Romanian cuisine

Cause of the high demand of recipes both Romanian and oriental i started this new forum with dishes in English. I hope you all will give a hand to realize this project.



First of all Romanian food is based on chicken, fish, pork , beef and mutton, too. And we use ingredients that can be found everywhere in the world.
Then... what does it make Romanian food so special? Back to history. Romanian territories were occupied by Turks, Hungarians, Austrians, Polishes, Russians. And we are still a Latin people. Where in the world would you find such a mixture?
At countryside people still use clay vessels and cast-iron kettle for cooking. Dishes prepared in this manner have a unique taste. And we still use vegetables and verdures untouched by last discoveries of genetics. They have the taste your grandma knows and you must be lucky to remember it.
That's why I think it's a pity to arrive in Romania, go to restaurant and eat pizza or Chinese food only because you don't know the meaning of those Romanian names for food or you're afraid they use ingredients that might hurt you. So please check our tips and advice for a Romanian food . We won't talk about buying food from stores or supermarkets. They have foods prepared after Romanian recipes but that is not quite traditional food. Why? They are made in a plant in large quantities. Do they have the same taste as a homemade food?
But we can talk about eating in a Romanian house. You can eat traditional food in every house at countryside. City people don't eat traditional food everyday.More. When they have guests (especially foreigners) they tend to show what great international dishes cookers they are. Just ask them cook for you a traditional meal and they'll be glad to do it. If you arrive in Romania on Easter or Christmas, no doubts, every Romanian family will have Easter food or Christmas food on their tables.
For those who love to travel in mountains (or just pass through) I have to talk about Romanian cheese. This is a homemade cheese. Sheep cheese, cow cheese, buffalo cheese or goat cheese, doesn't matter. They all are great. And seems they are going to disappear soon.
If you choose echo-travel way and you stay to a farm (well, you'll find few farms in Romania but for most of them I think household is the more appropriate word) you don't have to worry about the Romanian food. There will be plenty of traditional food. Very healthy and tasty natural food. Because at countryside agriculture is done like one century ago. No genetics alterations, no chemical fertilizer. Only clean green grass and spring water for animals.

Please enjoy our new category and give a hand if you can !

Mamaliga recipe



While there is just one true Mamaliga, made only from boiled salt water and cornmeal (always yellow, period!), there are several other Romanian dishes based it, or that include it in some way.

Historically, Romanians ate this golden bread (made from cornmeal) as a replacement to bread made from wheaten flour. It was inexpensive, easy to do every day, in every season and could be found in every household.

Over time, using their own imagination, housewives added different ingredients. The results were many and varied, some being served as main dishes, others as a side dish.

There are two basic methods used to prepare this dish:
Traditional mamaliga
-you'll find it at the countryside and in some homes in towns where people love it more than their own time
-you need about an hour to cook it and a little bit of hard work
-it's made of large ground maize, is hard and can be cut into slices

Quick mamaliga
- in fact "hurried" would be the more appropriate translation but it doesn't sound all that appetizing in English
-this recipe is similar to polenta and can be found in just about every restaurant
city folks seem to prefer this method, as it's both easier and faster (about 15 minutes) to prepare
-it's made from thin ground maize and is soft (think of mashed potatoes)

Preparing way

Traditional mamaliga
Ingredients

boiled water
yellow cornmeal
salt
Fill your favorite cooking pot about half full with cold water. Add about as much salt as you might use for the same quantity of soup.

Place the burner on high and after the water begins to boil add the cornmeal. Using your hands as a scoop, fill them with cornmeal, move them over the pot, then allow the cornmeal to flow out of your hands into the center of the pot where it will take the form of an iceberg. Repeat this process until the top of the "iceberg" reaches to about the ¾ full point.

Turn the burner to "low" for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pot. Drain the water and put the pot back on the burner and begin mixing. Mash out any lumps with the side of a wooden spoon. Constantly stir to prevent sticking. When the mixture becomes thick and hard to stir, remove it from the burner. Dip a wooden spoon in cold water and push the cornmeal from the edge to the center of the pot.

Return to low heat for 1-2 minutes, without stirring, to release steam and loosen mixture from the bottom of the pan. Overturn the pot on a wooden platter. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes then cut it in slices with dental floss.

Quick mamaliga
Ingredients

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
7 cups water
Tip: Use 8 cups of water for a softer mamaliga or 6 cups for a harder one.

Bring the water and salt to a boil.



Pour a slow stream of cornmeal into the hot water while stirring vigorously to prevent lumps.



After adding all the cornmeal stir for several minutes, then cover the pot. After about 10 minutes stir again, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and serve.



Mamaliga can be served hot, warm or cold as you like and can also be served as base for other dishes.



Enjoy!