Culinary experts in Miory region preserve ancient recipes of Belarusian national cuisine
The national cuisine club "Tsvetsinskiya prismaki" in the Miory district hospitably welcomes guests.
– People say: there lived a certain Agashka in the village of Metly, and she made the most delicious "zatirka" (a type of soup/porridge), which was named after her, – explains Zinaida Kadushko, head of the Tsvetin rural House of Culture and leader of the national cuisine club, and offers to try a dish prepared according to an old recipe.
On the table, laid out for the guests' arrival, there are "nalistniki" (thin pancakes), "draniki" (potato pancakes), "khvorost" (fried dough pastry), and apple pancakes. The women of Tsvetin know how to cook, and each family has its own culinary secrets.
– Previously, almost all households made cheese, but today few people do it, yet in the club, we try to preserve old recipes. Homemade is always tastier, both cheese and bread, – says Zinaida Kadushko.
Officially, the national cuisine club in the agro-town of Tsvatino has been around for about two years, although tea parties and table settings were organized in the House of Culture before that. Rural residents have plenty of worries, but they always find time to gather, sing, and organize celebrations for their fellow villagers. Mothers bring their children, they grow up and come with their own children. Zinaida Kadushko, who has been working at the House of Culture for 28 years, talks about the Sakovich family. Valentina and her husband Ivan were involved in amateur arts, then their daughter Svetlana started singing, and now their grandchildren are growing up and also seem to be heading towards becoming performers.
Hospitality is in the blood of the local residents. Cultural workers organize village and street festivals, and people always come with treats. Villagers gather for Maslenitsa and bake pancakes. Zinaida Kadushko and her assistants strive to revive ancient rituals: "dozhinki" (harvest festival) and "kolyady" (carol singing). They ask the elders what guests were treated to at christenings, what songs were sung to the host at "zazhinki" (sowing festival), and what dishes were served on the table for Nut Spas.
The club's name was self-evident – "Tsvetsinskiye Prismaki". The dishes prepared by the housewives from the Miory district were highly praised by the jury of the regional festival of national cultures "Nas Zyadnalala Zyamlya Belarusi". Apparently, the connoisseurs of Belarusian cuisine really liked "Agashkina Zatyrka".
Tatyana Pasternak, "Vitebskiye Vesti"