“HERITAGE OF THE PAST,FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE”

ROMANIAN TRADITIONAL FOOD CHARACTERISTICS Romanian cuisine has a great variety of dishes and it is influenced by different cultures: the ancient Greeks with whom Romanians traded, the Turks who from centuries dominated Romania, Slavic and Magyar neighbours,Romans and Saxons in southern Transylvania. Some others are original or can be traced to the other ancient civilizations. The lack of written sources in Eastern Europe makes it impossible to determine today the punctual origin for most of them.

APPETIZERS AND BEVARAGES In most Eastern European homes,as well as Romania, the “meal before meal “ is as important as the main course. This is when hosts and hostesses delight their guests with pickled vegetables, smoked and cured meats and fish,sausages,dips and chesses. A traditional drink enjoyed with appetizers is “tuica” ( a potent plum brandy, which varies in strenght,dryness and bouquet according to the production area).

It is a traditional Romanian dish served at the same course with sarmale ( pickled cabbage leaves,stuffed with a mix of minced meats,rice and spices). PIFTIE ( JELLY MEAT) The ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock.Nearly any type of meat can be used to make the gelatin: pork, beef,chicken,turkey or fish. It is added garlic to give it a specific flavor. This dish is made especially for holidays like Christmas and Easter.

SARMALE Sarmale (stuffed cabbage leaves) is made especially for holidays as a traditional meal. The big difference Between Romanian cabbage rolls and others is the using of sour cabbage. The other thing is the adding of smoked meat,which gives to the dish a specific flavour.The other ingredients are minced pork meat, rice, chopped cabbage,tomatoes,onion and spices. Sarmale could be served with sour cream, seasoned with fresh dill and if you like a hot pepper.

SALATA DE BEUF (Beef salad or potato and meat salad) It is the most traditional food in Romania for all holidays. The salad is usually served as a starter, but it can also be a meal by its own. The ingredients are fine chopped potatoes,meat,celery root,carrots and pickles. The meat (it can be beef, turkey or chicken ) has to be boiled until it becomes very tender. The vegetables need to be boiled too, but not overdone. The ingredients are mixed together into a bowl with mayonnaise and is seasoned with pepper.The mixture is then placed on a platter and shaped like a dome, then covered with a very thin layer of mayonnaise and decorated with olive or pickles.

MAMALIGA (polenta) It is a classic Romanian dish that often replaces bread. It is served with warm milk,or sour cream and often with cheese on top.Sometimes,mamaliga is served with fried eggs,stews or sarmale. The people in the countryside serve it with butter.

CIORBE SI SUPE (Soup dishes ) CIORBE TRADITIONALE CIORBA DE BURTA (Tripe soup) In Romania we find the tripe straight from the shepherd or already buy it cut, in a package from the store. It is boiled with the cow bone, celery root,onion,the bay leaves,the ungrounded pepper and salt. After the trip is boiled,the water is strained and the tripe is sliced into stripes of 1-2 cm long, the carrots are grated and fried until they are soft, together with 2 oil spoons. The garlic sauce is prepared before, the egg yolks and the sour cream mixed together are put into the soup. Salt and pepper are added to give a special taste. It is served with vinegar and hot peppers, fresh or pickled. SUPA CU GALUSTE( Dumplings soup) This soup doesn’t need a lot of ingredients and for an instant version we can talk about chicken soup and simply add some fresh vegetables boiled together. The liquid are strained and we prepare the dumplings by mixing 2 eggs with 2 spoons of oil salt and semolina. The dumplings are put one by one with a spoon in the hot broth and will double their size in 5-10 minutes, boiling on a low heat. The soup are seasoned with pepper and garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

CIORBA DE PERISOARE (Meatballs soup) It is a distinctive type of Romanian soup that is soured with vinegar or lemon juice. The ingredients are vegetables and minced meat, an egg,salt,onion,rice. We seasoned soup with chopped parsley. CIORBA DE URZICI (Nettle soup) The nettle is a very well known plant in Romanian cuisine. It is considered to have healing properties. The plants are spread in uncultivated lands,in the plains,hillsides.The preparation of the soup is quite simple. The nettles are boiled 2-3 minutes and the first water is removed. The nettles are finely chopped. The chopped onion are fried until is transparent.We add garlic,pepper,and a teaspoon of diluted flour. Let it cook for other 4-5 minutes. It’s delicious!

MICI (Grilled meat rolls) Grilled Meat Rolls (Mici, Mititei) – Romanian Traditional Fast-food Concept Spicy minced meat, rolled (the legend says the first Mici were in fact sausage fillings without skin), grilled on the barbecue – the smoke is a must for the final taste! You have to eat them with mustard and fresh bread roll. This is a specialty Romanians like to eat in the street. Actually, this is the first fast-food concept in Romania. Small day bars with garden and barbecue, where you can hear the sizzling of the meat on the barbecue. Passing by, you’ll smell the specific flavour flooding the streets. Do not hesitate, grab a beer too.

AL DOILEA FEL DE MANCARE (Second plate choices) Meatballs in tomato sauce (Perisoare in sos tomat) Grilled chicken (Pui la gratar) Roast beef (Friptura de vita) Vegetable rice with chicken (Orez cu legume si pui) Stewed pork meat (Friptura de porc inabusita)

DESERTURI (Desserts) COZONAC is a traditional holiday sweet bread filled with walnuts, poppy seeds, or cream cheese. It is traditionally eaten for Easter, Christmas and New Year festivities. When cozonac is filled with cheese it becomes a pasca,similar to a Polish kolacz. CLATITE (Crepes) can be served as an appetizer meal or dessert,deppending on the filling: cheese or jam.

PAPANASI –a kind of doughnut made from a mixture of sweet cheese, eggs and semolina, boiled or fried and served with fruit syrup or jam and sour cream. SARLOTA(Custard) AMANDINE- chocolate sponge cake with almond and chocolate cream filling, glazed in chocolate

SAVARINE The cake is virtually identically to French baba au rhum, and Polish rum-soaked babka without raisins. It is made with a sweet yeast dough which is soaked in a rhum syrup after baking and is topped with a little jam and filled with whipped cream. The traditional dessert is often served at happy events or in weekends, because Romanians are great lovers of sweet delicacy.

ENJOY YOUR MEAL !