What to try in Romania? Getting to know Romanian cuisine Romanian dishes recipes

FOOD IN ROMANIA

Most restaurants in Romania, especially outside major cities, offer only Romanian food. The cities, and especially Bucharest, have a wide selection of international cuisine (Chinese, Mediterranean, French, etc.).

The average bill in an inexpensive Romanian cafe is approximately 20 lei (180 rubles) per person; a good lunch or dinner for two in a mid-level restaurant will cost about 80 lei (720 rubles).

International fast food restaurant chains are also present in the country. A combination lunch at McDonald's costs about 16-18 lei.

Information on the cost of food in Romanian stores can be found in the article Prices in Romania.

Romanian cuisine and traditional Romanian dishes

Romanian cuisine is distinguished by an abundance of vegetables and meat. Traditional local dishes include sarmale(“cabbage rolls” in Romanian, minced meat with rice, baked in cabbage or grape leaves), mamaligu (porridge made from corn flour), bulz(mamaliga fried in sour cream with bacon and cheese), friptura(steak), salata beef(finely chopped vegetables and meat with mayonnaise, garnished with tomatoes and parsley), tochitura(fried meat and traditional sausages in a special sauce, served with hominy and fried eggs), mici
(spicy sausages), sandwiches with ham, cheese and French fries, various soups (with meatballs, with meat and rice, etc.) and salads.

Among the traditional desserts we can note saratele(salty sticks), pandispan(cherry cake), cozonac(a special cake that is usually baked for Christmas or Easter).

You can buy from street vendors covrigi(hot pretzels) langoshi(hot pies stuffed with cheese), gogoşi(a donut coated with fine sugar), pancakes with various fillings and ice cream.

Drinks in Romania

Romania has a long tradition of winemaking; the country currently remains one of the world's largest wine producers. Local wines are of good quality and relatively low prices (from 10 lei per bottle and above).

Beer is also a very common drink. Most international brands are brewed in Romania under license, so they often taste very different than in Western Europe. Brands such as Heineken, Pilsner Urquell And Peroni, turn out pretty well here; while the quality of a number of other varieties differs significantly from the original. You can check whether beer was brewed in Romania or imported from abroad by looking at the price tag - imported beer is much more expensive. For example, a bottle of Corona costs 12 lei, while Timisoreana, Ursus or Bergenbier will cost no more than 3-4 lei.

Among the strong drinks we can mention ţuica– liqueur with a strength of up to 60%, obtained from plum fruits.

Drinking alcohol in Romania is allowed from the age of 18.

Tipping in Romania

Tipping is not customary in Romania. Perhaps in a high-class restaurant you can leave 5-10% of the bill value.

Romanian cuisine is often criticized for its high calorie content and excessive use of fat and salt. But no one will go hungry, because the taste of the local gastronomy is beyond praise. For centuries, Serbs, Hungarians, and Turks have shared their recipes with Romanians, but many dishes can only be tasted here. What to look for in cafes and restaurants in Romania, what to try first?

Meat dishes are the basis of the Romanian meal

Meat is the basis of everything in Romanian cuisine. Along with vegetables and cheese, it gave rise to many interesting recipes that took root and began to shape Romanian cuisine. Smoked bacon is popular among the locals. As many different regions as there are in Romania, there are as many ways to season bacon. Most often they use garlic, paprika, herbs, and pepper, but the main flavor comes from the smoking process itself. The Romanians' love for smoked foods led to the creation of smoked sausages, another tasty delicacy. Traditionally, they are generously seasoned with sweet and hot paprika, salt, cumin and garlic. As an option - mititei. These sausages are prepared without the casing and served deeply browned and hot.

The thing that Romanian cuisine is criticized for is fatty dishes. For welcome guests, it is customary to prepare pork according to a special recipe: meat, ribs and liver are fried in its own juices. Meatballs are popular. They are seasoned with lots of garlic and traditional herbs (parsley, dill), fried or baked in tomato sauce. This meat dish is served with rice and mashed potatoes.

