The underrated Romanian cuisine

Located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Romania's cuisine is influenced by all over the world, blending different flavors and ingredients to create a rich variety of Romanian specialties. In fact, most Romanian dishes are thick and filling, and they contain a lot of calories. Nevertheless, the flavors and tastes of Romanian cuisine do not disappoint.

At the same time, most Romanian dishes come from old rural traditions, and the best foods are those homemade in rural areas, where the recipes have been passed down for generations. Here's a list of the various Romanian classics!

Chiftele

Chiftele is a crispy fried meatball traditionally made of ground pork or chicken, breadcrumbs and mashed potatoes, flavored with onions, garlic, diclofenac and parsley leaves. In addition to the traditional meat-based chiftele, there are also chiftele made from vegetables such as potatoes, peas or mushrooms. chiftele can be served with mustard or mayonnaise, for example, or as a snack with tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers and radishes.

Jumări

Jumări is a Romanian style lard drippings, made of pancetta or pork skin fried and usually seasoned with salt or paprika. In Romania, this food is traditionally prepared after the traditional pig sacrifice on St. Ignatius Day, celebrated on December 20, and usually appears on the holiday table along with other traditional Romanian dishes.

Frigărui

This is a Romanian kebab, usually made of chicken breast, which is marinated overnight and grilled alone or with vegetables (usually peppers, tomatoes or mushrooms). In Romania, it is often sold as street food and served with a traditional garlic sauce.

Drob

Drob is a traditional Romanian Easter dish made of lamb innards, soaked bread, shallots and eggs. It is seasoned with a generous amount of dill, solanum, parsley and garlic. The mixture is wrapped in lamb's wrap or dough and baked, sometimes with a hard-boiled egg tucked in between. It is served cold at the Easter table, alone or with mustard.

Tocană

tocăniță is a hearty Romanian stew that may consist of different vegetables and various meats, preferably fattier lamb or pork, but chicken or veal can also be used. tocană can also be made into a meatless version. It is usually served accompanied by polenta.

Tocană de ciuperci

Tocană de ciuperci is a Romanian mushroom stew. The mushrooms, onions and garlic are first sautéed together and then cooked together with water or vegetable juice. Other ingredients may be white wine, tomato sauce, sweet peppers, etc. This stew is often flavored with the addition of heavy cream or a mixture of milk and cornstarch. It is finished with a sprinkling of parsley, an antipasto or green onions and served with polenta or rice.

Ardei umpluţi

Ardei umpluţi is a Romanian-style stuffed bell pepper made from yellow bell peppers stuffed with ground pork and rice, then seasoned with herbs and garlic. These stuffed bell peppers are traditionally cooked in a tomato sauce seasoned with salt, pepper and bay leaves and can be served hot with a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt.

Dovlecei umpluţi

Dovlecei umpluţi is stuffed zucchini, traditionally filled with pork, rice, tomatoes and onions, or you can choose other fillings, such as cabbage, rice or mushrooms stuffed zucchini boiled in tomato sauce and seasoned with bay leaves, salt and pepper, or baked in the oven. dovlecei umpluţi is usually accompanied by sour cream or yogurt.

Salată de sfeclă

Salată de sfeclă is a refreshing salad based on beetroot. The washed beetroot is cooked in a pan until tender, then chopped, grated or diced. Next, mix the beetroot with horseradish, oil, vinegar and salt. Alternatively, mustard seeds or cumin seeds can be added to taste. This light salad can be served hot or chilled, usually as a side dish.

Mâncare de mazăre

Mâncare de mazăre is a Romanian stewed peas. The peas are usually cooked with onions, carrots, bell peppers, parsnips, tomato paste, vegetable stock and seasonings. It is usually served at lunch or dinner. Typical accompaniments for this dish include fresh salad, sliced bread and Romanian cheese.