30 traditional romanian foods to try

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There’s no way I could move to Romania and not write anything about the food! I was pleasantly surprised with Romanian food, as I had no idea what to expect upon arriving in Sibiu in March 2020. There are strong influences from outside regions, especially Hungary (particularly true if you are in Transilvania). Wipe the drool from your mouth as you journey through these traditional Romanian foods to try - poftă bună!

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sarmale

Sarmale is without a doubt the unofficial ‘official dish’ of Romania. Virtually every restaurant you visit that serves traditional Romanian food will have this staple on their menu.

Essentially cabbage rolls, sarmale can be stuffed with a variety of fillings, though a ground pork-rice mixture is often used. Served with polenta, cabbage, pickled hot pepper (and a few extra pieces of pork meat for good measure), sarmale is the ultimate Romanian comfort food.

ciorbă de burtă

Ciorbă de Burtă (aka tripe or belly soup) is another of Romania’s most popular traditional dishes. This is without a doubt the most popular soup on any restaurant’s menu and a beloved favorite of Romanians. Perhaps not for unadventurous eaters, it’s made with cow’s belly. I have not tried it - everyone raves about it, but…. I haven’t gotten there yet. One day soon, though.

Shout-out to my boyfriend @silejanosi for these photos & videos (and many others on this post).

ciorbă = soup

burtă = belly

pickles!

I’m obsessed with pickles. I don’t think I need to go any further, except to say, the pickles here are house-made, crunchy, and mouth-wateringly delicious.

varză a la cluj

Cabbage is a staple in Romanian cuisine, and the city of Cluj-Napoca has its very own preparation. This traditional Transilvanian dish is made with 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.

The first time I came to Cluj I knew that this was the one dish I had to try - it did not disappoint, despite my not being a huge fan of sour cream.

varză = cabbage

papricaș de pui

Although this dish is of Hungarian origin, it’s typical to see on Romanian menus. This is particularly true in the region of Transilvania, where there is a large Hungarian population. The in-depth history is beyond the scope of this post, but you can read more about the connections between Hungary and Romania here.

Expect tender chicken simmered with vegetables, broth, and paprika with sour cream gradually folded in throughout the cooking process.

pui = chicken

ciorbă ardeleneasca de porc

The region of Transilvania is called ‘Ardeal‘ in Romanian, so when you see the word ‘Ardeleneasca‘ on a menu, it simply means ‘Transilvanian‘. So, this is a traditional Transilvanian pork soup - served with bread, and of course, pickled hot peppers.

Soups are insanely popular in Romania, and if you’re visiting on a budget, it’s a filling option at a restaurant for lunch (plus, there’s bread!).

zacuscă

Zacuscă is an eggplant-based spread that’s a great option for vegetarians or a cool summer appetizer. It’s typically made with eggplant, onions, tomato paste, spices, and ‘paprika peppers’ (gogoșari in Romanian).

Many families will make this in the fall in large batches to last throughout the winter months.

ciorbă de cartofi noi cu ciolan afumat de casă

Really, any soup with ciolan afumat is popular in Romania, and the red onion salad that accompanies it is also very common. Be sure to eat the onion salad separate from the soup - I added the onions to my soup and got made fun of extensively.

cartofi noi = new potatoes

ciolan afumat = smoked ciolan

tocăniță

Tocăniță simply translates to ‘stew’ in Romanian, and is a very common preparation. Typically made with chicken or pork, other meats such as lamb can also be substituted. A common variation to the recipe is the addition of mushrooms. Pictured above is tocăniță with chicken and mushrooms - delicious! A great option for a cold or rainy day.

tocăniță - stew

pui - chicken

ciuperci - mushrooms

pită cu unsoare și ceapă

Photo: @alina88iacob

This dish is a common appetizer, and is essentially just bread slathered with pork fat and topped with green onions. The richness of the bread and lard pairs quite nicely with the crispy, sharp bite of the onions.

unsoare = lard/grease

ceapă = onion

mititei (mici)

Affectionately known as ‘littles,’ you’ll find these guys everywhere, usually sold in portions of three. They are tiny grilled ground meat rolls, usually a combination of different types of meat. It’s essentially a little sausage without casing.

