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 mainly influenced by Turkish and a series of European cuisines in particular from the Balkans, or 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 roots in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Romanian dishes consist of vegetables, cereals, fruits, honey, milk, dairy products, meat and game.

Multiple different types 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 ('' ciorbă de burtă'') and calf foot soup, or fish soup, all of which are soured by lemon juice, sauerkraut juice (), vinegar, or '' borș'' (traditionally made from bran). The category '' țuică'' (plum brandy) is a name for a strong alcoholic spirit in Romania.

History

In the history of Romanian culinary literature, Costache Negruzzi and Mihail Kogălniceanu were the compilers of a cookbook "200 rețete cercate de bucate, prăjituri și alte trebi gospodărești" (200 tried recipes for dishes, pastries and other household things) 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 ancient history. ''Brânză'' is the generic term for cheese in Romanian; it is originally a Dacian word. Traditional Dacian cuisine included vegetables (lentils, peas, spinach, garlic) and fruits (grapes, apples, raspberries) with high nutritional values. The Dacians produced wine in massive quantities. Burebista, a Dacian king, angered by the wine abuse of his warriors, cut down the vines. As such, his people gave up drinking wine.Strabo, ''Geography'', VII:3.11
Romans helped introduce different pastries made with cheese, including ''alivenci'', '' pască'', or ''brânzoaice''. They also introduced different variations of millet porridge.

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, the two 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'' (deep-fried meatballs, a variation of kofta). The various kinds of ''ciorbă'' and meat-and-vegetable stews, such as ''iahnie de fasole'' (beans), '' ardei umpluți'' (stuffed peppers), and '' sarmale'' (stuffed cabbage) are influenced by Turkish cuisine. The Romanian tomato salad is a variation of the Turkish '' çoban salata''.

Description

Romanian recipes bear the same influences as the rest of Romanian culture. The Turks brought meatballs ('' perișoare'' in a meatball soup), 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'', the precursor of polenta, served on its own or as an accompaniment. Pork is the main meat used in Romanian cuisine, but also beef is consumed and a good lamb or fish dish is never to be refused.

Before Christmas, on December 20 (Ignat's Day or ''Ignatul'' in Romanian), a pig is traditionally sacrificed 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 (''pâté'') to coarse;
* '' Sângerete'' ( black pudding) – an emulsified sausage obtained from a mixture of pig's blood with fat and meat, breadcrumbs or other grains, and spices;
* ''Tobă'' (head cheese) – 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 ("so that the pork can swim"). 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'' (Turkish delight).

At Easter, lamb is served: the main dishes are ''borș de miel'' (lamb sour soup), roast lamb, and ''drob de miel'' – a Romanian-style lamb haggis made from minced offal (heart, liver, lungs), 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 (like the French crêpe) 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.Educations.com/Study in Romania
/ref> 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 ( Fetească, Grasă, Tămâioasă, Busuioacă, and Băbească), as well as varieties from across the world ( Italian Riesling, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Muscat Ottonel). 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 (after the United States), 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 keep 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'' (''acritură''), the souring agent for the latter being the juice of unripe fruits, such as grapes, mirabelle, or wood sorrel leaves.
** '' Borș de burechiușe''
* ''Ciorbă'' is the traditional Romanian sour soup
** '' Ciorbă de burtă'' (tripe soup), with sour cream, egg yolks, garlic and soured with vinegar
** '' Ciorbă de perișoare'' ( meatball soup)
** ''Ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură'' ( bean and smoked meat soup)
** ''Ciorbă de legume'' (vegetable soup)
** ''Ciorbă de pește „ca-n Deltă”'' (fish soup prepared in the style of the Danube Delta) traditionally water directly from the Danube River is used
** '' 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'' (green lettuce and smoked meat soup) with sour milk
** '' Ciorbă de sfeclă'', also called ''Borș de sfeclă'' or ''Borș rusesc'' (similar to Borscht)
** '' Ciorbă de urechiușe'', wild mushroom sour soup
** '' Ciorbă moldovenească de găină'' is a hen sour soup
** ''Ciorbă țărănească'' (peasant soup), made from a variety of vegetables and any kind of meat (beef, pork, mutton, chicken, fish)
** ''Storceag'', fish soup with sour cream and egg, soured with vinegar or lemon juice.
* '' Supă'' (generic name for sweet (usually clear) soups, made from vegetables alone or combined with poultry and beef). The difference between ''Supă'' and ''Ciorbă'' is that the meat and most of the vegetables are removed, the resulted 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'' (Greek soups).
** '' Supă (de pui) cu găluște'' (clear dumpling soup with chicken broth)
** '' Supă (de pui) cu tăiței'' (clear noodle soup with chicken broth)

