Food & Drink

Romanian food is comfort food in the best sense: hearty, generously portioned, and shaped by a rural tradition that has changed little over centuries. The foundation consists of meat (pork, chicken, lamb), cornmeal, cheese, sauerkraut, beans, and lots of sour cream (smântână). The cuisine is not light — but it is honest, and after a day of hiking in the Carpathians, it is just right.

National Dishes

• Mici (Mititei) — The unofficial national dish: grilled minced meat rolls made from beef, pork, and lamb with garlic, cumin, and thyme. Available everywhere — from street grills to restaurants. Served with mustard and bread. 5 pieces for 3–5€. No visit to Romania is complete without Mici.
• Sarmale — Cabbage rolls made from fermented cabbage (or vine leaves), filled with rice and minced meat, slowly braised and served with sour cream. The festive dish, served at Christmas and on holidays in every household. Every family has its own "best" recipe.
• Ciorbă — Romanian soups are sour — seasoned with Borș (fermented wheat bran juice) or vinegar. Ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup with sour cream and garlic) is the most famous example — not for the faint-hearted, but a taste experience. Ciorbă de legume (vegetable soup) is the milder alternative.
• Mămăligă — Romanian cornmeal mush, the "bread of the poor" and the side dish par excellence. Firm, golden yellow, and versatile: as a side to Sarmale, baked with cheese and sour cream (Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână) or fried as a snack. In Transylvania: with sheep cheese and fried egg (Bulz ciobănesc).
• Papanași — The most popular Romanian dessert: fried curd dumplings (quark balls) with sour cream and jam (usually blueberry or cherry). Sweet, warm, sinfully good. On the menu in every good restaurant.
• Cozonac — Sweet yeast braid with walnut, cocoa, or Turkish delight filling. Baked in every household at Christmas and Easter. Quality varies — the best Cozonac is homemade by the guesthouse hostess.

Regional Specialties

• Transylvania: Bulz (Mămăligă with sheep cheese in the oven), Kürtőskalács (chimney cake, Hungarian influence), Saxon potato soup.
• Moldova/Bukovina: Plăcintă (filled pastries with cheese, pumpkin, or potatoes), Tochitura moldovenească (meat stew with Mămăligă).
• Danube Delta: Fish borscht (Ciorbă de pește), grilled pike-perch, sturgeon caviar (rare, expensive, legal).
• Wallachia: Drob de miel (lamb meatloaf, for Easter), Zacuscă (eggplant-pepper spread for winter).

Țuică — Romania's Liquid Soul

Țuică (pronounced: "Zuika") is plum brandy and Romania's national drink. It is home-distilled in every village (50–60% Vol.) and served on every occasion — for greetings, meals, farewells, in joy and in sorrow. In Maramureș, it is called Horincă and is distilled from apples or pears. The noble variant is Pălincă — double distilled and crystal clear.

Drinking ritual: A "Noroc!" (Cheers!) is a must, followed by a gulp (not a sip!). In the village, Țuică is drunk before meals — as an aperitif and to "warm up the stomach." Do not refuse — it is considered impolite. But: Homemade can be very strong. Use sparingly.

Wine

Romania is an underrated wine country with a 6,000-year-old winemaking tradition. The main wine regions:

• Dealu Mare — South of the Carpathians, Romania's Bordeaux. Excellent Fetească Neagră (indigenous red grape variety), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
• Drăgășani — In Wallachia. Known for Cramposie (white wine) and the excellent Avincis winery.
• Cotnari — In Moldova. Famous for Grasă de Cotnari, a golden dessert wine compared to Tokaji Aszú.
• Recaș — In Banat (West). Modern wineries with international standards.

Romanian wine is excellent and dirt cheap: A good bottle in the supermarket costs 3–8€, in restaurants 10–20€. Highly recommended: the indigenous grape varieties Fetească Neagră (red, full-bodied), Fetească Albă (white, fresh), and Tămâioasă Românească (muscat-like, aromatic).

Beer

Romania has a solid beer culture: Ursus, Timișoreana, and Ciucaș are the most well-known brands — all drinkable, all affordable (1–3€ in restaurants, 0.60–1€ in supermarkets). In recent years, a small but fine craft beer scene has emerged, especially in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Brașov.

Coffee

Romanians drink a lot of good coffee. The café culture is booming, especially in university towns. An espresso or cappuccino costs 1.50–3€ — and is often excellent. In villages, Turkish coffee (cafea turcească) is still drunk: finely ground, brewed in an Ibrik, with sugar and grounds in the cup. Do not stir!