "as easy as shelling peas" (a piece of cake, as you say in the US?) The BG embassies could help the BG food conquering the stomachs and hence the hearts of the foreigners around the world in a slightly non-conventional way. Just invest a little in a small restaurant in Paris, hire a few old women who know the traditional recipes, then attach a small shop next to it, and you'd get a thousand times better result than any lists, even the UNESCO one, which is now hosting the mischievous poor man's version of the Milk Salad, known as "tarator". And possibly the even more watered version of yoghurt, "ayran". And why not "boza", too. It's good for growing tits, after all.
But, just a small hint: if you happen to come across such a restaurant somewhere, sometime in the future, make sure to remind the waitress to serve the "tarator" in a porcelain cup, rather than a plastic glass with a straw. You can't get the slices of cucumber through that thing! Thanks.
The reason for all this hubbub? Those Euros have finally acknowledged the awesomeness of some of the most typical Bulgarian meals: "Tarator", to begin with. This poor man's version of the Milk Salad (another East European invention) will join a few other delights and make it into the list.
You already know the exercise - first play this for atmosphere.
Now, granted, there's nothing bad about having a list of geographical locations and historical sites being put on a list and attracting lots of tourists, and from there it's just one more step to adopting cuisine as a cultural heritage. It gives a sense of continuity, no? But on the other hand, come on! It's just a list of things on a piece of paper. That's all. We have to go way beyond that to have any effect at all. Whether it's the "sujuk" (flat-sausage) from Gorna Oryahovitsa or the typically British Cheddar cheese... people would've hardly learned the difference between the "sujhuk" and a common salami, or between the Cheddar cheese and the one you put in those American hamburgers that pass for food in some places, had it only been up to a mere list of... meals.
But I gotta admit that my eyes watered with tender tears of pride and accomplishment when I heard the news about the "tarator" and "sujhuk" making it into the UNESCO list. Maybe because it was the time around March 3rd, when the shabby national pride temporarily overtakes this tiny country that has seen so much ups and downs; it's when you know the time of heavy eating and drinking has come again. The happiest time for my tummy! The time when I can blissfully slap on my belly after a nice lavish meal, twirl my Balkan moustache, and roar like a dark Balkan type: "Bulgar, Bulgaaaar!" And the world is at my feet...
Otherwise, yeah. A nice country, beautiful countryside, good people... It's all endless valleys of roses, and endless sands of gold along the coast, and dairy farms loaded with cheese, and light, cool, delicious "tarator" (with a little garlic, for taste) - right? Probably that's what the French Minister of Culture must've encountered, and that must've enchanted his soul. Otherwise I can't explain why they'd include a cold summer soup of yogurt dashed with water and chopped cucumbers floating inside, into the prestigious list of world heritage!
But let me remind that including non-material heritage into a list is a typical example of pure bureaucracy that bears no practical consequences, unless used very wisely. And there's a certain shortage of sages in this country right now, I have to say...
As sad as it may sound, we have to admit that the much craved popularity of the Bulgarian cuisine (or any cuisine) can't be achieved through official lists. Alas. And, while we're still about Paris where the UNESCO headquarters is located, just a short gourmet voyage around the popular Parisien supermarkets would show that there's not one Bulgarian product on their shelves. Even if you include another 100 BG meals in the list, there's still no "sujuk" and no "lyutenitsa", and none of our famous yoghurt in the West European markets. Let alone our famous red wines. And imagine what effects some minor investment in an avant-garde grocery store would've had, even a small store if you like. A small shop somewhere in Paris would've done a way better job for making the BG cuisine more recognizable, than any food lists possibly could.
In fact that's not even happening here in Bulgaria, mind you. Lots of small producers are complaining that the large retail chains won't let them into the game, because they're eager to keep their share of the market, and suffocate their smaller competitors with lower prices and better conditions due to quantity and marketing might. But what about the quality? It's just of secondary significance, as long as the prices are low (that's a major factor with poorer peoples like ourselves). Those who provide real good quality combined with good diversity of products can be counted on the fingers of one hand. There's just ONE producer in Sofia who dared to open a shop of their own, where they're offering really super-quality products. It was a bold decision but you can imagine how well recognized their brand is and what a dedicated clientele they have. A lot. Really really a lot. And we're not talking of the worn-out "bio"-mania, just on the contrary! The products in that little shop are anything but "bio". Nah, they just correspond to the kind of quality you'd get from the small producers in more civilized places like Italy, France, and Switzerland. And they don't even have to match the EU regulations for "bio product made of 'happy chickens'" (no, I kid you not!)
