Romanian cuisine

Romanian cuisine(Romanian:Bucătăria românească) is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been influenced mainly byOttomanandTurkish cuisinebut also a series of European cuisines in particular from theBalkan PeninsulaandHungarian cuisineas well as culinary elements stemming from the cuisines ofCentral Europe.
Romanian cuisine includes numerous holiday dishes arranged according to the mentioned season and holiday since the country has its religious roots inEastern Orthodoxy. Romanian dishes consist of vegetables, cereals, fruits, honey, milk, dairy products, meat and game.
Various kinds of dishes are available, which are sometimes included under a generic term; for example, the categoryciorbăincludes a wide range of soups with a characteristic sour taste. Variations include meat and vegetable soup, tripe (ciorbă de burtă) and calf foot soup, or fish soup, all of which are soured bylemon juice,sauerkrautjuice (zeamă de varză),vinegar, orborș(traditionally made from bran). The categoryțuică(plum brandy) is a name for a strongalcoholic spiritinRomania.
With the cuisine of Romania being shared by another country, namelyMoldova, there are similarities between the cuisines of the two Romanian-speaking countries.
In the history of Romanian culinary literature,Costache NegruzziandMihail Kogălniceanuwere the compilers of a cookbook200 Proven Recipes for Dishes, Pastries and Other Household Works(Romanian:200 rețete cercate de bucate, prăjituri și alte trebi gospodărești) printed in 1841.Also, Negruzzi writes in "Alexandru Lăpușneanu", "InMoldavia, at this time, fine food wasn't fashioned. The greatest feast only offered a few types of dishes. After the borș, Greek dishes would follow, boiled with herbs floating in butter, and finally cosmopolitan steaks".
Cheese has been a part of Romanian cuisine since the beginning of its history.Brânzăis the generic term forcheesein Romanian.
Maizeandpotatoesbecame staples of Romanian cuisine after their introduction toEurope. Maize, in particular, contributed to health and nutrition improvements of Romanians in the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in a population boom.
For about three centuries, Wallachia and Moldavia, two of the three medieval Romanian principalities, were mildly influenced by their various neighbors, like theOttoman Empire.Ottoman cuisinechanged the Romanian table with appetizers made from variousvegetables, such aseggplantandbell peppers, as well as variousmeatpreparations, such aschiftele(deep-fried meatballs, a variation ofkofta). The various kinds ofciorbăand meat-and-vegetable stews, such asiahnie de fasole(beans),ardei umpluți(stuffed peppers), andsarmale(stuffed cabbage) are influenced byTurkish cuisine.
Romanian recipes bear the same influences as the rest of Romanian culture. The Turks broughtmeatballs(perișoarein a meatball soup), from the Greeks there ismusaca, from the Austrians there is theșnițel, and the list continues. The Romanians share many foods with the Balkan area  and former Austria-Hungary. Some others are original or can be traced to the Romans, as well as other ancient civilizations. The lack of written sources in Eastern Europe makes it impossible to determine today the exact origin for most of them.
One of the most common meals is themămăligă(polenta), served on its own or as an accompaniment.Porkis the main meat used in Romanian cuisine, butbeefis also consumed, along withmuttonand fish.
BeforeChristmas, on December 20 (Ignat's Day orIgnatulinRomanian),apigis traditionally slaughtered by every rural family.A variety of foods for Christmas are prepared from the slaughtered pig, such as:
The Christmas meal is sweetened with the traditionalcozonac, a sweet bread made with nuts, poppy seeds, orrahat(Turkish delight).
AtEaster,lambis served: the main dishes areborș de miel(lamb sour soup), roast lamb, anddrob de miel– a Romanian dish similar tohaggismade from mincedoffal(heart, liver, lungs), lamb meat and spring onions with spices, wrapped in acauland roasted.The traditional Easter cake ispască, a pie made fromyeastdough with a sweetcottage cheesefilling at the center.
Romanian pancakes, calledclătite, are thin (like the Frenchcrêpe) and can be prepared with savory or sweet fillings:ground meat,cheese, orjam. Different recipes are prepared depending on the season or the occasion.
Wineis the preferred drink, andRomanian winehas a tradition of over three millennia.Romania is currently the world's ninth largest wine producer, and recently the export market has started to grow.Romania produces a wide selection of domestic varieties (Fetească,Grasă,Tămâioasă,Busuioacă, andBăbească), as well as varieties from across the world (Italian Riesling,Merlot,Sauvignon blanc,Cabernet Sauvignon,Chardonnay, andMuscat Ottonel).Beeris also highly regarded, generallyblonde pilsener beer, made with German influences. There are also Romanian breweries with a long tradition.
According to the 2009 data ofFAOSTAT, Romania is the world's second largestplumproducer (after theUnited States),and as much as 75% of Romania's plum production is processed into the famousțuică, a plum brandy obtained through one or moredistillationsteps.
Followers of theRomanian Orthodox Churchfastduring several periods throughout the ecclesiastical calendar amounting to a majority of the year. In the Romanian Orthodox tradition, devotees keep to a diet without any animal products during these times. As a result, vegan foods are abundant in stores and restaurants; however, Romanians may not be familiar with a vegan or vegetarian diet as a full-time lifestyle choice.Many recipes below haveveganversions, and the vegetables section below contains many common fasting foods.
The generic name forcheeseinRomaniaisbrânză, and it is considered to be ofDacianorigin. Most of the cheeses are made from cow's or sheep's milk. Goat's milk is rarely used. Sheep cheese is considered "the real cheese", although in modern times, some people refrain from consuming it due to its higher fat content and specific smell.