Romanian cuisine


Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been influenced mainly by Ottoman and Turkish cuisine but also a series of European cuisines in particular from the Balkan Peninsula, Greek cuisine and Hungarian cuisine as well as culinary elements stemming from the cuisines of Central Europe.
Romanian cuisine includes numerous holiday dishes arranged according to the mentioned season and holiday since the country has its religious roots in Eastern Orthodoxy. Romanian dishes consist of vegetables, cereals, fruits, honey, milk, dairy products, meat and game.
Various kinds of dishes are available, which are sometimes included under a generic term; for example, the category ciorbă includes a wide range of soups with a characteristic sour taste. Variations include meat and vegetable soup, tripe and calf foot soup, or fish soup, all of which are soured by lemon juice, sauerkraut juice, vinegar, or borș. The category țuică is a name for a strong alcoholic spirit in Romania.
With the cuisine of Romania being shared by another country, namely Moldova, there are similarities between the cuisines of the two Romanian-speaking countries.

History

In the history of Romanian culinary literature, Costache Negruzzi and Mihail Kogălniceanu were the compilers of a cookbook 200 Proven Recipes for Dishes, Pastries and Other Household Works, printed in 1841. Also, Negruzzi writes in "Alexandru Lăpușneanu", "In Moldavia, at this time, fine food wasn't fashioned. The greatest feast only offered a few types of dishes. After the borș, Greek dishes would follow, boiled with herbs floating in butter, and finally cosmopolitan steaks".
Cheese has been a part of Romanian cuisine since the beginning of its history. Brânză is the generic term for cheese in Romanian.
Maize and potatoes became staples of Romanian cuisine after their introduction to Europe. Maize, in particular, contributed to health and nutrition improvements of Romanians in the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in a population boom.
For about three centuries, Wallachia and Moldavia, two of the three medieval Romanian principalities, were mildly influenced by their various neighbors, like the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman cuisine changed the Romanian table with appetizers made from various vegetables, such as eggplant and bell peppers, as well as various meat preparations, such as chiftele. The various kinds of ciorbă and meat-and-vegetable stews, such as iahnie de fasole, ardei umpluți, and sarmale are influenced by Turkish cuisine.

Description

Romanian recipes bear the same influences as the rest of Romanian culture. The Turks brought meatballs, from the Greeks there is musaca, from the Austrians there is the șnițel, and the list continues. The Romanians share many foods with the Balkan area and former Austria-Hungary. Some others are original or can be traced to the Romans, as well as other ancient civilizations. The lack of written sources in Eastern Europe makes it impossible to determine today the exact origin for most of them.
One of the most common meals is the mămăligă, served on its own or as an accompaniment. Pork is the main meat used in Romanian cuisine, but beef is also consumed, along with mutton and fish.
Before Christmas, on December 20, a pig is traditionally slaughtered by every rural family. A variety of foods for Christmas are prepared from the slaughtered pig, such as:Cârnați – garlicky pork sausages, which may be smoked or dry-cured;Lebăr – an emulsified sausage based on liver with the consistency of the filling ranging from fine to coarse;Sângerete – an emulsified sausage obtained from a mixture of pig's blood with fat and meat, breadcrumbs or other grains, and spices;Tobă – based on pig's feet, ears, and meat from the head suspended in aspic and stuffed in the pig's stomach;Tochitură – a stew made with pork, smoked and fresh sausage simmered in a tomato sauce and served with mămăligă and wine. There are many variations of this stew throughout Romania, with some versions combining different meats, including chicken, lamb, beef, pork and sometimes even offal;Pomana porcului—pan-fried cubed pork served right after the pig's sacrifice to thank the relatives and friends who helped with the process;Piftie/răcitură – inferior parts of the pig, mainly the tail, feet, and ears, spiced with garlic and served in aspic;Jumări – dried pork remaining from rendering of the fat and tumbled through various spices
The Christmas meal is sweetened with the traditional cozonac, a sweet bread made with nuts, poppy seeds, or rahat.
At Easter, lamb is served: the main dishes are borș de miel, roast lamb, and drob de miel – a Romanian dish similar to haggis made from minced offal, lamb meat and spring onions with spices, wrapped in a caul and roasted. The traditional Easter cake is pască, a pie made from yeast dough with a sweet cottage cheese filling at the center.
Romanian pancakes, called clătite, are thin and can be prepared with savory or sweet fillings: ground meat, cheese, or jam. Different recipes are prepared depending on the season or the occasion.
Wine is the preferred drink, and Romanian wine has a tradition of over three millennia. Romania is currently the world's ninth largest wine producer, and recently the export market has started to grow. Romania produces a wide selection of domestic varieties, as well as varieties from across the world. Beer is also highly regarded, generally blonde pilsener beer, made with German influences. There are also Romanian breweries with a long tradition.
According to the 2009 data of FAOSTAT, Romania is the world's second largest plum producer, and as much as 75% of Romania's plum production is processed into the famous țuică, a plum brandy obtained through one or more distillation steps.

