Traditions in Transylvania
Experience the local shepherds traditional recipe, from generation to generation, from early morning until sunset 🔥 12 hours on a slow fire. “Slow food” is a concept that emerged as a counter-movement to fast food. It emphasizes the importance of traditional cooking methods, locally sourced ingredients, and the enjoyment of food as a cultural and social experience.
The slow food movement advocates for a more thoughtful approach to eating, where the focus is on quality, sustainability, and the preservation of local food traditions. The slow food movement began in Italy in the late 1980s and has since spread globally, with many people embracing its principles as a way to promote healthier, more sustainable, and more enjoyable eating habits.
Sustainability: slow food promotes sustainable farming practices, including organic agriculture, which aims to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity, and reduce the carbon footprint of food production. Local and seasonal foods: the movement encourages the consumption of locally grown, seasonal foods to support local economies, reduce transportation emissions, and ensure freshness. Traditional cooking methods: slow food values the preservation of traditional recipes and cooking techniques, which are often passed down through generations and reflect a region’s cultural heritage. Community and social connections: eating is seen as a communal activity that fosters relationships and strengthens community bonds. Slow food often involves sharing meals with family and friends, and taking time to savor the food.
Education and awareness: the slow food movement seeks to educate people about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the impact of their food choices on health and the environment. Taste and pleasure: slow food emphasizes the pleasure of eating, encouraging people to take time to enjoy the flavors, textures, and aromas of their meals, rather than rushing through them.
The story of Slow Food Traditions in Transylvania
Satiety and transhumance: Satiety of the product from boiled sheep and its importance in transhumance for lightweight transport. Transhumance is a traditional practice of moving livestock between seasonal pastures, usually to maximize grazing resources. In this context, satiety refers to the need for meat that is sustainable enough to feed people during long journeys. Boiled or preserved sheep meat can be a source of easily transportable and durable protein. Boiling sheep meat and preservation: boiling sheep meat is a method of preserving it. Through boiling, the meat becomes easier to transport and more durable, being less susceptible to spoilage during long trips. This process reduces the water content in the meat and helps prevent bacterial growth, making it suitable for long-distance transport.
Lightweight transport: boiled sheep meat weighs less compared to fresh meat because the boiling process removes some of the water. This makes the meat easier to transport, which is crucial for transhumance. Transporting a smaller amount of water reduces the overall load and facilitates the movement of herds. Nutritional quality and practicality: boiled meat retains most of the essential nutrients, making it a valuable food source. Additionally, it is easier to preserve and prepare in travel conditions, ensuring that people on expeditions have access to adequate nutrition. In conclusion, the boiling process of sheep meat results in a product that is not only more durable but also lighter to transport, which is essential in the context of transhumance. It ensures a consistent and efficient food source for long journeys, contributing to the success and efficiency of the practice.
SLOI, an authentic traditional product from The Gate of Transilvania – Jiu Valley, produced only when the cold sets in, late in the fall, when the sheep come down from the mountains with the layer of fat necessary to get through the winter. The story of SLOI begins with the slaughter of the sheep and continues with the separation of the meat from the bones… the cleaned bones are then put on a slow fire in a cauldron. The first part, boiling the bones, is actually the secret passed down from generation to generation. It is a long process where patience is the essential word, patience sustained by the stories told around the fire, from early morning until sunset.
Marrow the slow boiling process gives the sloi its flavor, nuanced by the marrow of the bones and the cartilage. After about 3 to 4 hours, the broth from the bones is strained, and the sliced meat is added. Flavor sedimentation the second part of boiling follows, another few hours, until all the broth evaporates, and the meat begins to fry in its own fat, with spices added along the way. After hours of boiling, the final part of the process is the most important, when the fat begins to fry the meat, and the stirring of the shredded fibers evens out the ancient culinary experience.
From Long Ago in the past, in the garniță (a traditional Romanian storage container), since time immemorial, the local shepherds preserved the sloi for the energy needed for the year that was just beginning.On the table (our table) an old saying from our ancestors goes, “come to our table.”
Since sloi is an extremely hearty dish, it is served hot, alongside a sturdy polenta, a specific local sour pickled side dish (pickled ciuciuleți found on old beech trees), and a shot of țuică (a traditional Romanian spirit). For consumption throughout the year, it is portioned according to the size of the family (when the sloi cools, it solidifies). Discover the taste of traditions, the story of Sloow Food in Transilvania at The Gate of Transylvania in Jiu Valley © Ținutul Momârlanilor ™