In food we trust; a story of Irish and Romanians working together

For a foreigner, opening a restaurant in Romania is a complex intercultural exercise. Dealing with local staff and local customers, while serving food from another culture – that's something worth looking into. Contribution by Irina Budrina Food is only one aspect of cultural traditions, yet it is probably one of the most persistent. There is no cultural group and no individual for whom at least one specific food - the memory, taste, or smell of which - does not evoke a pang of loving nostalgia. Food forms an inextricable part in our daily lives. Without food we cannot survive. But it is much more than a necessity. Food is a source of pleasure, comfort and security. Food is also a symbol of hospitality, social status, and religious significance. What we select to eat, how we prepare it, serve it, and even how we eat it are all factors profoundly touched by our individual cultural inheritance. If you want to open a restaurant in a country different from yours – keep it in mind! Peoples of differing cultures share most countries in the world. The human habit of migrating is as old as the history of humans. It is accepted that people move from place to place for reasons of religious or political freedom, for personal and family security, for a sense of adventure. What is often overlooked is something more basic; many peoples of the world have migrated to find food. Historically, this has frequently resulted in the necessity of relinquishing customary tastes according to what foods, seasonings, and even cooking methods are available to them in the new location. Finding new foods and new sources of foods and seasonings also motivated many adventurers and explorers and swelled the economy of countries. John McCarthy, an Irish businessman with a background in landscaping, moved to Romania many years ago. And opened his own business – the Malagamba restaurant located in Lipscani, the old historic center of Bucharest. I met him and was interested in the intercultural issues – an Irish owner of business, Romanian staff and Italian cuisine. Irish people have a reputation for ease and elegance of speech and a readiness to put things into practice. More importance and weight are given to the spoken than to the written word. Irish people have more flexible approach to organization than, for example, British people. This is reflected in the importance given to personal relationships, a talent for improvisation and a dislike of rigid systems and bureaucracy. Sounds encouraging, doesn't it? Irish are essentially cooperative and work well in teams. Teams do not necessarily need a strong leader, but if they have one they should make sure that they are part of the team and do not stand apart. Teams will commonly accept collective responsibility for decisions and implementations. Active consensus in decisions is usually desirable. Irish are known to be direct. Important discussions and decisions often take place in an informal environment outside the office. During the meeting, John kept an eye on his staff in between the meals, commenting on served bread, soup or the temperature of table water right there, on the spot. It looked more like a friendly meeting than a business one for the staff. [pullquote]