Romanians love to have barbecues, and these little guys are synonymous with outdoor grilling. Definitely in the top five of traditional Romanian foods to try.

mici = littles

coaste de porc

Pork is probably the most popular meat consumed in Romania, so of course, pork ribs are found everywhere. Different restaurants and families will prepare them differently, similar to ribs you’d eat elsewhere around the world. Still, who doesn’t love a good rack of ribs?

coaste = ribs

ciorbă de perișoare

Meatball soup is another of Romania’s beloved ciorbe, and it’s a staple found on many restaurant menus. It’s a traditional Romanian sour soup, with the meatballs often made of ground pork mixed with some rice and spices, then boiled in the ciorbă.

It’s also a common dish made in Romanian households. Soups are fairly simple to make, and can be done in large portions, making them a convenient dish for Romanians, who, let’s face it, haven’t always had things so easy.

perișoare = meatballs

covrigi

Covrigi are Romanian baked goods, similar to a pretzel. They come with a variety of toppings, and are usually found at a walk-up window or bakery. There are similar variations found throughout the Balkans, especially in Bulgaria and Greece.

Walking around the Old Town of Sibiu, it was impossible not to see at least 40 people walking around with one of these bad boys in-hand. Visiting soon? Here are the best places to eat in Sibiu.

ciorbă radauteana

Ahh, yes, another soup! Ciorbă Radauteana was first introduced in 1979 in a restaurant in Radauti. Created by chef Cornelia Dumitrescu, she was trying to find an alternative for those who were not fans of Ciorbă de Burtă. She managed to create a lighter, cheaper (but very tasty) soup.

The original recipe was made with turkey meat but, for economic reasons, Cornelia switched to the more inexpensive chicken.

gulaş (gulyás)

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.

The name gulyás is the Hungarian word for ‘herdsman,’ stemming from the dish’s history. The history of gulyás goes all the way back to the 9th century, when Hungarian shepherds would dry meat in the sun, pack into bags made of sheep’s stomach, and then add water to make it a meal.

The earliest versions of gulyás did not contain paprika, as this spice wasn’t introduced to the region until the 16th century. That’s right - the peppers used to make paprika are actually native to North America (Mexico, to be precise).

ceaun = cauldron

mămăligă

In all honesty, I don’t remember what is beside the polenta in the picture above. I think it is some sort of lamb tocănița I had in Sibiu. But mămăligă is the Romanian word for polenta, a cheap and easy dish found worldwide. It’s a common side dish in Romania, accompanying tocănița or sarmale, among others.

mămăligă = polenta

There is a saying here:“Mămăliga nu explodează,” which conveys the message:  Romanians are like polenta.  Polenta doesn’t explode.  It is amorphous, without guts, always adapting to whatever form is required.

bulz

photo: @pasoi_cooks

Want to up your mămăligă game and have it as a main dish? Bulz is roasted polenta with cheese, sometimes with sour cream or an egg. It’s super-rich, definitely not even one bit healthy, and three bites will be too much. But if you’re a starving vegetarian, it might be a good choice for you.

tochitură ţărănească

Tochitură is a traditional Romanian food made from pork meat, simmered over low fire in its own fat and juices, most often in a cast-iron pot. It’s traditionally served with over-easy eggs and mămăligă.

Tochitură Țărănească means Peasant Tochitură, although you may often find a Moldavian version (Tochitură Moldovenească) and a Transilvanian version (Tochitură Ardelenească).

salata de vinete

photo: @bart_of_cooking

Salata de Vinete is a traditional Romanian eggplant-based dip or salad. It’s delicious in the summer, served on fresh bread with tomatoes and telemea cheese. Traditionally made with sunflower oil, diced onions, salt and lemon juice or vinegar. Lemons weren’t quite as popular in the past, so it was mostly vinegar that was used in the original recipes. This is a must-have if you’re on a quest to sample traditional Romanian foods.

vinete = eggplants

salata = salad

slănină

Slănină is essentially just a cured slab of fatback. It is most similar to Italian lardo, aside from the thickness. Slănină is very thick whereas lardo is cut super-thin to be served with charcuterie.

The best way to try Slănină is to cut it into little batonnets (pictured above, far right) alongside freshly chopped (and salted) veggies, and torn pieces of crusty bread.

