Just before leaving some place you mostly feel a bit nostalgic. It‘s the same with me and Macedonia. Now I think how will I miss the country, the people and ohh, the food. I love macedonian food. And especially now, since Ajvar season started. Whenever you go, you see pepers, you see people preparing, you can smell ajvar everywhere. This weekend I even had the pleasure to help in the process of making ajvar. It made me so happy and the end result was delicious.

While preparing traditional autumn goodies of Macedonia it made me think, how about other countries? So I asked around a little bit:

Lithuania: We do a lot of preparation for winter in autumn, but one of the most important rituals in autumn is digging out the potatoes. The whole family gathers, friends, relatives, dressed it worst clothing you have, because it‘s so messy. Bigger and stronger take shovels to their hands, smaller, mostly kids, gather all the digged potatoes to the baskets. This continues for full day or even weekend, depending on the size of the field. But it‘s rewarding for sure, when grandma or mother makes potatoes‘ pancakes or cepelinai (tradicional lithuanian food) after heavy work.

Poland: Our dear neighbours have their own praparation process. After fruitful summer starting the autumn with picking all the vegetables and preserving them in the jars for winter. Vegetables like cucumbers, cabbages, zucchinies, tomatoes goes to little and big jars with marinate so they can be eaten during cold winter months.

Spain: Magosto is a celebration in which spanish people welcome autumn by cooking chesnusts (castana). Since October is the month when they slay pigs in Spain, they also make filloas – a kind of pancakes, regular ones, only adding the blood of the pig. And the last but not least is cocido, typical Sunday food: boiled potatoes, cabbage, chickpeas and beans, then adding chiken, beef and pork.

France Lovely french people in autumn they beggin to eat raclette. It‘s a semi-hard cow’s milk swiss cheese that is usually fashioned into a wheel of about 6 kg. The cheese is cuted into slices and is eaten meltedwith some potatoes and ham or sausages. Of course, since it‘s France, always better to serve it with wine.

South Africa: Samp is the dish that africans start making in autumn. It consists of dried corn kernels that have been stamped and chopped until broken but not as fine as Mealie-meal or mielie rice. It can also be served with beef, lamb, poultry and in stuffings. Natives in South Africa start eating this hot meal in colder seasons, it can be ate with sauce  as well as alone.

United states of America: People across the pond pick blackberries in the autumn, and gather windfall apples to make this amazing blackberry-apple pie. They make the best of what you have. This is the way it should be.People use what their garden and neighbourhood could provide. Pumkinsand turkey comes along with the big celebrations in autmn (Halloween and Thanksgiving) as well.

China: Mooncake is a traditional Chinese pastry. It is made from wheat flour and sweet stuffing, such as sugar and lotus seed powder.It’s a symbol of family reunion, and the cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number of people in the family. In ordinary times, people won’t buy or eat mooncakes but during the Mid-Autumn Festival everyone will have a mooncake to celebrate.

These amazing dishes are not only to fill the stomach, but also to celebrate the transition from warm to cold season and to appreciate the people around you and their company. Food is always better when it‘s shared with the loved ones.

Laura Babaitytė