The title is something of a misnomer because Irina Georgescu’s beautiful book, published in 2020, covers cooking from all parts of Romania. Now resident in the UK, she draws on her homeland’s cuisine which reflects its complex history, with influences as disparate as Turkish, Greek, Hungarian, Saxon and Slav. The resulting volume is a labour of love.
After the introduction, an appetiser setting out Georgescu’s stall and noting that Romanian food has been largely ignored, the book is divided into sections covering: small plates, starters and salads; breads and bakes; borș and ciorbă; main courses; desserts; and pickles, preserves, compotes and drinks. Additional sections are devoted to seasonal influences and superstitions in Romanian cooking; Romania’s culinary heritage; and Romania’s cultural values, emphasising tradition and artisanship, and a strong regional identity.
All recipes are clearly set out, and although some look a bit tricky, many are easy to do, so the book will appeal to all levels of competence. Occasionally there is a slight adaptation to take into account availability of ingredients, but generally they are presented as handed down from generation to generation. Weights are given in imperial and metric. Beautiful photographs are sprinkled through the book, showing both the dishes and evocative Romanian scenes.
In addition to the recipes, we are told about Georgescu’s family, the challenges of the communist period, and the personal influences that shaped her love of cooking. A need for versatility was caused by years of shortages and having to make the most of a little, using cheap ingredients. The philosophy was to waste nothing – hence the use of offal, though many of the recipes are plant based. Faced with uncertain times, there is much to be learned here about cooking economically.
The Romanian devotion to family and friendship, and dining as a communal activity, are evident throughout. Georgescu has documented what is largely an oral tradition, recipes passed down from mother to daughter (though Georgescu’s father is not exempt from kitchen preparations). Every page evokes her love of her country and transmits it to the reader. Even though she was born in Bucharest there is a romantic ambience, with the pastoral never far from the surface.
Reading Carpathia is like being immersed in a travel guide, allowing the reader to tour Romania through its food. One finishes it knowing more than about what Romanians eat, it is a window on the national identity. The book is at once an act of memory and a connection from east to west. Georgescu hints that one of her purposes in writing it was to help outsiders get to know the Romanians better and dispel misconceptions, and she has achieved that ambition, in addition to celebrating a cuisine possessing many delights.