Popular dishes of Romanian cuisine

At first glance, one of the popular dishes of Romania would not surprise a Russian tourist. This sarmale- an analogue of our cabbage rolls. However, Romanians know much more cooking methods: instead of minced meat, they often take fish, add many herbs, which can vary in each region, and cabbage is often replaced with sorrel and even plantain. Sarmale is usually served with sour cream or hominy.

Soups are also held in high esteem in Romania. The main thing is bean soup, which is prepared differently in every home. In the south, several types of vegetables are always added to it; in regions close to Moldova, the soup is seasoned with dill; in Transylvania, it is made thicker with flour. Meat is taken to taste, including chicken giblets, and vegetables should preferably be young, not fried. Prepared this way, bean soup is a healthy alternative to fatty meat dishes.

Another famous combination of meat and vegetables in Romania is potato goulash with smoked meat. This is a Transylvanian dish in which the smoky flavor of the meat gives the whole goulash an unusual aroma. In the original recipe, potato noodles are added to the dish, which are now often served separately as a side dish.

Another Transylvanian dish is pork soup. What makes it unusual is tarragon, which in combination with meat gives the soup a special taste. A characteristic feature of the dish is a slight sourness, which is achieved with the help of vinegar. Another favorite soup in Romania is tripe soup, to which vegetables and celery roots are added. It is served with sour cream or garlic sauce and vinegar.

Always a great idea on the table - a Peasant dish. This is a large plate on which an assortment of meat, vegetable snacks and cheeses is placed: feta cheese, a spicy smoked cheese called “burduf”, bacon, cracklings, meat balls, a lot of onions and tomatoes.

Eggplant lovers will surely enjoy the Romanian salad, for which this vegetable is grilled, then chopped and mixed with mayonnaise, onions, herbs and garlic.

Romanian desserts and pastries

Romanian housewives skillfully prepare flour products. The meal here ends with rolls, pies, and muffins. Sweet cheese pie has long been considered one of the favorite pies. But local chefs don’t stop at this unusual combination: the pie is sprinkled with powdered sugar for added sweetness. Herbs are sometimes added to cheese or replaced with cottage cheese.

Romania inherited a dessert from the Austro-Hungarian cuisine daddy. It consists of a base with a round hole into which jam is poured, and a ball - it is placed on the base and poured with an analogue of ricotta or sour cream. Tourists like papanash so much that rarely does a meal go without these donuts. Also, those with a sweet tooth should try the cottage cheese casserole alivench- it comes from Moldova and is prepared with the addition of corn grits. Dessert is served with jam or sour cream.

Traditional drinks of Romania

Romania has long-standing winemaking traditions - the first varieties were brought by the French and Greeks, and in the Middle Ages the vineyards were replenished with varieties from Germany. The country has long been considered a major wine producer, although its quality drinks are not as well known. In Romania, not only the famous varieties (Merlot, Pinot Noir), but also the local Graca and Feteasca (white) are popular. Kotnari wines are produced from them. The fame of Cotnari has led to the fact that tourists in Romania are primarily interested in this wine. The drink has a delicate aroma and matures in barrels in a short time - Kotnari acquires the main taste already in bottles.

The most characteristic drink of all Romanian regions is tsuika. This is a local vodka made from apples, plums and pears, and the strongest is made in Transylvania. Tsuika drinks quite easily and has a fruity aroma. Sometimes it is customary to heat the drink and add spices - the tsuika becomes like liqueur.

Romanian alcoholic drinks.

Tsuika is the national drink of Romania. This is plum distillate. It can also be made from pears and apples, but plum is considered the best. May be aged in oak barrels. It is usually distilled once or twice, which results in a cup of varying strengths. Tsuika, strong and aged in oak barrels, is also called Polinka. In Romania, it is customary to heat the tsuica and add spices, the result is something similar to liqueur. The best and strongest tsuika is prepared in Transylvania.

Beer is brewed in Romania.

Well-known brands are: Timişoreana, Stejar, Bergenbier, Silva and the most popular – Ursus. Opinions about the quality of beer are divided, some wrote that it left much to be desired, while others liked it. It's worth trying for yourself.