Vegetarianism and veganism

Followers of the Romanian Orthodox Church fast during several periods throughout the ecclesiastical calendar amounting to a majority of the year. In the Romanian Orthodox tradition, devotees keep to a diet without any animal products during these times. As a result, vegan foods are abundant in stores and restaurants; however, Romanians may not be familiar with a vegan or vegetarian diet as a full-time lifestyle choice. Many recipes below have vegan versions, and the vegetables section below contains many common fasting foods.

List of dishes

Soups

Borș is fermented wheat bran, a souring agent for ciorbă. Borș is also used today as a synonym for ciorbă, but in the past, a distinction was made between borș and ciorbă, the souring agent for the latter being the juice of unripe fruits, such as grapes, mirabelle, or wood sorrel leaves.
  • * Borș de burechiușeCiorbă is the traditional Romanian sour soup
  • * Ciorbă de burtă, with sour cream, egg yolks, garlic and soured with vinegar
  • * Ciorbă de perișoare
  • * Ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură
  • * Ciorbă de legume
  • * Ciorbă de pește "ca-n Deltă"
  • * Ciorbă de praz is a leek soup
  • * Ciorbă de pui is a chicken soup
  • * Ciorbă de lobodă is a red orach soup
  • * Ciorbă de salată cu afumătură with sour milk
  • * Ciorbă de sfeclă, also called borș de sfeclă or borș rusesc
  • * Ciorbă de urechiușe, wild mushroom sour soup
  • * Ciorbă moldovenească de găină is a hen sour soup
  • * Ciorbă țărănească, made from a variety of vegetables and any kind of meat
  • * Storceag, fish soup with sour cream and egg, soured with vinegar or lemon juice.Supă. The difference between supă and ciorbă is that the meat and most of the vegetables are removed, the resulting liquid being served with dumplings or noodles. There are also a number of sour soups which use lemon juice as a souring agent, called supe a la grec.
  • * Supă (de pui) cu găluște
  • * ''Supă (de pui) cu tăiței''

