'Banat - 2028 European Region of Gastronomy' project has reached its final stage, after the international jury announced in Timisoara on Friday its official recommendation to award this title.

According to representatives of the County Council, the success of the bid was based not only on Banat's gastronomic and multicultural heritage, but especially on the local community's capacity to collaborate, demonstrated by the mobilisation of around 200 people in their interaction with the international jury.

'The jury members were very pleased with the visit. They had a very intense programme across Banat, with places and people showcasing the region's richness, but also offering an example of how Banat is not only a welcoming and vibrant place, but one that strongly demonstrated the idea of collaboration. It was an extraordinary mobilisation, nearly 200 people interacted with the jury over these four days, which is quite unusual. Around 80 people were deployed to other areas to meet the jury. This means we will receive the status of 2028 Region of Gastronomy. Beyond the multicultural aspect of Banat, which is naturally reflected in its gastronomy, beyond our traditions that are being revived and brought into the present, beyond the places, landscapes and beauty of Banat, which host farmers, local gastronomic points and restaurants, our main strength was this idea of collaboration, that Banat residents, although individually very good at what they do, have shown these days that they can also collaborate and work together, something reflected in every part of the programme. The competition is not about which food is tastier. Our distinguishing factor was this ability of Banat people to unite when needed and when they want to show that we are very good at what we do,' explained Simona Neumann, director of the Association for the Promotion and Development of Tourism in Timis County.

Photo: (c) Otilia Halunga / AGERPRES
Within this programme, each county in Banat - Arad, Timis and Caras-Severin - will organise events dedicated to gastronomy and the project concept, 'fusion beyond borders, bold flavours,' with Timis acting as project leader.

Although there are more than 600 local gastronomic points in Romania, only 22 are located in Banat, a number considered very low relative to the region's potential, Simona Neumann said.

The concept of a Region of Gastronomy includes all components of local traditional heritage, and in Banat's case a distinctive element is multiculturalism, reflected in language, house architecture, customs and especially culinary identity.

'We cannot say that Banat has a strictly Romanian cuisine; rather, we are talking about a fusion of flavours, flavours without borders. Alongside what we call traditional Romanian dishes for the first course, the second course may include something borrowed from Central Europe, such as a Viennese schnitzel, and for dessert we might have something Slovak. This is the beauty of the place. It is very difficult to define the ethnic identity of the food. We speak about a fusion of tastes,' said Simona Neumann.

In this context, the president of the jury, Diane Dodd, Phd., highlighted the importance of the moment and the main arguments behind the recommendation.

Photo: (c) Otilia Halunga / AGERPRES

Diane Dood pointed out that the jury noticed that the proposal coherently covers the six priority areas of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) and that it was built organically, with genuine involvement from multiple local stakeholders. At the same time, she said, the proposal includes clear plans for Banat's participation in the network's projects and demonstrates a serious commitment to the European dimension of this title. The proposal does not stop at the present, it outlines a long-term legacy for the region and reflects a strong commitment by local partners to sustainability and high-quality food production, Diane Dodd further said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)