Romanian wines

Romania is located in an advantageous geographical position, in a continental climate zone with hot summers and not very cold winters. This allows you to grow different varieties of grapes and make good wine. 70 million dal of wine are produced annually. The area of ​​vineyards is about 300 thousand hectares. Most of the wine produced is consumed within Romania, where per capita there is about 20 liters of wine per year. Only 1/10 of the wine produced is exported. This is why Romanian wine is not very well known and popular beyond its borders. The country has a long history of winemaking with many years of practice.

Romania is divided into 8 wine-growing zones, which include 37 regions. Wine regions are located in different climatic conditions, which allows for the cultivation of different types of wine of different varieties. Next I will indicate the most popular regions.

The largest wine-growing region in Romania is located near the city of Focsani. A variety of red and white wines are produced there, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and local varieties: Feteasca Albe, Graca, Tamijoase.

No less famous in Romania is the Tarnave wine region, located in the northwest. Here, in the river valleys of Transylvania, grapes of classical European varieties are grown and, according to old recipes, the world's widely known varieties of dry wines are produced - Muscat Ottonel, Pink Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Rolander (Pinot Gris), Feteasca Albe.

In the southeast of Romania, near the Black Sea, there is the warmest wine-growing region - Murfatlar, covering an area of ​​more than 10 thousand hectares. The following varieties are mainly grown: Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the production of sweet and semi-sweet wines.

Predominantly red grape varieties are grown in the sunny vineyards of Dyalu Mare, located in the valleys on the southern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. Such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir, as well as unique Romanian varieties: Babeasca Neagra, Feteasca Neagra, which make wonderful dry wines.

In the northeast of the country, in the foothills of the Carpathians, the most ancient vineyards of the country are located. They are surrounded by high hills and are therefore well protected from the cold wind. The area of ​​these vineyards is 2 thousand hectares. The oldest winery is considered to be Contar. All Cotnari wines are produced from ancient grape varieties. These are the dry white Francusa, the semi-sweet and sweet white wines of Feteasca Albe, the aromatic Tamijoase Romineasca and the most famous wine, the pearl of Romanian winemaking, Graca de Cotnari.

As you can see, Romania is rich in national alcoholic drinks, especially wine. Unique grape varieties add mystery and unique taste to the wine. It’s probably worth going to Romania and trying it yourself.

The main feature of Romanian cuisine is a wide variety of dishes. Romanian cuisine has been shaped by many cultural influences: the ancient Greeks with whom the Romanians traded, the Romans who gave the country its name, the Saxons who settled in southern Transylvania, and its Slavic and Hungarian neighbors. All these cultures gradually merged into the rather diverse Romanian culinary tradition.

We hope that food tasting is a must-do for you when traveling to another country. - not an exception! It may seem strange that when you come to Romania you will only eat pizza, go to McDonald's or Chinese restaurants simply because you don't know what to try.

Sarmale

I would like to start with Sarmale. Basically, it is minced meat wrapped in cabbage or grape leaves. Pairs well with polenta (water, salt and cornmeal) and sour cream.

Meat dishes

Stewed chicken or pork in addition to vegetables is very popular in restaurants. The hallmark of Romanian cuisine is Mamaliga - a garlic soup made from hot chili peppers and vinegar.

Karnati, a dish made from pork liver and intestines, is also a favorite. Other meat delights are Frigerui (meat skewers), Mititei (grilled meat rolls) and Schnitzel (breaded veal or beef cutlets).

Vegetable dishes

Several options for vegetarians: Giveoch (roasted vegetable salad), deviled eggs, Mamaliga ((bulz de mamaliga cu branza) is polenta mixed with cheese.

Soups

In Romania, there is an opinion that there is no meal without soups. Chicken, beef, vegetable and bean soups are very popular.

Dessert

In Romania, there is a wide selection of pancakes with different fillings. Other famous desserts include Baklava (very sweet flaky pastry), Pandispan (sponge cake), gingerbread, Papanasi (jam donut topped with sour cream) and rice pudding.

Alcohol

And what about without alcoholic drinks? A wide variety of wines can be found in Romania. But the main drink here is Tsuika. It is made from plums, apples or peaches.

