Discover what to eat in Romania with our list of the best traditional Romanian food – more than 42 Romanian dishes and drinks to seek out and try on your next trip. We include suggestions on where to eat some of these dishes, especially, what to eat in Bucharest, the nation’s capital.It might be a good idea to rent a car in Romania to get as much of a taste for Romania and visit as many places as you can. These dishes can be very unique in different parts of the country.

Made of a brioche-like sweet bread, you’ll find the mouth watering flavors of melted butter permeate the fluffy marbled cake. As with other Romanian desserts, many times it is made with different variants such as orange peel, vanilla extract, lemon zest, crushed walnuts, turkish delight, coconut flakes, or raisins. I don’t particularly like doughnuts, but I’m absolutely in love with Papanasi, which are actually made with cottage cheese, eggs and semolina flour.Topped with hot pepper and served with a side dish of ardei iute (hot pepper), it’s known not just for its intriguingly complex flavor palette but also for its rumored restorative properties, often hailed as a remedy after a night of indulgence. Romanians love to cookand good food has always been an important part of the Romanian culture. Traditional Romaniandishes are neither elaborate norfancy, but theyare verytasty and are generally liked by foreigners. And while the country may not be famous for the best street food in Europe, it surely is famous for for its great cafés and restaurants. Sometimes you can find them with a creamy filling, sometimes just plain with a little powdered sugar over the top. These traditional desserts can be found in local bakeries or supermarkets. Mucenici, celebrated principally on the 9th of March, carries a deep cultural and religious significance in Romania, symbolizing the 40 martyrs of Sebaste. From the same sacrifice of the pig, Romanians make a crunchy, salty starter called jumări. It’s made by frying bits of bacon and pig fat.

Another sweet cheese dessert, Brânzoaice are from Moldavia, one of the three regions of Romania. Traditionally prepared with vanilla extract and raisins alongside sweet cheese folded into a flaky square of puff pastry. Another dish Hungarian in origin, but one that you will find on virtually every traditional Romanian restaurant’s menu. While it may not be made this way in a restaurant, if you’re eating at someone’s home, there’s a good chance it will be cooked in a ceaun (pictured above). A hearty meat and vegetable ‘soup,’ it is seasoned with paprika, among other spices. Cabbage is a staple in Romanian cuisine, and the city of Cluj-Napoca has its very own preparation. This traditional Transylvanian dish is made using minced meat, onion, cabbage, and rice and topped with a sour cream and milk mixture. As with any traditional Romanian fare, the specific recipe will vary greatly among families and restaurants alike. Often enriched with cream and garlic sauce, Ciorba Radauteana carries a soothing yet vivacious flavor profile, providing a warm and revitalizing dining experience. 10. Ciorba de Burta – Beef Tripe SoupZacuscă is an eggplant dip. It’s a great option for vegetarians or a cool summer appetizer. Its main ingredients are eggplant, onions, tomato paste, spices, and ‘paprika peppers’ ( gogoșari in Romanian). Some people have this traditional Romanian cuisine for an appetizer, while others claim to get full on this dish alone. It is soft polenta served with cottage cheese and sour cream. The dish is straightforward and very delicious, and you will find it in many restaurants throughout the country. Hard-boiled eggs are added to the mixture before the loaf is wrapped in the lamb’s caul (fatty membrane) and baked in an oven. When cooked, the dish is sliced and enjoyed like meatloaf. It’s a little macabre, but the boiling water the mucenici are cooked in is meant to be the water the Martyrs drowned in. They aren’t too common in comparison to some of the other delicious desserts on this list, but you might be able to find some on 9 March, when the Forty Martyrs feast is held. We love to go to La Nu Stiu Cine in Cluj-Napoca for our clatite. Our friend, a Ukrainian called Ghita, made them for me for an entire summer when I was pregnant and they were all I could eat. With strawberries, bananas, and nutella, or ice cream and chocolate, or strawberries with kiwi and mascarpone – you can’t go wrong.

While Romania is better known internationally for Dracula, Transylvania, and Nadia Comaneci, its lesser- known cuisine is something well worth exploring. Traditional Romanian food brings together a mix of local ingredients. It is heavily influenced by Balkan, Turkish, Serbian, German, and Hungarian cuisines, and due to this rich heritage, Romanian food is varied, filling, and very savory. 1. Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls) Common variations include chocolate, apricot (caise), apple (mere), branza (cheese), and more. This traditional Romanian food is a staple throughout the country, and something you cannot miss! White:Tămâioasă Românească (sweet & semi-sweet wines),Grasă de Cotnari (Grown only in the Cotnari region since the 15th century),Galbenă de Odobești This is the biggest challenge in Romanian cuisine. Think of this hearty yet sweet Romanian food as a loaf of sweet, well-kneaded dough wrapped around cocoa and minced nuts, Turkish delight, and raisins.Considering where I live in the Carpathian mountains, I’d be remiss to not include this one on the list, although it’s not too well-known. Carpati is a traditional Romanian dessert that is inspired in the shape of the Carpathian Mountains. With eight layers of sponge cake and chocolate cream, after Joffre Cake, it’s a close second for the top Romanian chocolate cake. Jumari is best served warm and is always accompanied with raw onions and a shot of țuică, the traditional Romanian plum brandy, as a digestive. You usually get two papanasi in one serving. The doughnuts are covered with a dollop of sour cream and jam and topped with a small ball made of the same ingredients. Watch out for portion sizes, though. Some restaurants tend to be very generous with theirs. 27. Clatite – Romanian Crepes They can be served as a main dish with side dishes or used as an appetizer. Some variations might include vegetables or rice in the mix. 19. Pomana Porcului

I mix the ingredients together into a bowl withmayo and mustard(I use mustard with horseradish to give it a little spice).Then I place the mixture on a platter and shape it like a dome, then cover it with a very thin layer of mayo. At the end, I decorate it with olive and parsley leaves. Ardei Umpluti (Stuffed Bell Pepper) Cornulețe” literally translates to “little horns,” which alludes to their typical crescent or horn-like shape First of all, the dough is cheese based, giving a rich and considerably denser product. The familiar circular shape is fried along with a smaller ball of the same dough. Next, the doughnut hole is filled and the entire mass drenched in smântână. Blueberry or sour cherry jam comes next. Then the round ball is placed on top, covered with more of the duelling sauces. A final dusting of powdered sugar is added before serving. You need to try this! Brânzoaica (fried sweet cheese pastry) The cake is special because it’s shaped after the traditional helmets that the French army wore during the time. The name “poale-n brâu” literally translates to “skirt in the belt,” which is believed to describe the shape of the pastry, reminiscent of a folded skirt

Traditional Romanian Food: Brief History

This salad is prepared with the freshest roe, oil, and a pinch of salt. The one I ate in Bucharest was topped with chopped red onion – delicious! 7. Slaninuta Afumata cu Boia – Smoked Bacon Note: in case you were wondering what tripe is, is the stomach of a cow – well, the lining of the tummy. This part of an animal is tough and requires long cooking times, which is why soups taste so good. 11. Tochitura Moldoveneasca – Moldovan Stew First, the meat to rice ratio far outweighs that of the Ukrainian style. In Sarmale, rice is merely a binding agent and meat is clearly the star. As well, the herbs and spices used in the mixture bring a surprising depth of flavour I’ve never encountered previously.