It is no surprise that Petra arrives to the photoshoot having just got off the phone from her Bulgarian mother. She is the matriarch of the family, a strong character and ‘a doer’ as a result of her early life as a refugee.
Petra’s mother left Bulgaria on her own when she was only a teenager. She was supposed to be with her own mother but she was refused exit when they were leaving. Instead, Petra’s mother received a three month exit visa and found herself alone in Italy. Despite having no-one to meet her, she felt empowered and that it meant she was destined for extraordinary things to happen, which they did.
The original plan was to go to America, but through a love of music and playing piano she was introduced to a group of Australians. Her new friends offered to help her get to Australia and the rest is history.
Her mother found a happy life in Australia, but there were things that she could not understand about the Australian culture in the 1950s and 60s. While she loved the music that helped bring her here (and still does), she was missing food, culture, fashion and the language of Europe. And she could not understand why there was no sheep’s yoghurt? This alongside fresh fetta is a Bulgarian staple. And salt! Petra has many memories of eating at restaurants and her mother calling out the lack of salt in every meal. She would then unashamedly add her own salt into everyone’s dish.
Petra’s father does get an occasional influence in the family’s eating rituals. He comes from a Scottish family who run a highly successful meat business. It is so well-known there is a street in the Rocks (Sydney) named after the business. The family enjoy lamb every year for Easter (as long as it has enough salt and the key ingredients for Bulgarian families including fetta, paprika and sheep’s yoghurt!).
View more of Fast Ed’s photo series by clicking here.
Related Posts
- Tessa – Reach Out
- Caring about cultural diversity – AutoCare Services
- Why your workplace should celebrate A Taste of Harmony
- Who makes the best desserts?
- A Taste of Harmony at Harding Martin
- 4 reasons to introduce A Taste of Harmony to your workplace
- William Ross
- Ayca – Yoghurt Digital
- Gilad – Yoghurt Digital
- ASF Audit’s first A Taste of Harmony celebration
- A workplace champion for harmony – Department of Human Services
- What does food mean to you?
- Melissa Leong – Learning more about my cultural heritage
- Matthew – Yoghurt Digital
- Flourish Australia leads by example, and wins a visit by Celebrity Chef, Fast Ed!
- Multiculturalism a key ingredient of Melbourne’s ‘happy cafe’
- Emma – Blackbird PR
- A Taste of Harmony brings ‘Besties’ together – Best and Less
- Joe – Yoghurt Digital
- Cristina – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- How entrepreneurship enables economic independence for migrant women
- Newmont
- Carly Day: Learning more about my cultural background
- How many cuisines have you eaten in your life?
- City of Whittlesea
- Centre for Multicultural Youth
- What is Australian cuisine?
- Krisztina – Reach Out
- Mitchell – Reach Out
- Tammy – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- Phoebe – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- How does your heritage affect what you eat?
- Neha – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- Cultural cuisines you may never have tried (and should!)
- How a garden in a Brighton backyard is connecting cultures
- Why cultural diversity is an important workplace conversation
- Kristin – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- Sally – Blackbird PR
- What makes Australian food culture so diverse?
- Junnan – Yoghurt Digital
- Metro South Health
- Australia Post – 10 year participant and major supporter
- What’s in your pantry?
- Maxine – Reach Out
- Dominique Rizzo: What I learnt about my cultural heritage
- Dave – Reach Out
- Australian Taxation Office
- Sukaina – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- Mckenzie – Yoghurt Digital
- Angel – Reach Out
- What’s your favourite food?
- What did you eat today?
- Chung Jae Lee: My Korean heritage
- Pride in Diversity for Major Hotel Group – Accor Hotels
- Arq Group
- Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs, QLD
- Samantha – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
- Fast Ed’s A Taste of Harmony Photo Series