Because of the aroma of this drink, Tsuika is often called "rocket fuel".
In traditional restaurants in Romania you can hear Romanian folk music. Music leaves an unforgettable impression!

We hope that our list has piqued your interest in Romanian cuisine. Ask our staff about restaurants to visit and you will have an unforgettable evening! As we say in Romania: Pofta Buna!

Romanian cuisine has been influenced by many countries and their traditions. The Ottoman Empire, as well as Romania's neighbors - Bulgaria, Serbia, Moldova, Germany, Hungary, had a great influence.

It is curious that in Romanian cuisine there are quite a few dishes that are combined under one general term. For example, the category ciorbă includes a wide range of soups with a characteristic sour taste, which are prepared with the addition of a special borsh starter. The Țuică (plum brandy) category is the general name for strong spirits in Romania, while in other countries each flavor has a different name.

In ancient times, the territory of modern Romania was inhabited by Dacians. Winemaking was very developed in Dacia, wine was produced in large quantities. One day Burebista, the king of Dacia, outraged by the abuse of wine by his soldiers, cut down all the grapes and his people refused wine. Legend has it that the Dacian people created their own beer. The basis of the Dacian diet was cheeses, vegetables (lentils, peas, spinach, garlic), fruits (grapes, apples, raspberries) with high nutritional value. From the Romans, the Dacians borrowed porridges from various varieties of millet. As well as the ideal dough with the addition of cheese, which is used to prepare the corresponding baked goods (brânzoaică, pască and alivenci), reminiscent of cottage cheese casseroles, cheesecakes.

For more than four centuries, Wallachia and Moldavia, two medieval Romanian principalities, were heavily influenced by their eastern neighbor, the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman cuisine fundamentally changed Romanian cuisine, introducing many new dishes: snacks made from various vegetables such as eggplants and bell peppers; various meat dishes, such as chiftele (deep-fried meat balls, a variation of kofta) and miti (mici - short sausages without casing, grilled). Various types of ciorbă / borş - sour soups and meat and vegetable stews such as iahnie de fasole (baked beans), ardei umpluți (stuffed peppers) and sarmale (stuffed cabbage). All these dishes appeared and took root under the influence of Turkish cuisine. Romanian tomato salad is a variation of the Turkish çoban salata. There is also a whole range of sweets and confectioneries that combine honey and nuts, such as baclava, halva and rahat. All these desserts are of Turkish origin.

Characteristic Products

Food of plant origin

After the introduction of corn and potatoes to Europe, they became staples of Romanian cuisine. Corn in particular contributed to the improved nutrition and health of the Romanian population in the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to a baby boom and population increase.

Meat and fish

Pork is the main meat used in Romanian cuisine. Beef is also consumed, and in Romania they will not refuse a good lamb or fish dish.

Dairy

Cheese has been known in Romanian cuisine since ancient times. Brynza (Brânză) is the common name for cheese in Romanian. The word comes from the Dacian language.

Most cheeses are made from cow's or sheep's milk. Goat's milk is rarely used. Sheep's cheese is considered a "real cheese", although recently some have refrained from consuming it due to its higher fat content and distinctive smell.

Brynza de burduf is a salty cheese made from sheep's milk and stuffed into the stomach of a sheep. It has a strong flavor and a semi-soft texture.

Brynza topita (Brânză topită) is a common name for all processed cheeses.

Brynza in cosulet (Brānză în coşuleţ) is a salty type of sheep's milk cheese, traditional for Transylvania. It has a strong aroma and a semi-soft texture. To obtain it, sweet Kash (Caş) is cut into small pieces, salted, and then kneaded by hand in a large wooden bowl. Then the mixture is spread with the bark of coniferous trees, due to which the cheese receives the specific aroma of pine resin. The name translates as cheese in a basket.

Kash (Caş) is a semi-soft fresh white cheese, unsalted or slightly salted, stored in brine. It is eaten fresh due to its very short shelf life. It is a seasonal product of Romanian cuisine.

Caşcaval is a semi-hard cheese made from sheep or cow's milk, a traditional Romanian product.

Nasal is a type of cheese with a pungent aroma.

