10 traditional Romanian foods you should definitely try

10 traditional Romanian foods you should definitely try Coming to Romania is a joy for all travel enthusiasts and food lovers, as there is such a wealth in traditional cuisine and your senses will be absolutely spoiled with incredible and intense flavors.

Romanian cuisine is not fancy like French for example, neither too spicy nor overly complicated, yet interesting and welcoming, in short, comfort food at its peak!

Pork is the most beloved “vegetable” but, moreover, Romania excels in soups and salads. The intriguing fact about Romanian food is that when tasting it looks familiar, but at the same time, different. This is because traditional cuisine is actually a mixture of dishes and cooking techniques borrowed from neighboring cultures, Hungarian, German, Turkish and Slavic, but all processed and Romanized with local herbs and spices, which perfectly reflects the country's past and its agrarian roots.

1.Ciorba Radauteana ciorba radauțeana refers to a type of traditional soup that manifests itself in different ways depending on the ingredients used, is among the most popular in Romania. Invented in the late 1970s in the town of Radauți, this dish is actually an alternative to another traditional soup tripe soup, which was considered too heavy. So instead of tripe, ciorba radauțeana uses chicken breasts. To keep it simple, this dish has a lot of sour cream and garlic and for the specific sour taste vinegar is used. It's a delicious soup, not too fatty and not too heavy, but a whole dish in itself. Best served with homemade bread!

2.Sarmale Considered national food, these stuffed cabbage rolls actually have Turkish origins, but Romanians claim theirs are better and they are probably right. The initial recipe was heavily processed over time until it was considered the perfect stuffing, a balanced mixture of rice and ground meat (usually pork or pork combined with beef) and others. local vegetables and herbs, rolled in cabbage leaves (best using pickled cabbage) or young grape leaves for a delicate flavor.

The tastiest cabbage rolls are those that have been slowly cooked in oven-baked clay pots, topped with little water, cabbage brine for acidity, and slices of traditional bacon for a touch of tasty smoke.

3.Balmos 100% Romanian, balmos is a traditional dish of shepherds, a true tribute to the famous mamaliga. It's greasy, it's shabby and sticky, with tons of cheese, it's soft and silky like cream but heavy and rich in taste. It's incredibly easy to do if you have the right ingredients! Sour cream is boiled with butter and a little salt for a few minutes. Then corn flour is added until it is well boiled without lumps, and finally a lot of traditional salty fermented cheese is added. Served hot, with butter and sweet cheese, balmos is the perfect dish for cold winter nights when all you want is something truly tasty and comforting.

4.Smoked bacon and cretons This is a traditional Romanian appetizer made, of course, from pork. The traditional bacon called in Romania slanina is, in fact, smoked salted pork fat flavored with garlic, pepper, paprika and other spices, and it is a dish generally prepared by all families. Romanian for the winter. The crispy frying version is called jumari and, along with the slanina accompanied by raw onions, homemade bread and a shot of tuica as a digestive, they represent the perfect starters for an authentic Romanian meal. Definitely, you have to try!

5.Mici Also known as mititei, are the most popular Romanian grills and they are so loved that, there is absolutely no Romanian who can imagine a good barbecue without them. These sausages made from different combinations of ground meat, black pepper, and other spices are grilled until they darken a bit and become moist and soft. They are served simply with mustard and bread.

You can find mici at restaurants, fast food outlets, grocery stores, or you can just buy the mix from any grocery store, fresh or frozen, ready to grill or fry whenever you want. you want.

Simple, with meat and salty!

6.Cighiri

Cighiri is something similar to huge meatballs, but the recipe includes, besides the ground pork and meat from some organs, especially the liver, heart and lungs which are combined with onions, eggs, bay leaves, garlic and lots of salt and pepper. They are absolutely delicious, perfect for a quick and hot snack. Served with any garnish you desire, pickles and red wine, these cighiri are likely to become one of your next favorite foods.

7.Tochitura There is nothing like the famous "tochitura" and there is no exaggeration in saying that it is the ultimate Romanian dish as it combines the best foods Romania has to offer:mamaliga, cheese traditional savory fermented, fried eggs, fried pork, traditional sausage and pickles. It is the perfect combination of tastes and textures. This is Romania on one plate!

8.Alivenci Time for dessert! This desert originated in poor rural areas essentially out of nothing! At first it was something similar to a sweet polenta, but today is a real delight. It's the perfect combination of milk, sour cream and butter with corn and wheat flour, raisins and vanilla, served with fresh yogurt and powdered sugar. It's a bit heavy but worth a try!

9.Julfa with hemp moss This traditional dish is the kind of desert your grandmother would make, but unfortunately it is quite difficult to find on restaurant menus, especially because it is not very beautiful, it takes a long time to make and the seeds of hemp are very expensive today. But if you get the chance to taste it, just do it and you won't regret it. The desert itself is not very complicated, using white dough made from wheat flour and water cooked in thin layers (about ten or more) in the oven until dry and stiff. After cooling, each layer is covered with a sweet hemp cream and left to stand for at least two days so that the moisture in the cream is absorbed. Some women prepare julfa with nut mousse, because nuts are cheaper and easier to find. The result is also delicious, but nothing compares to the earthy flavor of hemp.

10. Sour cream papanasi with jam A traditional dessert from the northern part of the country but popular among all Romanians, available in almost any restaurant. PapanaĹ&#x;i are a kind of fried cheese donuts best served hot, with sweet cream and preferably blueberry jam. Maybe it doesn't sound too appetizing, but the gum taste and texture combined with the sourness of blueberries is absolutely divine!

So there a source you have it, ten amazing traditional Romanian foods that when tried will make your Romanian experience unforgettable!