Meat

* ''Caltaboș / chișcă'' - a cooked sausage made from minced pork organs and rice, onions, herbs (like dill) and spices, stuffed in a pig's casing
* ''Cârnați'' - a garlicky sausage, mostly smoked, as in '' Fasole cu cârnați''
* '' Chiftele'' - a type of small meatball covered with breadcrumbs or a flour crust
** ''Ciulama de vițel'' - veal ciulama
** ''Ciulama de pui'' - chicken ciulama
* ''Drob de miel'' - a lamb haggis made from minced organs wrapped in a caul and roasted like a meatloaf; a traditional Easter dish
* ''Frigărui'' - Romanian-style shish-kebab
* '' Limbă cu măsline'' - cow tongue with olives
* '' Mititei'' (mici) - grilled minced meat rolls, traditionally made from lamb meat, but usually is found from mixed meats (pork, veal, lamb) with lots of spices (garlic, thime, pepper, paprika etc)
* '' Grătar'' (usually made together with "mici") - grilled pork/beef with condiments
* '' Musaca'' - an eggplant, potato, and meat pie
* '' Ostropel'' - 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
* '' Gulaș'' - Goulash, a stew made with potato and beef
* '' Pârjoale'' - a type of meatball bigger than chiftele originally from the Moldova region
* '' Piftie'' - 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.
* Pleșcoi sausages - registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication (PGI) product in the European UnionCârnații de Pleșcoi, al șaselea produs românesc recunoscut și protejat în UE
/ref>
* '' Rasol''
* '' Salam de Sibiu'' - a variety of salami registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication (PGI) product in the European Union
* '' Sarmale'' - minced meat with rice, onions, erbs, wrapped in either pickled cabbage leaves or vine leaves and boiled for a few hours in water with tomato paste. There are also many vegan varieties.
* '' Slănină'' - pork fat, often smoked with paprika, erbs and pepper
* '' Shawarma'' - locally known as ''Șaormă,'' it is one of the most popular street foods in the country
* '' Șnițel'' - a pork, veal, or beef breaded cutlet (a variety of Viennese '' schnitzel'')
** ''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 cutlet
* '' Stufat'' - lamb, onion, and garlic stew
* ''Tobă'' - pork sausage (usually pig's stomach, stuffed with pork jelly, liver, and skin)
* '' Tocană/ tocaniță'' - meat stew
* '' Tocăniță vânătorească'' - venison stew
* '' Tochitură'' - pan-fried cubed pork, fresh salty cheese (brânză de burduf or telemea), fried eggs, sausages served with '' mămăligă'' and wine
* '' Varză călită'' - fried cabbage with pork ribs, duck, or sausages
* '' Virșli'' - a type of sausage made from a mixture of goat or lamb with pork

Fish

* ''Chiftele de pește'' - fish meatballs
* ''Crap pane'' - breaded carp fillet
* ''Ghiveci cu pește'' - fish stew with vegetables
* ''Macrou afumat'' - smoked mackerel fillet
* ''Novac afumat din Țara Bârsei'' - smoked carp fillet, registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication (PGI) product in the European Union
* ''Pană de somn rasol'' - catfish in brine with garlic
* ''Plachie din pește'' - ragout of river fish with vegetables
* ''Papricaș de pește'' - fish '' papricaș''
* '' Salată 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 (PGI) product in the European Union
** ''Salata tradițională cu icre de crap'' - another variety of Salată de icre registered as a Romanian protected geographical indication (PGI) product in the European Union
* '' Saramură de crap'' - carp in brine
* ''Scrumbie de Dunăre afumată'' - smoked pontic shad

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