When you taste the specifically Bulgarian yoghurt (here called literally "sour milk") from that shop, you'd instantly see what I mean when I say that UNESCO lists and such stuff isn't important. Where you're buying from, is.
What's more, that place wasn't created afer the fancy project of some wacko post-modernist architect who doesn't know shit about what they're talking about. It was created by a simple guy from a small village, one with talent and who happens to live in 2012 rather than 1982, and who is stepped firmly on the ground.
You know, the most common PR phrase I keep hearing around here is, "We must promote our national products abroad". OK? How exactly? By publishing a column at La Liberation or airing a commercial on TF1, huh? Excuse moi, it doesn't work that way!
Even the Italian government doesn't subsidize such massive PR invasions. And while we're about Italy, the most famous and the loveliest cuisine in the world obviously, let me tell you of a really nice initiative. Some guys from the Italian community in New York decided to help with popularizing the typical Italian cuisine. But believe me, they didn't even think of incluing the Sicilian pasta in any cultural heritage lists, and neither did they run any commercials at the NYT. Instead, they did something that's brought them tremendous success. They opened a small restaurant, they hired 7 old ladies from 7 different regions of Italy, and they asked each of them to go to work just once a week and cook something typical for their region, using typical Italian products. Of course, they added a small shop next to the restaurant, where people could buy the same products. This spread the word about the regional Italian cuisine and made its products accessible to a much larger audience than any UNESCO lists possibly could. And the Italian embassy supported the initiative, because it's working well, without any official lists involved.
Meanwhile, we can try participating in all food expos around the world, slip our foods into all possible promo shelves, run ads on TV that tell you little of who we are and how all this stuff really tastes like... And then we'd keep wondering how come our very own "sirene" (white brined cheese) is suddenly trademarked as Greek "feta" cheese; how come we're reading now on the Webz that "tarator" is being claimed by Turkey; and I wouldn't be surprised if "sujuk" pops up in a Kazakh advert or something.
And don't get me started on the old tradition of boiling and pickling "turshia" (pickled vegetables) which is a nation-wide autumn ritual here, along with closing all this food in big jars and jamming them in the cellar for the winter. Or this typically Bulgarian invention, the "chushkopek", this gadget that bakes red peppers before you store them in those same jars for the winter. It's all an echo from the old times of misery and yoke that's been ingrained in our national psyche for centuries, and is probably the very essence of being a Balkanite: Save for the future, store stuff for darker days, because the next darker days are surely around the corner, and ready to come knocking at the door before you know it. So be prepared!
It's also why we have the "storing money under the mattress" phenomenon. We just don't trust banks! Banks are frauds! They'll eat all your savings, don't believe them! It's all a scam, including politics - politicians are entering politics in order to fill their pockets, they don't care about you, the cheaters! Fuck'em. Fuck'em all. I'm fine with me at my home and with my money under my mattress and my pickled vegetables in my cellar, thankyouverymuch!
It's probably why we've excelled so much in the little things in life: like enjoying the moment to the full, not caring about work and politics too much; and raising food on a pedestal. Awesome, gorgeous food, and drinks. Lots of them. What else do we need? Life is a bitch anyway. That's the Balkan mentality.
So, yeah. Instead of pushing for membership in some stupid lists that nobody cares about, better open a restaurant and a shop or two, then see the result. Everything else is "as easy as shelling peas" (a piece of cake, as you say in the US?) The BG embassies could help the BG food conquering the stomachs and hence the hearts of the foreigners around the world in a slightly non-conventional way. Just invest a little in a small restaurant in Paris, hire a few old women who know the traditional recipes, then attach a small shop next to it, and you'd get a thousand times better result than any lists, even the UNESCO one, which is now hosting the mischievous poor man's version of the Milk Salad, known as "tarator". And possibly the even more watered version of yoghurt, "ayran". And why not "boza", too. It's good for growing tits, after all.
But, just a small hint: if you happen to come across such a restaurant somewhere, sometime in the future, make sure to remind the waitress to serve the "tarator" in a porcelain cup, rather than a plastic glass with a straw. You can't get the slices of cucumber through that thing! Thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 15/3/12 20:30 (UTC)This recipe doesn't look too complicated. Maybe I will try it right now. Cucumbers, you say?
(no subject)
Date: 15/3/12 20:35 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 15/3/12 20:44 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 15/3/12 22:26 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 15/3/12 20:59 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 15/3/12 21:18 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 16/3/12 13:44 (UTC)for a backwater region
*ducks*
(no subject)
Date: 16/3/12 14:00 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 16/3/12 15:38 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 17/3/12 11:17 (UTC)