Telemea is a white cheese made from cow's or sheep's milk, vaguely similar to feta. The traditional "Telemea de Ibăneşti" is flavored with nigella seeds, which gives it a unique flavor.

Vurda (Urdă) - prepared by boiling whey obtained from the milk of a cow or sheep. Its closest relative is ricotta.

Spices

The most commonly used spices are basil, savory, thyme, cumin, coriander, cloves, bay leaf, dry dill, parsley, parsnip, rosemary, tarragon, cinnamon, vanilla.

Traditional dishes

Bread

Cornulețe are pastries filled with Turkish sweets, jam, chocolate, brown sugar, walnuts or raisins, made in the shape of a crescent, they are also called Romanian bagels.

Covrigi is a Romanian traditional pastry in the form of pretzels or pretzels, which is a salty bread covered with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or large grains of salt. Govrigi is a popular snack in urban areas of Romania and also serves as a holiday gift in rural areas. The city of Buzau is famous in Romania for its corigs. Although legend has it that Greek merchants brought corigi to Buzau in the 19th century to increase consumption of their wine, their similarity to German pretzels, as well as other Romanian baked goods, suggests a much earlier origin.

Cozunac (Cozonaci) is a traditional Romanian pastry made from yeast dough, which is prepared for Easter. An analogue of our Easter cake.

Brânzoaice are traditional Romanian buns filled with sweet cheese.

Soups

Chorba (ciorbă) is a group of soups prepared on the basis of fermented wheat bran (Borş). The word borsh is also used today as a synonym for chorba, but in the past there was a significant difference between borsh and chorba. The basis for the latter was the juices of unripe fruits, such as grapes, yellow plums or wood sorrel leaves.

• Ciorbă is a traditional Romanian sour soup.
• Ciorbă de burtă - tripe ciorba, seasoned with sour cream.
• Ciorbă de perişoare - soup with meatballs.
• Ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură - ciorba made from beans and smoked meats.
• Ciorbă de legume - bean vegetable soup.
• Ciorbă de peşte “ca-n Deltă” - fish ciorba.
• Ciorbă de praz - leek soup.
• Ciorbă de pui - chicken chorba.
• Ciorbă de lobodă is a light red vegetable soup. Eaten both hot and cold.
• Ciorbă de salată cu afumătură - ciorba from green salad with smoked meats.
• Ciorbă de sfeclă - beet soup, also called Russian borscht (Borş rusesc).
• Ciorbă de urechiuşe - sour wild mushroom soup.
• Ciorbă moldovenească de găină - chicken chorba in Moldavian style.
• Ciorbă ăărănească - peasant soup made from various vegetables and any type of meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish)

Supă is a general name for sweet, clear soups made only from vegetables or in combination with poultry or beef. The difference between soup and chorba is that in the first case, the meat and most of the vegetables are removed, and the broth is filled with noodles or meatballs.

• Supă (de pui) cu găluşte - clear chicken broth with dumplings.
• Supă (de pui) cu tăiţei - clear chicken broth with noodles.

Greek soups (Supe a la grec) are a variant of sour soups that use lemon juice as a dressing.

Main courses

Mămăligă is one of the most common dishes, it is a dish made from cornmeal, a type of polenta, served on its own or as a side dish.

Drob de Miel is a traditional Romanian dish of lamb offal (liver, lungs, spleen, heart, kidneys), with the addition of green onions, herbs (dill, parsley, garlic), eggs (boiled or fresh) and bread soaked in water. or milk. Boiled offal is crushed, mixed with the rest of the ingredients and wrapped in an omentum. Drob is similar to Scottish haggis, with the difference that haggis is boiled in a sheep's stomach and does not have as many herbs added to it as in the Romanian version. This dish is usually prepared for the Easter table.

Carnatsi (Cârnaţi) - smoked garlic pork sausages.

Kaltaboş - liver sausage.

Sangrete (Sângerete) is a black pudding, a sausage made from a mixture of pork blood with fat and meat, with the addition of breadcrumbs, grains and spices.

