MAIN INGREDIENTS
Jumări are Romanian-style pork cracklings that are made by frying pieces of pork belly or pork rinds with fat and meat attached to them. The slightly crispy and oozy pork pieces are typically seasoned with salt or paprika and consumed right away, but they are also often preserved in lard and kept frozen for future consumption.
In Romania, this pork specialty has been traditionally prepared after the traditional pigs’ sacrifice on St. Ignatius Day, celebrated on December 20, and it is typically featured on the festive Christmas tables along with other traditional Romanian dishes.
MOST ICONIC Jumări
Bulz is a traditional dish created with cooked polenta that is shaped into balls and filled with a creamy stuffing. Subsequently, polenta balls are grilled, pan-fried, or baked until a crunchy, slightly charred crust forms on the outside. The most common filling is the combination of butter and soft sheep's cheese known as brânză de burduf.
Chunks of bacon or ham are often incorporated into the filling to create a more balanced meal. The grilling process allows the cheese to melt and transforms bulz into an incredibly satisfying dish. It is believed that bulz was initially prepared by the Romanian shepherds, who were the first to use an open fire in order to grill these flavorful balls.
MOST ICONIC Bulz
MAIN INGREDIENTS
One of the staples of traditional Turkish cuisine, sarma consists of a filling that is snugly surrounded by leaves or leafy vegetables. There are numerous versions of this dish but the mixture typically combines ingredients such as minced meat, rice or bulgur, various herbs, seasonings, red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, or tomato sauce, while the typical wrapping usually includes vine, cabbage, or sauerkraut leaves, or a variety of leafy vegetables such as collard greens and swiss chard.
Having its roots in the Ottoman Empire, sarma is also traditionally consumed in the Balkans, the countries of Central Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East. Although it is commonly enjoyed as a filling lunch or dinner (typically during the winter season), sarma is often prepared on special occasions and holidays.
MOST ICONIC Sarma
Mămăligă is a traditional porridge and the country's national dish that is often confused with polenta. It is an extremely simple dish of boiled cornmeal that was cooked mostly by peasants in the past, often acting as a substitute for bread. They would prepare it in a round-bottomed kettle known as ceaun, and after it cooled down and hardened, the porridge would get sliced with a piece of string.
Mămăligă is often topped with butter, sour cream, or cascaval cheese. Another way of serving the dish includes crushing the porridge in a bowl of hot milk. In the last few decades, this simple and rural meal evolved into something bigger, so today it can also be found in modern, upscale restaurants.
VARIATIONS OF Mămăligă
MOST ICONIC Mămăligă
Ciorbă de fasole is a type of traditional Romanian sour soup made with dry beans and vegetables such as onions, red peppers, parsley root, and celery root. The soup is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, lovage, thyme, and borş. Ciorbă de fasole can be served both hot and cold, and it should be enjoyed with scallions, leek, onions, and bread.
MOST ICONIC Ciorbă de fasole
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Salată de boeuf is a traditional salad consisting of meat, boiled potatoes, boiled root vegetables, and pickled vegetables, all finely diced and dressed with a combination of mayonnaise and mustard. The salad is usually placed in a bowl, topped with a layer of mayonnaise, and garnished with slices of hard-boiled eggs, parsley, olives, or bits of vegetables.
Although the original salad used beef, today it is commonly prepared with chicken, turkey, or even ham. In Romania, salată de boeuf is a holiday dish prepared for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Easter. It is usually served as an appetizer, a side dish, or even as a main dish accompanied by bread.
MOST ICONIC Salată de boeuf
Tangy and comforting, this beef soup, or ciorbă de văcuţă in Romanian, is a representative dish of traditional Romanian cuisine. Apart from beef, the soup usually contains a variety of vegetables such as celery stalks, onions, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, or zucchinis, as well as seasonings, tomato paste, lemon juice, and (optionally) beaten eggs.
The beef is typically boiled until almost tender and then cooked with sautéed vegetables. Like most Romanian soups and stews, it is traditionally laced with chopped lovage and parsley, or fresh dill. The soup is usually enjoyed hot, garnished with sour cream.