Elvira Kadyrova, Tamir Shakirov
A culinary workshop dedicated to traditional Romanian pastries and desserts was held at the Ynamly Kepil coworking centre in Ashgabat. The event was organised by the youth initiative Creative Corner Turkmenistan, Astra Consulting and La Crema café, with the support of the Embassy of Romania in Turkmenistan.
The event brought together young people, including students preparing to pursue higher education in Romania, as well as their parents. The workshop was led by Creative Corner founder Abdyrahim Agajykov.
The participants were welcomed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania Ion Naval and Deputy Head of Mission Aurelia Domnițeanu.
“I am glad that you have all chosen to study in Romania. I hope this will help you greatly in life. I also studied in Romania, and it helped me in my life. So there are opportunities for everyone. I wish you a pleasant stay in Romania!” Ambassador Ion Naval told the future students.
He encouraged them to make the most of their time in Romania not only through their studies, but also by discovering the country’s nature, people, cuisine, language, literature and culture.
“Take the whole country in — its mountains, rivers, vast forests and, of course, the sea. Enjoy the nature of Romania and, naturally, our beautiful cities,” he said.
The guests were then treated to a musical performance by popular singer Dovran Shamyev before moving on to the culinary part of the programme.
Under the guidance of a pastry chef Ms. Jamala from La Crema, the participants split into two teams — “Bucharest” and “Cluj” — and set about preparing two classic Romanian desserts: apple plăcintă (Plăcintă cu mere) and papanași with sour cream and jam (Papanași cu smântână și dulceață).
During the cooking session, Ms. Aurelia Domnițeanushared practical tips on preparing the traditional dishes and also organized a short quiz about Romania. The competition tested the participants’ knowledge of the country’s geography, with the winner being the participant who demonstrated the strongest knowledge.
As the two-hour workshop drew to a close, the room was filled with the aromas of cinnamon, apples, freshly baked pastries and fried doughnuts. The participants finally had the opportunity to taste the results of their work.
The desserts proved to be a highlight of the event, offering the guests just a small taste of Romania’s rich culinary traditions.
The culinary quest ended with the announcement of the winning team — but, as the participants agreed, friendship was the real winner. The event gave the young people not only a first taste of Romania, but also memorable impressions ahead of a new stage in their lives. ///nCa, 18 September 2026
Here are some photos from the event:
