Cultural Vehicles in Education - assisting the needs of vulnerable social groups

Life Together

Roma Cookbook III

I A description of the activities undertaken during the unit, including comments on the reactions of the group/individual participants

a. Socializing with others of the same origin
b. Put traditional Roma recipes in writing

This session aimed to add other recipes of traditional Roma dishes to the conspicuous cookbook. Before we started to write other recipes, we had cleared out what was already placed in the cookbook and which recipes we had to add. Those recipes that were already a part of the book the participants translated into the Roma language.
Then, we split the tasks among everybody. Each person was writing one recipe. After they finished with writing the recipes they consulted them together. The participants suggested other ways of cooking certain dishes or different ingredients that could be added to one another. That way we established many different alternatives to each dish.

c. Another workshop was scheduled for the June 6th.

II Was the aim of the unit achieved (the implementation of practical skills and the pedagogical aim)?

The recipes have been passed on from generation to generation in only oral form. The recipes are important parts of Roma heritage that have been translated and gathered for the first time. It is an important element that helps cherish Roma culture, raise cultural awareness among public and increase self-esteem not only of the workshop participants, but also of the Roma nation in general...

This was the first time for the participants to put their traditional recipes on the pape... They were writing the recipes with an eagerness to show them to the wide public... This way they would like to prove to others that Roma nation does not consist of troublemakers as many people from the majority think, but mainly it is a nation with a heritage and rich traditions.
Looking at the incipient work the participants were getting very proud of their culture and also of the individuals skills each of them possessed

III Other remarks (for example on the interaction between artistic and educational elements)

In this block of workshop it is practically impossible to separate educational and artistic part because it went hand in hand.. Besides writing and consulting the recipes many of the participants brought the dishes that they cooked at their homes for others to taste.

It was apparent, that each participant felt much more comfortable consulting certain dish and writing the recipe over the real plate with the food rather than just do a plain talking without practical example...