Taste
Romanian food
Romanian cuisine is a story of crossroads between empires: Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Greek and Slavic influences melted over a peasant base of pork, polenta, cheese and garden vegetables. It is comfort food — hearty, aromatic, made for long family meals. Here is what you simply must taste.
Sour soups & broths
The soul of the Romanian table. A "ciorbă" is a soup soured with borș (fermented bran), lemon or whey — always served hot, with a chilli pepper and sour cream.
Ciorbă de burtă
Tripe soup with garlic and sour cream — the king of soups and a classic morning cure.
Ciorbă rădăuțeană
The gentle version, with chicken breast, garlic and sour cream — invented in Rădăuți.
Ciorbă de perișoare
With delicate meat-and-rice dumplings, soured with borș — a childhood favourite.
Ciorbă de fasole cu ciolan
Creamy beans with smoked pork, often served in a hollowed loaf at country festivals.
Main dishes
Hearty dishes, slow-cooked, almost always paired with polenta and sour cream.
Sarmale
Rolls of meat and rice in pickled cabbage or vine leaves, simmered for hours — the star of every celebration.
Mămăligă
Cornmeal porridge, the peasant's traditional "bread", served with cheese, sour cream and an egg.
Tochitură
Pork stew with sausage, polenta, cheese and a fried egg — a shepherds' meal turned feast.
Ardei umpluți
Bell peppers stuffed with meat and rice in tomato sauce, with sour cream.
From the grill
The Romanian summer ritual: smoke, cold beer and mici on the grill, in every yard and at every festival.
Mici (mititei)
Skinless grilled rolls of spiced meat, with mustard and bread — the symbol of the Romanian barbecue.
Fleică & cârnați
Pork flank and homemade sausages, salted and smoked, straight off the coals.
Pastramă de oaie
Spiced, smoked mutton, a shepherds' autumn speciality.
Cheeses & from the sheepfold
The milk of mountain sheep gives some of Europe's finest cheeses, still made by hand at the sheepfold.
Brânză de burduf
Kneaded cheese matured in a skin or pine bark — intense and aromatic.
Caș & urdă
Fresh sweet curd cheese (caș) and Romania's "ricotta" (urdă), the base of many pies.
Telemea
Brined salty cheese, like Greek feta — on bread, with tomatoes, in summer.
Desserts & sweets
From fluffy papanași to festive cozonac, Romanian sweets are generous and full of nostalgia.
Papanași
Fluffy sweet-cheese doughnuts with sour cream and blueberry jam — the nation's favourite dessert.
Cozonac
A rich sweet bread filled with walnut, poppy seed or Turkish delight, essential at Christmas and Easter.
Plăcintă & clătite
Pies with cheese or apple, and thin crêpes, filled and rolled.
Drinks
The meal begins with a țuică and ends with a good wine. In between, homemade drinks you will not find anywhere else.
Țuică & pălincă
Plum brandy (țuică) or double-distilled (pălincă) — drunk cold as an aperitif, on any occasion.
Vinul românesc
From Fetească Neagră to Grasa de Cotnari — see it all on the Wine Road.
Vișinată & socată
Sour-cherry liqueur (vișinată) and elderflower cordial (socată), homemade summer drinks.
Experiences
Food tours & tastings
Guided food walks, market tours and cooking classes across Romania.
See all experiencesWhere to eat
The best restaurants, region by region
From traditional inns to fine dining that reinvents Romanian flavours.
See restaurantsKeep exploring