Elena Smorandi
Elena Smorandi
LAG ECO Düz Yalpugel
“Magic Ingredients for a Business”
At the touristic complex “Gagauz Sofrasi” from Congaz, the food is also prepared with products from Elena Smorandi, beneficiary of European support, through the Local Action Group ‘ECO Düz Yalpugel’. She has been growing, drying and offering to everyone special plants used in the Gagauzian kitchen. ‘Miurdea’ has existed in each home for generations: magical mixture made up of flavoured ingredients like mint, basil, parsley, dill or lovage. Elena Smorandi has been a social worker for 30 years. She works at the first care facility for kids and youth with special needs from Congaz, which she founded five years ago. “Together with the kids from the center we are invited to various sales exhibitions. Three years ago we went to Chisinau and took some Miurdea packages with us: they vanished right away.
That’s something I could do with kids, I told myself. Up until then, I used to do them for me and give them as a gift to relatives, colleagues. This year, we started to sell them piece by piece, not much and not expensive, 15 lei per package, don’t even know how much one weights, I’m measuring with a glass.”, says Elena while taking out a fresh bread loaf from the oven. She cuts out a slice, oils it and sprinkles some miurdea. ‘This is a delicacy from my childhood’, smiles the lady. Each housewife mixes the plants according to her own recipe’s secrecy. When spread on the bread, the delicacy is served as an appetizer, but the spices can also be added to any meal.
Elena received a grant for spices packaging equipment for the kids who attend the center. When they gather more money, they want to be able to heat the greenhouse from the center’s garden and improve the packaging process in order to have an attractive package along with the attractive content. Elena embarked on this mission because she wants to pass on to others the secrets of this flavored tradition, and because she wants to teach kids something useful. “Tell me please, what else could we do with these kids? The activity matches our possibilities. It is as much as we can carry. We won’t become wealthy, but the kids will learn to cherish work and will have some pocket money”, explains Elena.
Daily lives may be alchemically transformed with good ideas and help.
Funded by the European Union, implemented within SARD Programme
“ECO Düz Yalpugel” LAG contact information:
Manager: Regus Svetlana
Phone: +373 68 575 000
E-mail: eco.duz.ialpugel@gmail.com