Meat

Caltaboș / chișcă - a cooked sausage made from minced pork organs mainly liver, rice, onions, herbs and spices, stuffed in a pig's bowel casingCârnați - a garlicky sausage, mostly smoked, stuffed in clean, blanched small bowel as in Fasole cu cârnațiCevapcici - grilled dish of minced meat eaten in areas populated by Serbian minority, mostly in the Romanian part of BanatChiftele - a type of small meatball made of ground pork, beef, lamb mixed with breadcrumbs and egg, onions, garlic and parsley.
  • * Ciulama de vițel - veal ciulama white thick flour and sour cream sauce
  • * Ciulama de pui - chicken ciulamaDrob de miel - a lamb haggis made from minced organs wrapped in a caul and roasted like a meatloaf; a traditional Easter dish, usually with encased boiled eggsFrigărui - Romanian-style shish-kebab, made with pork or a mixture of ground pork and chicken, similar to the Iranian kubideh, but with different herbs and spices. - cow tongue with olivesMititei - grilled minced meat rolls, traditionally made from lamb meat, or from mixed meats with lots of spices Grătar - grilled pork/beef, thinly sliced with condimentsMusaca - an eggplant, potato, and meat pieOstropel - method of cooking chicken or duck or any meat. It is a slow-cooked fried meat in tomato sauce.Papricaș - Chicken paprikash made with bell pepper and paprika, originating from HungaryGulaș - Goulash, a stew made with potato and beef, originating from HungaryJumări - kind of pork cracklings, with fat thermally extracted from the lardPastrami - a food originating from Romania usually made from beef brisket, or from lamb, pork, chicken or turkey. The raw meat is brined, partially dried, seasoned with herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed. Like corned beef, pastrami was originally created as a way to preserve meat before the invention of refrigeration.Pârjoale - a type of meatball bigger than chiftele, originating in Moldova, with breadcrumbs and parsleyPiftie - the preparation of this dish is similar to the French demi-glace. Pork stock is reduced by simmering, which is placed in containers, and spiced with garlic and sweet paprika powder. The boiled pork meat is then added, and left to cool. The cooled liquid has a gelatinous consistency, salty, garlicky and peppery. It is eaten cold.Plescavița - hamburger type meat consisted of spiced minced pork, beef and lamb meat, originating from Serbia
  • Pleșcoi sausages - registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European UnionRasol - slowly stewed beef at low fire, usually served with a garlic paste Salam de Sibiu - a variety of salami registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European UnionSarmale - stuffed sour cabbage or grape leaves with ground meat with rice, onions, herbs. It is boiled for a few hours traditionally in ceramic pots. In Transylvania smoked pig feet or pork skins are placed in the pot between the stuffed cabbages. There are also many vegan varieties stuffed with rice and herbs.Slănină - pork fat, often smoked with paprika, herbs and pepperShawarma - locally known as șaormă, it is one of the most popular street foods in the country.Șnițel - a chicken, pork, veal, or beef breaded cutlet
  • * Cordon bleu șnițel - breaded pork tenderloin stuffed with ham and cheese
  • * Mozaic șnițel - a specialty of Western Romania, which is two thin layers of different meats with a mushroom filling. Other vegetable fillings may be used instead of mushrooms.
  • * Șnițel de pui - breaded chicken breast cutletStufat - lamb, onion, and garlic stewTobă - pork sausage Tocană/tocaniță - meat stewTocăniță vânătorească - venison stewTochitură - pan-fried cubed pork, fresh salty cheese, fried eggs, sausages served with mămăligă and wineVarză călită - fried or sauteed cabbage with pork ribs, duck, or sausagesVirșli - a type of sausage made from a mixture of goat or lamb with pork

Fish

Chiftele de pește - fish meatballsCrap pane - breaded carp filletGhiveci cu pește - fish stew with vegetablesMacrou afumat - smoked mackerel filletNovac afumat din Țara Bârsei - smoked carp fillet, registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European UnionPană de somn rasol - catfish in brine with garlicPlachie din pește - ragout of river fish with vegetablesPapricaș de pește - fish papricașSalată de icre - roe salad, traditionally made from carp, pike, or various marine fish species, called tarama, with onion
  • * Salată cu icre de știucă de Tulcea - a variety of salată de icre registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European Union
  • * Salata tradițională cu icre de crap - another variety of salată de icre registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European UnionSaramură de crap - carp in brineScrumbie de Dunăre afumată - smoked pontic shad, registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European Union

Vegetables

Ardei umpluți - stuffed bell peppers with meat, rice, onionsDovlecei umpluți - stuffed zucchiniGulii umplute - stuffed kohlrabiGăluște - boiled dumplings; similar to knedle or knödel in Central European cuisinesVinete umplute - stuffed eggplantSarmale - stuffed cabbage rolls, also made from grape or dock leaves similar to DolmaGhiveci - a vegetable stew similar to the Bulgarian gjuvec and the Hungarian lecsóGhiveci călugăresc - vegetable stew prepared by the nuns in the monasteriesFasole batută - bean paste made from Romanian refried beans, uses white or cannellini beans, with the addition of olive or sunflower oil and minced garlic. The dish is traditionally served with fried onions as a garnish.Mămăligă - cornmeal mush, also known as Romanian-style polenta. Mămăligă can be served as a side dish or form the basis of further dishes, such as mămăligă cu lapte, bulz, mămăliguță cu brânză și smântănă, and others.Mâncare de mazăre - pea stewMâncare de praz - leek stewPilaf - a dish of rice, vegetables, and pieces of meat. The meat is usually the offal, wings, and organs of chicken, pork, or lamb. The cooking method is very similar to risotto.Chifteluțe de ciuperci - chiftele made from mushrooms instead of meatȘnițel de ciuperci - mushroom fritter Tocană de ciuperci - mushroom stew made with fried mushrooms, garlic and dill Tocăniță de gălbiori - chanterelle stewZacuscă - vegetable spread consisting of roasted eggplant, sauteed onions, tomato paste, and roasted red peppers cooked for a long time at a low temperature