When I relocated from Sibiu to Cluj-Napoca, I lived off of this stuff for at least the first two weeks.

pizdulici la grătar

photo: @oana_coanta

In all honesty, I’m not sure that pizdulici la grătar could be considered a traditional Romanian food (not many places have it because the cut of meat is rare), but it translates to ‘grilled pussies,’ so I had to at least mention it.

la grătar = grilled

pizdulici = pussies

Just, wow.

cașcaval pane

The Romanian mozzarella stick!Cașcaval pane is simply breaded cașcaval cheese that is then fried. It’s usually cut into triangles and served alongside fries or polenta.

drob

photo: @bucataras.ro

Drob is a traditional Romanian food that is served at Easter. It’s essentially a meatloaf consisting of lamb organs (liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, heart), eggs, green onion, and soaked bread. Some spices are incorporated, and then the membrane that contains the lamb’s organs gets placed over a pan and filled with the mixture.

I was not quite adventurous enough to try this when a friend in Sibiu offered to bring me a traditional Romanian Easter dinner during lockdown.

red eggs

The red eggs of Orthodox Easter have many purposes during this holiday season. The eggs are boiled and dyed on the Thursday before Easter (aka Holy Thursday). They are traditionally dyed red to symbolize Jesus’ blood when he was crucified. Especially in rural Romania, the eggs are dyed naturally with red onion skin or beetroot.

Before eating the eggs, it is customary for two people to knock their eggs together. While knocking them together, one person says “Christ is risen” while the other replies with “Indeed is risen“. The person who cracks the other person’s egg is said to be the winner.

And then, of course, the boiled eggs are eaten on Easter Sunday.

plăcintă

A Romanian pastry most similar to a pie, that consists of different fillings. They are usually round in shape, and many variations of them exist within the Balkans. Pictured above are apple, chocolate, soft cheese, and sour plum.

papanași

photo: @vickyann1510

I’m not normally a dessert person, but these things are delicious. Papanași are traditional fried or boiled pastries in the form of a doughnut. They are usually filled with a soft cheese (usually urdă). Papanași generally have sour cream and a sour fruit jam on top.

clătite

Clătite are the Romanian version of crepes. Just like in France, they come with a variety of toppings. Most recently I tried berries and mascarpone and one with chocolate and berries. Very tasty, very filling.

cozonac

photo: @tastebazaar

Cozonac is a sweet leavened bread, traditional in many Balkan countries. Made with eggs, milk and butter, it is usually served at major holidays in Romania.

The exact recipes vary between different regions. While the dough is generally similar throughout the country, different regions may add raisins, grated orange or lemon, vanilla, rum, walnuts, hazelnuts, or lokum.

Don’t order cozonac at a bar - you’ll get something quite different.

vegetarian, vegan

Romania has a surprising amount of vegetarian and vegan food offerings at restaurants. If you’re unsure, or if you need to tell your server, the phrase ‘de post‘ is all you’ll need to know. In the weeks before Easter you’ll have especially good luck, as virtually every restaurant offers vegan dishes for the period of fasting.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan and make it to Cluj, be sure to check out Samsara Foodhouse.

tuica

Țuică has to be mentioned, as it’s what I’ve drank the most of since being here (besides wine, of course). In fact, I need a break from it after my first few weeks of indulgence in Cluj.

Țuică is made of plums and usually has 25-65% ABV. The discrepancy in ABV is from the distillation process - if it is only distilled once, the ABV will be significantly lower than if it is distilled twice. Traditionally, distillation happens in a copper still (cazan).

beer & wine

Romania has a great selection of locally produced wine and beer as well. The most popular beer is Ursus while the oldest is Timisoreana. Urban is a locally produced beer from Sibiu. I’m not much of a beer drinker, to be honest. Heineken is pretty popular here, though, obviously not Romanian.

I thoroughly enjoyed Romanian wine. I generally drink red, and some of my favorite local varietals here include: Fetească Neagră and Negru de Drăgășani. There are many popular white varietals as well, though I tend towards comfort and usually opt for a Sauvignon Blanc.

Stay tuned for a post on the many different drinks of Romania.

helpful vocabulary for eating out in Romania

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