He rarely appears in newspapers, only a handful know his name, and a select few have tucked into his sour soups and stuffed peppers.
Yalan Kadir is chef to the Romanian team, and just the mention of him brings a smile to the faces of the squad’s usually reserved officials and has them licking their lips.
The Turkish cook’s repertoire of healthy, tasty food includes pasta, fish and salad dishes that get consumed with gusto.
“He cooks fantastically,” said federation spokesman Paul Zaharia, breaking into a rare grin that contrasted with his usual sober demeanor.
Kadir arrived a week before the Romanian team in this mountain resort, making his own plans just as the squad is preparing for its opening match with France on Monday.
“I’ll be doing five or six sour soups and cream soups a day instead of one a day,” he told daily Pro Sport in a rare interview in April. “Gone are the days when I brought Romanian feta cheese and mineral water. It’ll all be brought locally.”
The hottest items on his menu are his soups, especially ciorbe — Turkish broth soured with lemon or borsch.
“His food is delicious,” official Dan Bragoanu said. “I like everything that I’ve eaten. It’s tasty and nutritious.”
Kadir has been with the national team for about a decade, and it’s hardly surprising that Romania has a Turkish chef, even if the officials mostly shrug when asked why.
There is a Turkish linguistic and culinary influence in Romania, the southern and eastern parts of which were under Ottoman authority until the country won its independence after a bloody war in 1877.
Alongside the obviously central European pork schnitzels, pickled cucumbers and bell peppers served with french fries that are widely available in Romania, are rice and meat stuffed vine rolls, roasted peppers in vinaigrette and smoked eggplant salad — all variations of Turkish cuisine.
And some Romanian players seem to have an affinity with Turkish clubs. Former star Gheorghe Hagi was a midfielder and coach at Galatasaray before coaching Bursaspor, while Mircea Lucescu coached Galatasaray and Besiktas.
But Kadir’s menu doesn’t just include the savory flavors one might associate with Turkish cuisine. Under the guidance of the team doctor and nutritionist Pompiliu Popescu, he even does desserts.
“He does all kinds of sweets, even chocolate ones,” Zaharia said, with a grin.
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