List of salads

Ardei copți - roasted pepper salad, with vinegar and sunflowerMurături - method of pickling different fruits and vegetables

List of cheeses

The generic name for cheese in Romania is brânză, and it is considered to be of Dacian origin. Most of the cheeses are made from cow's or sheep's milk. Goat's milk is rarely used. Sheep cheese is considered "the real cheese", although in modern times, some people refrain from consuming it due to its higher fat content and specific smell.Brânză de burduf is a kneaded cheese prepared from sheep's milk and traditionally stuffed into a sheep's stomach; it has a strong taste and semi-soft textureBrânză topită is a melted cheese and a generic name for processed cheese, industrial productBrânză în coșuleț is a sheep's milk, kneaded cheese with a strong taste and semi-soft texture, stuffed into bellows of fir tree bark instead of pig bladder, very lightly smoked, traditional productCaș is a semi-soft fresh white cheese, unsalted or lightly salted, stored in brine, which is eaten fresh, traditional, seasonal productCașcaval is a semi-hard cheese made from sheep's or cow's milk, traditional product. The Cașcaval de Săveni is a type of cașcaval published as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European Union.
  • * Penteleu, a type of cașcaval, traditional productNăsal cheese is a type of cheese with a pungent aroma, traditional productȘvaițer, industrial product Telemea, cow's or sheep's milk white cheese, vaguely similar to feta. The traditional "Telemea de Ibănești" is a type of telemea registered as a Romanian protected designation of origin product in the European Union, while the "Telemea de Sibiu" is registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European Union. Notably the "Telemea de Covurlui" is spiced with Nigella damascena seeds, which gives it a unique flavor.Urdă - made by boiling the whey drained from cow's or ewe's milk until the remaining proteins precipitate and can be collected, traditional product
  • Zămătișe - a type of cottage cheese.

List of desserts

List of pastries

Cornuri - bread roll that is rolled and formed into a crescentCornulețe - pastries filled jam, chocolate, cinnamon sugar, walnuts, or raisins, with the shape representing a crescentCovrig - circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seedsCovrigi - pretzelCozonac - a kind of Stollen made from leavened dough, into which milk, eggs, sugar, butter, and other ingredients are mixed together before bakingPogace - corn cake baked in the oven; wheat flour dough cake, usually made with pork gizzards or cheesePlăcintă - traditional pastry
  • * Plăcintă dobrogeană - a type of plăcintă registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication product in the European Union
  • * Burec - it is a three-cornered filo pie composed of thin sheets and filled with either walnuts, crushed almonds, cheese or minced meatPrăjituri - assorted pastries

List of drinks

Afinată - a liqueur made from afine, which are similar to the North American blueberry.Ayran - cold savory yogurt-based beverage that is consumed mostly in DobrogeaBere - locally produced beer brands from local breweries and craft beersCafea - Turkish coffee prepared in a cezve using very finely ground coffee beans without filteringCeai - prepared in the form of either various plant tisanes or common black tea, called ceai rusesc in Romanian, which is Russian tea usually served during breakfast.Chefir - fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture.Horincă is a plum or apple brandy, produced in the northern part of the country Must - the grape juice in the fermentation process that hasn't become wine yet.Pălincă is a strong, double-distilled fruit brandy produced in TransylvaniaPelin de mai is a wine specialty, usually produced in the spring, flavored with Artemisia dried plantsRachiu/Rachie is a fruit brandy. Generic "răchiu" can be made from any fruit, "țuică" is reserved exclusively for the variety of brandy made from plums.Rachiu de tescovină is a pomace brandy produced from grapes that have been used in wine production, very similar to the Italian grappaRachia de Banat is a fermented and distilled fruit brandy, produced in Banat.Sana is a kind of a drinkable yogurtSecărică is a caraway fruit-flavored vodka, similar to the German kümmelSirop - prepared with syrup made from fir tree, pine, buckthorn, blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry, with different types of honey or sugarSocată is a non-alcoholic beverage made from fermented elderflower Șliboviță is a plum brandy, produced in the Banat region.Turț is a strong, double-distilled plum brandy, named after the village of Turț in northwestern RomaniaȚuică is a plum brandyVinVișinată is a sour cherry liqueurVodcăZmeurată is a raspberry liqueur