Inside Romania: Men on Mătăsari #3

Men in Matasari was one of the latest urban festivals held in Bucharest this month

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 17.10.2022, 12:05

Urban festivals have always been popular, but, after the pandemic, people are even more eager to participate in such events. After the festival Women on Matasari held in June, it was time for men to be celebrated in the same kind of event. So Matasari Street in Bucharest was filled in the second weekend of October with stands held by men; men passionate about art, craftsmanship and business.

Artists of all kinds and craftsmen, like for instance the one from Olt county, who was making barrel ice-cream, right on the spot, with ice and salt. We tried a black chocolate home-made ice-cream, which would take about 2-3 hours to make.

We wanted to hear the story of this man, who changed his professional path by deciding to make traditional ice-cream. His name is Adrian Menghes and here is what he told us:

I’ve participated in all three editions of Men on Matasari held so far, but it’s the first time I’ve made ice-cream on the spot. We would normally come with the ice-cream ready-made, but the organizer asked us to also include some demonstrations, to show that our festival is different, so I agreed to do it. And I must admit that we were very well received at the festival. I mean, we didn’t expect to sell so much in October.

On Matasari Street, in specially designed areas, among hay stacks, each participant in the event could find a cosy place for themselves. Visitors said they really needed something like that. Both children and adults enjoyed the participants’ craftsmanship. Here is Adrian Menghes again, the one that was very busy at the festival making ice-cream in a barrel.

Children were particularly happy about it. We showed them how to make it, what ‘baked ice’ was, something that they hadn’t heard about before. They probably didn’t understand everything, but they really enjoyed it. Baked ice for instance, is when the ice gets stuck on your fingers. To make it, I need ice at a very low temperature. For them it’s fascinating, because when you put salt on that ice that is glued to your fingers, it gets harder. So, it doesn’t melt because of the salt, as everyone would expect. It’s a friction phenomenon that makes it the other way around.

Although, in time, he’s made more than 100 ice-cream recipies, on Men on Matasari our interlocutor prepared black chocolate ice-cream, home-made, he said, because it’s like his mother used to make when he was a child.

Adrian Menghes told us that the most pleasant thing about these festivals is the public. They are people who appreciate one’s craftsmanship and come exactly for that. Like, for instance, the hatter that makes customs-made hats, a fashion designer that calles their work ‘Above the Sky’ or one that makes eyeglasses and other funny things.

We asked Adrian Menghes who impressed him from among his fellow participants.

There was a guy who made beads, and he really worked hard on them. And in general people who hand-make things, because it is no easy thing to do that, one needs lots of patience and craftsmanship. There was also a gentleman with leather products, which young people really appreciated.

Be they young or not, all those attending the Matasari festivals have something in common. Something that Adrian Menghes really misses, appreciation for how things were done in the past.

I really want, and I’m happy that people have started already, to see that people appreciate things like those we make, things that are different or made in a different way. It’s good to feel appreciated and supported by people.

The atmosphere, the concerts, the high spirits…they are all great at the events held on Matasari streets, events meant to highlight people’s creativity. (MI)