Chiftele are flat round meatballs from Romanian traditional cuisine. Chiftele is usually made from ground pork, mixed with mashed potatoes and spices, then fried. Chiftele is served with pilaf or mashed potatoes.

Quilama (Ciulama) is a dish that has firmly taken root in Romanian cuisine. However, it has its origins in Turkish cuisine (çullama). It is prepared from meat (especially poultry) or mushrooms in a white sauce, which is made from flour and onions fried in fat.

Frigarui is a Romanian dish consisting of small pieces of meat (usually pork, beef, lamb, mutton or chicken) grilled on a skewer, similar to a kebab. Often the cuts of meat are alternated with bacon, sausages or vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms.

Mititei - Romanian sausages without casing, prepared from minced meat (a mixture of beef, lamb and pork) with spices (garlic, black pepper, thyme, coriander, anise, savory) and with the addition of baking soda and broth. Usually served with French fries, mustard and muraturi (Romanian pickles).

Ostropel is a typical Romanian stew (mostly chicken, but there are options with rabbit, lamb or even vegetarian, without meat) mixed with a thick tomato sauce, with the addition of garlic or onion. A national Romanian dish that has no analogues in other cuisines of the world.

Rasol is a traditional Romanian dish of meat and vegetables that are boiled together. Pork or chicken is usually used as meat; vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) are boiled whole along with the meat. When serving, the meat and vegetables are removed from the broth and eaten with garlic sauce or horseradish.

Pârjoale are Romanian dry meatballs made from pork (sometimes with lamb, beef or chicken) mixed with eggs, garlic, herbs (parsley, dill, thyme), spices and salt. The resulting meatballs are rolled in bread crumbs or flour and fried in hot oil.

Toba is a traditional Romanian meat delicacy originally from Transylvania. It is also called pig's head cheese. It is a wide sausage, about 10 cm in diameter, the pig's stomach is stuffed with pork jelly, liver, ears and meat from the pig's head.

Tochitură is a stew of pork, smoked and fresh sausage, dipped in tomato sauce and served with hominy and wine (“so the pork can float”). There are many variations of this stew in Romania, some variations combining different types of meat, including chicken, lamb, beef, pork and sometimes offal.

Piftie / răcitură - jellied pig offal (mainly tail, legs and ears), seasoned with garlic.

Jumări - heavily fried pieces of pork lard (cracklings), seasoned with various spices.

Saramură is a traditional Romanian dish made from various types of fish that are grilled (sometimes on a bed of salt) and then soaked, sprayed or boiled in brine. Served with vegetables, hominy, polenta. The word Saramură means brine.

Salads and snacks

Snack (Zacuscă) is a popular snack in Romania made from ground vegetables (fried eggplant, fried onions, tomato paste and roasted red pepper (Romanian pepper called gogoshar). Traditionally, the family prepares large quantities of the zakuska after harvest and cans it. It is eaten by spreading it on bread.

Ardei copţi - roasted pepper salad seasoned with vinegar, sunflower or olive oil.

Murături - pickled vegetables.

Castaveti muraţi - pickled small cucumbers.

Gogonele murate - pickled green tomatoes.

Varza murată - cabbage marinated in brine, seasoned with dill stems and beets.

Murături asortate - assorted pickled vegetables: onions, garlic, green tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, celery, parsley roots, cauliflower, apples, quinces, unripe plums, small unripe watermelons, small zucchini and red cabbage. Most often, vegetables are soaked in brine (Turkish version), but there is an option when they are soaked in vinegar (German version).

Salata boeuf (Salată boeuf) is a salad of minced meat with boiled vegetables, seasoned with mayonnaise and mustard.

Salata de vinete - an appetizer of fried and peeled eggplants, with onions and salt, seasoned with oil or mayonnaise.

Oriental salad (Salată orientală) - potato salad with eggs, onions and olives.

Salata de sfeclă - beet salad.

Salata de roşii - salad of tomatoes with onions, bell peppers and cucumbers, with the addition of dill or parsley.

Mujdei is a sauce made from crushed garlic. Served with meat and fish dishes.

Dessert

Clătite are thin Romanian pancakes that can be made with savory or sweet fillings: minced meat, cheese or jam.

