Romani cuisine is the cuisine of the ethnic Romani people. There is no specific "Roma cuisine"; it varies and is culinarily influenced by the respective countries where they have often lived for centuries. Hence, it is influenced by
European cuisine
European cuisine comprises the cuisines of Europe "European Cuisine."Indian subcontinent. Their cookery incorporates Indian and South Asian influences, but is also very similar to
Hungarian cuisine
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products. ...
. The many cultures that the Roma contacted are reflected in their cooking, resulting in many different cuisines. Some of these cultures are Middle European, Germany, Great Britain, and Spain. The cuisine of
Muslim Romani people
Xoraxane Roma in Balkan Romani language, are non-Vlax Romani people, who adopted Sunni Islam of Hanafi madhab at the time of the Ottoman Empire. Some of them are Derviş of Sufism belief, and the biggest Tariqa of Jerrahi is located at the l ...
Romani dishes are usually made hot and spicy with the use of spices, such as
paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
and
bell pepper
The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...
s. Potatoes are also a staple in their diet. A traditional Romani dessert is ''pirogo'', which is similiar to Jewish
kugel
Kugel ( yi, קוגל , pronounced ) is a baked casserole, most commonly made from lokshen or Jewish egg noodles ( ) or potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. American Jews also serve it ...
. The recipe consists of eggs, raisins, walnuts, pineapple, sugar, butter, egg noodles and cottage cheese.The American Ethnic Cookbook for Students - Page 132 /ref> Another traditional dish cooked by Romani people is '' sarma'', ''salmaia'' or ''sodmay'', which is made from
cabbage
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...
stuffed with meat and rice.Memories of a Gypsy - Page 17 /ref> Romani people consume dishes consisting of stuffed peppers, especially on holidays and special occasions. Romani people also cook ''pufe'' (made from fried flour), ''xaritsa'' (fried cornbread), ''bogacha'' (baked bread) and ''xaimoko'' (a meal consisting of rabbit meat). They serve their meals with ''kafa'' (coffee) and ''chao'' (tea) with sugar and milk or fruits such as strawberries, peach slices, apple slices, or lemon. The Roma believe some foods are auspicious and give luck (baxt). American Roma believe red pepper, black pepper, salt, vinegar, garlic, onions and a sacrificed animal such a lamb to be lucky foods. In
Maribor
Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...
, Slovenia, there is a Romani restaurant called Romani Kafenava. Some itinerant European Romani people cook hedgehog stew. Game animals and birds such as rabbits, hares, quails and partridge are consumed by the Roma. Snails are also consumed. Snail soup and pig stomach are Romani delicacies. Bread form an essential part of any meal. Romani food is cooked outdoors in cauldrons atop a wooden flame. Romani cuisine is also, often of necessity, inexpensive and cheap to prepare and uses portable ingredients. Thus, beef and pork are rare inclusions, while chicken and lamb and goat or wild birds and game are the preferred proteins by the Roma. Potato, peppers, cabbage and rice are often the building blocks in Romani cuisine. Rabbit stew is made with rabbit meat, innards, bacon and onions. The Roma consume roasted apples, almond cakes, clay-baked hedgehog and trout, snails in broth, and fig cakes as a snack. Baked hedgehog is flavored with garlic. Horse meat is forbidden. The Roma tend to not eat at restaurants and avoid food prepared by non-Roma.
List of Romani dishes
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Almond cake
An almond biscuit, or almond cookie, is a type of biscuit that is made with almonds. They are a common biscuit in many different cuisines and take many forms.
Types of almond biscuits include almond macaroons, Spanish ''almendrados'', qurabiya (a ...
*
Fig cake
Fig cake (Greek: ''sikopita'') is a cake prepared with fig as a primary ingredient. Some preparation variations exist. It is a part of the cuisine of the Southern United States, Greek cuisine, and the Appalachian Mountains region of North Ameri ...
Olla Gitana
Andalusian cuisine is the cuisine of Andalusia, Spain. Notable dishes include gazpacho, fried fish (often called ''pescaíto frito'' in the local vernacular), the jamones of Jabugo, Valle de los Pedroches and Trevélez, and the wines of Jerez, p ...
Cabbage roll
A cabbage roll is a dish consisting of cooked cabbage leaves wrapped around a variety of fillings. It is common to the cuisines of Central, Northern, Eastern and Southeastern Europe and much of Western Asia, Northern China, as well as parts ...
* Saviako
* Gushvada (cheese strudel)
* Schnitzel
* Snail soup
* Shak te mas (meat and cabbage)
* Joe Grey