Sorrel with Rice

This piece was a finalist in Columbia Journalism's School 2026 Radio Race. [Birds] VO: We’re in Grădinari, just outside Bucharest, in the courtyard of a ruined boyar mansion. Around 1900, this place would fill with guests spending their summers here. Marius: The parties they hosted here in Grădinari always had elaborate menus. These were exclusive gatherings. It wasn’t easy to get on the guest list. Parties here lasted a long time and were very lavish. VO: This is Marius Tudosiei. He bought the place and wants to give it a new life. He loves the cuisine of southern Romania and says that, especially during spring, you should start at the market to find its flavors. Marius: You should always look for seasonal ingredients, because they’re the freshest and the most nutritious. [Obor market ambiance] Vendor (RO): “Ten for you — I’ll give them for fifteen lei so you still have money for a coffee. And you should know — sorrel is more expensive.” Marius: For example, in spring you’ll find sorrel. Sorrel with rice is divine. It surprises you — you don’t expect such depth of flavor from a simple leaf that grows wild in the fields. Market seller: I’m from the countryside, but I don’t know how to cook sorrel with rice. You boil the rice, onion, and sorrel… right? [Phone playing archival TV audio] “This house of death…” VO: But this place has had another life. It used to be a hospital-orphanage for abandoned children. For a long time, their meals consisted mostly of porridge. [Museum team rummaging] Museum of Abandonment team: “There are more objects here… What you found in the archives comes back to life.” VO: Marius didn’t throw anything away from that chapter. Instead, he invited the Museum of Abandonment to gather what remains — and preserve the story. Marius: A toy… a ball… a doll’s head… VO: Soon, the mansion will fill again with old recipes, music, and life. But it will also mark the memory of the children who lived — and suffered — here.