Kate Sotejeff-Wilson

Kate Sotejeff-Wilson enjoys midwifing people’s texts into being. She
translates from German, Finnish, and Polish, edits for multilingual
authors writing in English, and runs writing retreats. Born in Wales, she
did her history PhD research in London, Berlin, Poznan and Warsaw,
and is now also a Finn.

To the website of Kate Sotejeff-Wilson

Translated into english

Background article

The culinary Ashkenaz

Jewish food cultures in Eastern Europe

Ashkenazi Judaism is inseparably linked to Eastern Europe. Unique Jewish ways of life evolved here, only to be virtually annihilated by the Shoah. And yet, specific Ashkenazi eating habits, with their mix of religious rules and regional influences, survive in many places around the world today, in...

Background article

Siberian food and European taste

Siberian eating habits in the 18th century, as seen through the eyes of European travellers

This article invites the reader to join a culinary journey through Siberia in the 18th century in a company of ethnographers from Europe and the Russian Empire. For the Russian Empire, the 18th century was a time of great expeditions to explore the vast imperial territory that extended all the way...

Background article

Staesz Pfefferkuchen Spices!

The name alone is evocative of family traditions. It carries the promise of delicious cakes and biscuits, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

Background article

On the connection between migration, diet, and belonging

Russian German food cultures

To what extent can diet create social and cultural belongings? What is its potential significance in contexts of migration? Russian German examples demonstrate the very diverse ways in which questions of identity and diet are connected.

Cooking recipe

Mini-Napoleons

The Triumph of the Puff Pastry Tartlets

Every recipe tells a story – be it that of one’s own family, social group, region, of nation states or whole empires. A particular dish is thus always both a symbol and an expression of cultural concepts. A recipe booklet compiled by students at the University of Bamberg looks at “Culinary...

Background article

Hanklich

A celebratory cake baked by Transylvanian Saxons

The cultural diversity of Transylvania is reflected in the culinary culture of the region, which has been shaped by extremely varied influences, diverse ethnic groups, and their eventful histories. An exciting example of this is a flat, yeast cake called hanklich.

Background article

Pickling and preserving in Bulgarian food culture

Producing food at home, preserving and pickling it in jars, played important and diverse roles in Southeastern Europe and Bulgaria in the 20th century. Since the 1990s, this practice has undergone a number of changes and now fulfils a variety of functions – from everyday food security and small...