Amandine is a Romanian chocolate cake, one of the most traditional in Romanian cuisine. Like most Romanian cakes, it can be sliced ​​and served as single-serve miniature cakes or as a large cake. The original recipe calls for layers made from egg dough with the addition of cocoa, rum and caramel syrup and soaked in caramel and rum syrup. The cream between the layers is a combination of chocolate buttercream mixed with fudge. The cake is assembled in the following order: cake, cream, cake, cream, cake, glaze. The frosting is a combination of fondant with chocolate and rum that is poured over the last layer while still liquid. The top is decorated with a small amount of cream and a piece of fine chocolate.

Coliva (Colivă) - boiled wheat mixed with sugar and walnuts (often decorated with candies and sugar icing), similar to our sochiva, served at funerals and memorial ceremonies.

Gogosi are Romanian sweet pastries similar to donuts. They are small balls of dough with sweet fillings, deep fried. It is believed that the Gogoshi came from ancient times, when Romania was a province of the Roman Empire. They most likely originated from aliter dulcia (sweet dough balls), a dish included in the collection of Roman recipes by Apicius.

Grish cu lapte (Griş cu lapte) is a pudding made from semolina boiled in milk or a mixture of milk and water with added sugar. You can add jam, candied fruits, cinnamon and raisins. Serve warm or cold.

Bird's milk (Lapte de pasăre) – vanilla custard topped with “floating islands” of whipped egg whites

Martyrs / little saints (Mucenici / sfinţişori) are sweet pastries in the shape of an “8”, made from boiled or baked dough, decorated with walnuts, sugar or honey. This pastry is prepared once a year on the traditional Romanian Christian holiday of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, which is celebrated on March 9 (March 22 according to the Julian calendar). In the areas of Muntenia and Northern Dobruja, the dough is boiled in water with sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts, symbolizing the lake into which the martyrs were thrown.

Pandișpan - sponge cake.

Papanashi (Papanași) are a kind of donuts made from a mixture of sweet cheese, eggs and semolina, which are boiled or fried and served with fruit syrup or jam with sour cream. The word papanaşi is believed to come from the Latin papa, meaning "food for children".

Plăcintă is a Romanian traditional pastry resembling a thin round pie, usually filled with soft cheese such as Urdă or apples. The word plăcintă comes from the Latin placenta, meaning pie, and the Greek plakount, flat pie. As can be seen from the etymology of the word, placinda is of Roman origin and dates from the time when Romania was part of the Roman Empire. Ancient Greek bakers made their bread with olive oil, herbs and cheese. The secret of making pies became known to the Romans after the conquest of these places. At first there were only two varieties of pies: libum and placenta. Libum is a small cake that was used as an offering to the gods. As for the placenta, the Romans developed a recipe for a cake made from flour with cheese, honey and bay leaves. Ancient Roman bakers typically prepared a large placenta, which they cut into squares for sale. Romanians continue to prepare placinda using these recipes. Traditionally, the following fillings are now used: cheese with raisins, apples, telemea cheese, potatoes, sweet vurda cheese with dill or raisins, chocolate.

Cookie salami (Salam din biscuiţi) is a sweet sausage made from cookies, chocolate, Turkish sweets and rum.

Savarine is the French equivalent of baba.

Charlotte (Şarlotă) is a sweet pie made from milk, eggs, sugar, whipped cream, gelatin and fruit.

Tort Joffre is a cake invented at the Casa Capşa restaurant in Bucharest.

Turta dulce - gingerbread cookies.

Prajituri - assorted cakes.

Beverages

Coffee (Cafea) - mainly Turkish coffee.

Tea (Ceai) - mainly prepared in the form of various herbal infusions (chamomile, mint, bluebell, etc.) Romanians call ordinary black tea Russian tea (ceai rusesc), served during breakfast.

