• From today, September 3, 2026, until Sunday, September 6, Valea Ghimeșului is once again hosting the main edition of the Taste of Transylvania festival, the largest and most complex event on the project's calendar.
The venue is Gyimesi Skanzen (Boroș Holiday Village) in Lunca de Jos, an open-air museum with traditional wooden houses, framed by the green hills of the area.
Festival brings together Transylvanian culinary traditions – influenced by Romanian, Hungarian, Saxon and other cuisines from the region – with contemporary approaches and the presence of high-level chefs and restaurants. The organizers aim to rediscover and promote the local gastronomic heritage, through collaboration between producers, housewives from the area and professionals from Romania, Hungary and beyond. The event in Ghimeș remains "mother festival" of the series, after in 2026 the project expanded with editions in Hungary (Szentendre) and other locations in the country.
Program and activities
The program includes cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops, professional discussions and community moments. The Joy Cooking by PPC section brings together professional chefs and local housewives who prepare dishes based on the same seasonal and local ingredients. Among the participants are names such as Mihai Toader, Alex Petricean, Oana Coantă, Radu Dumitrescu, Mama Róza (together with Mircea Groza), as well as other chefs and specialists. Freestyle cooking sessions take place at the Freestyle Barn, and on Saturday and Sunday the Blind Culinary Experience – a gourmet multi-course dinner – takes place.
The practical workshops cover a wide range of traditional and modern themes. Jánossy Alíz, together with several Transylvanian housewives, will coordinate the workshop dedicated to pasta and dumplings. Guests can learn the secrets of making parenyica cheese from Sárig Attila, while Gáll Tímea will lead the workshop dedicated to polenta (creamy polenta). Herbs and flavoured salts will be explored with Józsa Eszter, and coffee tasting experiences (cupping) will be guided by the experts at Olivo Coffee Culture.
The debates and round tables will address current topics, such as the transmission of culinary traditions, the challenges of animal husbandry (raising pigs and sheep, valorizing local milk), sustainable tourism and the connection between technology and traditional cuisine. The program will also include community activities, such as communal mowing or potato picking, workshops for children, ambient music and live concerts.
Practical information
This year's edition of the festival Taste of Transylvania opens its doors on Thursday, between 17:00 PM and 24:00 PM, a day when the public benefits from free access. On Friday and Saturday, the visiting schedule is between 11:00 AM and 24:00 PM, while on Sunday the event will take place between 11:00 AM and 18:00 PM.
The organizers provide ticket holders with a service space shuttle free of charge departing from Miercurea Ciuc, subject to prior registration. Visitors traveling by train can get off at the Lunca de Mijloc station, located approximately 3 kilometers from the festival perimeter. For the public traveling by private car, there is a paid parking lot at the main intersection; from there, the transfer to the access gate is provided free of charge by horse-drawn carriages.
Access tickets and subscriptions for the entire weekend can be purchased on the entertix.ro platform or directly on the official website, tasteoftransylvania.eu. The public also has the option Blind Culinary Experience, a special package that includes a gourmet dinner. Children under 14 years of age are admitted free of charge. The standard ticket covers entry to the festival, dedicated transportation, cultural and artistic programs, concerts, the playground, as well as participation in demonstrations and workshops, with the mention that certain workshops may charge an additional fee within the limit of available seats. Food and beverage consumption is paid separately, directly at the exhibitors' stands.
Taste of Transylvania in Ghimeș combines the authentic landscape of the area with a structured gastronomic experience, where recipes passed down from generation to generation stand alongside current techniques. For updated details about the program, a complete list of participants or tickets, the official website and the organizers' social media pages remain the reference sources.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor-in-Chief Arta Albă
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