garlic is thought to protect people and homes from evil spirits (Credit: Rick Madonik/Getty Images)While many people eschew garlic in their food for fear of smelling of it Romanians have a cult-like appreciation for the plant castles and medieval fortresses set the stage for some of Europe’s darkest legends Despite having never set foot in Transylvania himself, 19th-Century author Bram Stoker based his vampire lore on the strigoi (from the Latin ‘striga’ meaning ‘witch’ or ‘evil spirit’) thanks to a book he found in England's Whitby Library called An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia a historical ruler who fought against invading Turks He was son of Vlad Dracul of the House of Drăculești and was the perfect character on whom to rest his blood-sucking main character dark spirits have long existed in Eastern European folklore • A medieval remedy for divorce • The deadly dish people love to eat • The bread that feeds the dead Through practices passed down through generations garlic is thought to protect people and homes from evil spirits as well as curing sickness such as colds and coughs The strigoi are believed to suck the milk from mothers and cows (the inspiration for Stoker’s blood-sucking vampires) which is why Romanian peasants have long protected their livestock by smearing their horns with garlic garlic is a must on every Romanian’s plate Garlic is a must on every Romanian’s plateOne evening I was feasting with friends at Conacul Brătescu, a Romanian restaurant located a 10-minute walk from Bran Castle (the inspiration for Stoker’s Dracula’s Castle) A group of tourists on the next table were watching with inquisitive eyes as we smothered our trout and polenta in mujdei a pungent Romanian sauce made from crushed garlic cloves that are salted and vigorously mixed with water and sunflower oil While many people eschew garlic in their food for fear of smelling of it “It just doesn’t taste the same without,” my friend Alexandru Pavelescu exclaimed Two more generous portions of mujdei were brought in and finished in a matter of minutes both as a sauce for the fish or simply spread on bread Deemed irreplaceable in flavouring steaks and other foods garlic has always been a widespread crop in Romania the aromatic plant is cultivated by more than 40% of the locals Considered unique due to the remote settlement’s soil quality the garlic of Copălău has gained fame both nationally and internationally – so much so that the county’s agricultural authorities are preparing to register it as a product with a protected geographical indication Garlic has long been thought of as a magical plantAt a home level the word for the country’s many soups containing vegetables and meat such as ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup) or its lighter version the popular skinless ground beef and pork sausages known as mici owe their juicy savoury taste to the generous amount of garlic in the recipe Aside from being an essential ingredient in Romanian cuisine garlic has long been thought of as a magical plant On the eve of Saint Andrew (the patron saint of Romania) on 29 November garlic is believed to keep you safe against strigoi and moroi evil spirits of those passed on that haunt the household of relatives still living residents of rural areas both eat garlic and smear it on the corners of windows and doors to protect themselves Rows of garlic can be seen hanging with the same purpose “Due to its curing properties as an alternative remedy, garlic has been given further symbolic attributes as a ritualistic plant, bearing an apotropaic role of protection,” said Ana Iuga, ethnologist at the Romanian Peasant Museum All the important transitions in life are accompanied by a set of rituals – garlic is the leitmotif behind themBut it doesn’t stop here garlic is considered a more powerful (natural) medicine than most antibiotics due to a compound called allicin (released when the garlic is chopped or crushed) that has similar properties as penicillin and dishes such as garlic soup made with roasted garlic heads blended with carrots parsnip and celery are served to combat the flu Grandmothers and great-grandmothers pass down the tradition of smearing freshly halved garlic cloves on toast for both taste and health purposes “Tradition and folklore are deeply engrained into Romanian culture in a syncretism dating even before Christianity,” said Gabriela Solomon, co-founder of My Secret Romania “All the important transitions in life – birth marriage and death – are accompanied by a set of rituals that are preserved even by highly educated people In keeping with this national belief that garlic has miraculous powers, the Garlic Festival takes place each September in the Tihuţa Pass in the Bârgău mountains (Eastern Carpathians) long considered the gateway to the realm of Count Dracula as depicted in Bram Stoker’s novel under its former Hungarian name ‘Borgo Pass’ traditional dishes with garlic are prepared and magic shows and spells are all part of the event whether or not vampires really exist in Romania Culinary Roots is a series from BBC Travel connecting to the rare and local foods woven into a place’s heritage Join over three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "If You Only Read 6 Things This Week". 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Under the constitution of Palau, women are afforded equality of opportunity with men; recommendations by the association of women’s chiefs (Mechesil Belau) are said to be given high consideration in legislative matters[1] Palau is one of only seven countries in the world not to be a signatory of the Convention on the Elimination  of  all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) it has recently passed the Family Protection Act 2013 Customary law has constitutional status in Palau and the application of customary practices influences formal criminal procedures human trafficking or sex tourism legislation The definition of rape is limited to sexual intercourse and spousal rape is still exempt from prosecution The common law rule requiring proof of physical resistance in order to prove absence of sexual consent is still applied as is the defence of reasonable belief that a victim was of lawful age of consent.  Fault-based divorce is practised in Palau and division of matrimonial property in cases of divorce does not take non-financial contribution into consideration Palauan women are able to vote and can participate as candidates in the elections for president, the 16 members of the National Congress, and the 13-member Senate A UNFPA-supported Family Health and Safety Study was completed in Palau in 2013 in order to gain a more concrete understanding on the extent of gender-based violence in Palau The report is expected to be released in 2014 No accurate data exists for maternal mortality rates. The adolescent birth rate is 27, an increase on 1995’s rate, and 100% of recorded births in 2007 were attended by a skilled attendant The World Health Organisation estimated that non-communicable diseases account for 74% of all deaths, with at least 38% of female deaths in women younger than 60 in 2010 being attributed to this. Approximately 53% of women over the age of 20 years are classified as obese The 2008 Second Generation Survey was undertaken and, based on responses from 44 young women aged 15 to 24, results showed that just over a quarter of the women (26.8%) answered all HIV knowledge questions correctly. Only 19% of respondents had had sex with more than one partner in the past 12 months, however, none of them used a condom in their last sexual encounter[1] Advancing Gender Justice in the Pacific (AGJP) Programme: UN Women is continuing its advocacy initiatives to promote women’s political participation providing knowledge products on harmonised human rights treaty reporting and implementation as well as training for women candidates running for elections UN Women will also support the government in order to increase access to gender-responsive legal systems for women Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) Programme: This programme provides stakeholders with access to virtual knowledge platforms tools and evidence-based resources to better equip them with the knowledge and evidence to advocate for strengthened EVAW legislation improved policies and services for violence against women survivors Social media tools are also made available to support community mobilisation that aims to end violence against women and girls through campaigns such as the United Nations Secretary General’s UNiTE to EVAW and Say NO-UNiTE Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Programme: UN Women is supporting informed and evidence-based decision-making when it comes to gender issues by assisting in the production of nationally-generated disaggregated data and statistics on the economic situation of women Increasing Community Resilience through Empowerment of Women to Address Climate Change and Natural Hazards (IREACH) Programme: UN Women supports the incorporation of gender dimensions in strategic documents for disaster risk management and climate change through the provision of knowledge products and tools on the gendered implications of climate change and disasters Copyright © UN Women