Romanian food includes the range of dishes and drinks popular in Romania, which are a mix of traditional Romanian food and foreign influences from neighbouring Ottoman, Serbian, German and Hungarian cuisines.
Classification of Romanian Cuisine
Romanian food is often classified and named according to the nature of the dishes. For example, ciorba is the term for sour tasting soups made in Romania, which are mostly given an acidic taste by addition of lemon, vinegar or ‘bors’(which is the term for a fermented wheat bran that is traditionally used to make sour soups).
Another category of Romanian food is called ‘tuica’, and is the term used for alcoholic beverages with relatively high alcohol content.
Traditional Romanian Recipes
There are many traditional Romanian recipes which are quite popular even in modern times. Here are some examples of dishes from traditional Romanian cuisine-
Mamaliga is a traditional dish from Romanian cuisine which is prepared by boiling cornmeal in salted water in a special cast iron pot which is called tuci. It may be hard enough to cut into slices, while softer versions have the consistency of porridge.
Clatita are Romanian pancakes with filling. The fillings suggested by Romanian recipes include meats, cheese or jam. They may be in sweet or salted versions.
Wines are the traditional favourite beverage in Romania. Plum brandy by the name of ‘tuica’ is a famous product of Romania.
Romanian Food with Foreign Influence
Romanian food is hugely influenced by cuisines of a number of neighbouring countries. Here are some examples of dishes with strong foreign influence-
Musaka is sautéed eggplant along with tomatoes and meat. It is a dish of Greek influence.
Zacusca is a vegetable spread made of eggplant, beans, onions and peppers. It is a popular dish of Bulgarian influence.
Snitel is a fried escalope coated with breadcrumbs. It was introduced by the Austrians.
Festive Romanian Food
There are a range of traditional Romanian recipes popular during holiday season of Christmas and Easter. Here are some examples-
Dishes made of slaughtered pig, like sausages or pan fried pork dishes are popular during Christmas, because as per Romanian Christmas tradition, a pig is slaughtered in every rural household.
Cozonac is a sweetened bread containing nuts, which is a popular Christmas dessert.
Drob de miel is an Easter dish made of minced lamb organs wrapped in a caul. Roasted lamb is also popular during Easter.