National cuisine

The Moldavian cuisine was shaping for centuries under the influence of the Greek, Turkish, Balkan, Western European and – somewhat later — Ukrainian and Russian cuisine. It is however distinctly special.

The calling card of the Moldavian cuisine is certainly ‘mamaliga’ (aka ‘polenta’) – thick cornmeal gruel typically served with fried fish, scrambled eggs, cracklings, young sheep cheese and sour cream or spicy garlic sauce called ‘mujdei’.

Quite many Moldovan dishes are made of vegetables: vegetables are used fresh, cooked, fried, baked, filled, stewed or pickled. Traditional products include corn, string beans, chick-peas and vegetables (eggplants, vegetable marrows, paprika, bell peppers, leek, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, cauliflower and pumpkin).

The availability of diverse vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products results in the vast diversity of appetizers in the Moldavian cuisine. The most popular appetizers include mashed beans with garlic (‘fasole facaluite’), bell peppers Moldavian style, fried paprika, filled eggplants and diverse salads made of fresh or pickled vegetables.

Appetizers are dressed with oil, vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, marinade, mujdei or scordole sauce. Garlic and/or spicy kitchen greens (sulfur-wort, parsley, dill, tarragon, celery, mint) are added to make appetizers more aromatic and spicy. Hard-boiled eggs filled with mushrooms and chicken liver, chicken jelly, meat or fish rolls are also quite popular as cold appetizers.

Young sheep cheese in brine is another product extremely popular in Moldova. It is used as such or as a component of many vegetable, farinaceous, eggs, fish and meat dishes.

Popular Moldavian soups — ciorba and zeama — are cooked on the basis of vegetable broth or meat/fish stock. An important component is boiled bran full sour (‘bars’). It is replaced sometimes with citric acid solution or with cabbage pickle in case of vegetable soups. Moldovan soups have typically a mild sour taste and the appetizing spicy aroma of kitchen greens(thyme, sulfur-wort, parsley, dill, tarragon, celery, mint). Soups are served with polenta, fried/baked puff-paste pies and rolls, donuts.

The Moldavian cuisine uses all types of meat: mutton is used to cook mangea and musaca; beef is the basis for paprikas and mititei; pork is the main component of mancarica, tocană, costiţă, cârnăţei; poultry is essential for iahnie and zama. Many traditional fish and meat dishes are grilled on the grătar – the Moldovan iron grille with red-hot beech, walnut or cornel-tree charcoal.

Many products – in particular those intended to be fried or grilled fresh - are marinated first. Any festive meal includes stuffed pickled cabbage leaf/grape-leaf/coltsfoot leaf rolls (depending on the community tradition).

Traditional farinaceous food includes fried and baked puff-paste pies and rolls (‘placinte’ and ‘învârtite’) filled with fruits, vegetables, cheese or walnuts. Plăcinte are traditionally flat and round (or sometimes square).

The Moldavian meal is unimaginable without fresh fruits - apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, grapes – and walnuts. The most popular traditional desserts include nougats, jelly (peltea) made of berry or fruit juice, halva (alvita), shortcake or puff-paste fancy cakes and pastry.

The Moldavian cuisine became enriched with popular Russian dishes during the years when Moldova was part of the Russian Empire and later of the Soviet Union, such as: Russian salad, vinaigrette, Russian borsch, pancakes, potato flapjacks, cheese dumplings, cheese pancakes, ravioli, etc. They are still very popular, having become an integral component of the traditional Moldovan meal.

And now comes – last but not least – a really indispensable component, which is a good glass of wine as an ideal companion for any Moldavian dish. Poftă bună! Enjoy your meal!