Syrup made from syrup made from spruce, pine, sea buckthorn, blueberry, raspberry or strawberry, with various types of honey or sugar

Socată - a soft drink made from fermented sunflower (Sambucus nigra)

Alcohol

Wine (Vin) is one of the favorite drinks in Romania, and Romanian wine has more than three thousand years of history and tradition. Romania is currently the world's ninth largest wine producer and is seeing a growing export market. The Romanian wine line includes a large number of local varieties: Fetească, Grasă, Tămâioasă, Busuioacă and Băbească, as well as varieties from around the world: Italian Riesling, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Muscat Ottonel.

Must is grape juice in the fermentation process that has not yet become wine.

Pelin de mai is a type of wine usually made in the spring with the addition of dried wormwood.

Beer (Bere) is also very highly regarded. Particularly popular is light beer, which is produced using German brewing technologies. There are also Romanian breweries with a long tradition. The National Beer Association arose during the War of Independence in 1877, after which beer pubs spread throughout the Romanian kingdom. Beer pubs (berării) became social and business meeting places for the Romanian urban middle class. Romanians are currently among the world's heaviest beer drinkers, with annual consumption of over 100 liters per capita in 2007. Romanian legislation treats beer and wine as food products, so they are not subject to the tariffs and restrictions imposed on alcoholic beverages.

Ţuică - plum brandy. According to FAOSTAT data from 2009, Romania is the second largest producer of plums in the world (after the United States). Up to 75% of Romania's plum harvest goes into the production of the famous plum brandy. In essence, tsuika is moonshine prepared using traditional methods both for private consumption and for sale. Although its production was considered illegal in the past, the government allowed its sale due to the traditional nature of the drink. Basically, tsuika is sold at markets and fairs, as well as on roadsides, bottled without labeling. Some have received production licenses and are producing it legally.

The general term "Tsuika" includes plum cognacs (jinars, horincă, cocârţ, tura) and other fruit cognacs. A special nomenclature was created for tsuika, including varieties such as old, selected, excellent, etc.

A simple classification of tsuika types:

• Ţuică is a general term for an alcoholic beverage distilled from fruit.
• Pălincă is a double distilled plum brandy (produced in Transylvania).
• Horincă is a double distilled plum or apple brandy (produced in the northern part of the country, the Maramures region).
• Fatsata (Făţată) - the strongest type, double distillation (similar to horincă and pălincă).
• Frunte is the very first liquid that comes out during the distillation process; has a unique taste and a strength different from other types.
• A well-known type is “Čuică cu fruct”. This is a glass drink bottle containing a whole fruit (usually an apple or pear) inside the bottle. It is made by hanging an empty bottle on a tree in spring or early summer and growing fruit inside the bottle.
• Sliboviţă - plum brandy (produced in the Banat region).
• Turţ is a strong plum brandy named after the village of Turţ in northwestern Romania.

Rachiu de tescovină is a cognac made from grapes used in wine production, very similar to Italian grappa.

Sekarika (Secărică) is a real vodka with a fruity aroma, similar to the German kümmel.

Afinata - blueberry liqueur.

Vişinată is a sour cherry liqueur.

Zmeurată - raspberry liqueur.

Serving and etiquette

In Romania, there is still a tradition of sacrificing a pig on December 20 (Ignat's Day), the day before Christmas. Immediately after the sacrifice, Pomana porcului (roast pork cut into pieces) is prepared to thank the relatives and friends who participated and helped in the sacrifice process. The slaughtered pig is used to prepare Christmas dishes such as tochitura, toba, pork sausages and other dishes. Also, the traditional sweet bread cozonac, made from nuts, poppy seeds or turkish, is always served at the Christmas table.

Lamb is usually cooked for Easter. Main courses: lamb soup borș de miel, roast lamb and lamb drob de miel (traditional Romanian offal dish: heart, liver, lungs), lamb meat and spring onion with spices, rolled into a cone and fried. The traditional Easter pie is pasca, a yeast dough pie filled with sweet cottage cheese.

Recipes

Mamaliga (Mămăligă) is a national dish of Romanian cuisine. Made from corn flour. Often used as a bread substitute. Ingredients - Mamalyga: corn flour - 200 g, salt - 1/2 teaspoon, water - 750 ml, sunflower oil - 1 tbsp. spoon. Recipe - Mamalyga: In a non-stick pan...