What do you think of when you think of Romania? Do you envisage Dracula sharpening his fangs in his tower in Transylvania? Of garlic necklaces hanging in the homes of Bucharest to ward off such evil? Or, do you think of a country filled with stray dogs roaming the streets? These ill-judged conceptions of Romania – of the people, the country and the culture – frustrate those who were born and live there and who have experienced an entirely different country to the one that is stereotyped.
The Romanian-born cook and food writer Irina Georgescu is one of these exasperated citizens. Her highly-acclaimed book, Carpathia: Food from The Heart of Romania, aims to dispel these clichés through celebrating Romania – and all it has to offer – through its unique, bold and flavoursome cuisine.
