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Home , Food, Goulash, List of bacon dishes, List of bread rolls, List of potato dishes, List of snack foods

Available online at http://journal-of-agroalimentary.ro Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies Technologies 2015, 21(2), 186-191

Romanian : Culinary Habits and Local Produce Liana-Claudia Salanţă, Adriana Păucean*, Maria Tofană, Simona Man, Carmen Pop Department of Science, Faculty of and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary , 3-5 Manastur St., Cluj-Napoca,

Received: 03 June 2015; Accepted: 19 June 2015 ______Abstract From beach holidays at the Black Sea Coast, to viewing rare at the Danube Delta, to snow skiing or soaking in curative in mountainous and Bucovina, Romania's physical features offer a multitude of attractions for tourists. has always had a very important role in bringing together. Romania has an important background of products, as well as the authentic way of preparing them. Focusing on the local gastronomy, although not exhaustive this article aims to offer a clear and impartial description of the and to potential tourist. Keywords: , food habits, traditional food, gastronomy ______

1. Introduction Romania may become, without exception, an One of the most defining elements of a country, important touristic attraction at international level region or culture is its cuisine. Food represents a due to the and its untouched powerful part of the identity of a nation, region or nature by time and people, with a unique and people. Among others, local greatly beautiful Danube Delta with its particularities and the contribute to enhancing in tourism, advantage of the position of the Black Sea. One can increasing the authenticity of the destination, add historical areas with medieval cities well- strengthening the local economy, providing for the preserved in time, a unique rural space with environmentally friendly infrastructure and last Orthodox monasteries [5]. but not least raising awareness among tourists Gastronomy or food consumption in its most general regarding the cultural richness of a region [2]. sense is one of the integral constituents of the Gastronomy has always had a very important role ´s and thus it is the essential and very in bringing cultures together and plays an important condition of all forms of tourism [7]. indispensable role in the promotion of tourism [8]. Culinary tourism is increasingly appreciated That is why a is a very good way to worldwide and brings substantial income, thus discover a group of people-a real trip through its Romania could also implement a development plan intimacy and its civilization. And because of this kind of tourism. This is possible due to the hospitality is maybe the ’ most existence of traditional products, gastronomy and important trait, we should definitely discuss the agricultural festivals, agrotourism, that are made in value of gastronomic tourism in this area [9]. some regions of the country [11].

______Corresponding author: e-mail: [email protected]

Liana-Claudia Salanţă et. al. / Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies 2015, 21(2)

2.Romanian cuisine architecture of the houses, the traditional costumes and, of , in local cuisine. Romania is located in South-Central , north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the northwest shore of the Black Sea, on the Lower course of the Danube. The earliest written evidence of people living in the territory of present-day Romania, the Getae, comes from Herodotus, in his Histories book I. Territories located north of the Danube were inhabited by , who are considered to have belonged to the Getae tribes, mentioned by Herodotus, that were a branch of Thracian people that inhabited (corresponding to modern Romania).

The cuisine is influenced by repeated waves of Figure 1. Regions of Romania [13] different cultures: the ancient Greeks, with whom Romanians traded, the Romans, who gave the Traditional local gastronomy and food production as country its name; the Saxons, who settled in a reflection of a specific complex of natural but also southern Transylvania, the Turks, who for cultural-historical assumptions offer a possibility of centuries dominated Romania, as well as Slavic differentiation of destination in the tourism market and Magyar neighbors. All of these influences [7]. Unlike other travel activities and attractions, gradually blended into the varied and delicious cuisine is available year-round, any time of day and Romanian culinary . From Roman times in any weather. there still exists the simple pie called plăcintă, the 3.Romanian culinary habits Turks have brought balls ( - fried or perişoare in a meatballs ), from Romania has a lot of traditional culinary products. the Greeks there is the musaca, from the Apart from this, the competitive advantage that Bulgarians there are a wide variety of Romania owns is the way of , old customs, dishes like zacusca, from the Austrians there is the preserved from the ancient times. The products are snitel and the list could continue. being offered in many fairs and cultural events in order to gather a large number of visitors, by As a result of intercultural exchanges, Romania combining the entertainment with cultural education has developed a variety of food culinary products and food [5]. in its villages. A part of the cultural heritage of a nation is the variety of traditional food, kept In accordance with the Romanian culinary habits, the unchanged for to generation. The main are: , and . Dishes countryside is the heart and soul of Romania, are made with patience, even though nowadays, the where culture remains a strong force and society is inclined to think that getting something medieval life prevails, as it does nowhere else in done as quickly as possible is the ideal solution. Only Europe. Romanian cuisine can be defined as by being patient and attentive while cooking, can we integer, but if we analyze food structure in terms of be able to maintain a link with what we eat, with the varieties, method of cooking, , and in place food comes from and with the way aromas terms of structure and association between various combine [9]. raw matters, then we observe that there are A Christian nation for as long as it has existed, the regional particularities [10]. Romanian cuisine, can Romanians use a variety of dishes at every Christian be divided based on regional differences festal occasion, traditional meals are served on (, Bucovina, Muntenia, Dobrogea, holidays such as , Easter and New Year Transylvania, etc.). Every historical regions of [6,9]. Romania have its own specific in culture and customs, reflected in the folk music, the

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Moldavian cuisine with its northern part - their own families with home grown food and other Bucovina is said to be the most refined of all. The self produced products [14]. specific of this area is the using of the sour Hungarian types of food that have found their place at “almost everything” and the famous poale-n in the Transylvanian cuisine: Gulyás, Paprikás, brau - small pies filled with sweet . The Vargabéles, Szilvásgombóc, Szabógallér-leves, may be the base for some Tojásleves or even the tasty Kurtoskalacs. is by tasty and , as well as a very important far the favorite meat in Transylvanian cuisine. Some element who complete the final and aspect of particular dishes are: a la Cluj, soup some dishes. Is added in the delicious with and cabbage rolls (Sarmale). soup, is served with fresh cheese and . Moldavian tochitura differs from the same Cabbage a la Cluj- it's a traditional dish that comes made elsewhere in Romania. It is made from pig’s from Ardeal, some people know the recipe named as and kidneys chopped finely, mixed with "scattered cabbage rolls" or "layered cabbage in the pieces of lard and fried. When this mixture is fried, ". a glass of , pepper and are added and The cuisine from is characterized by tasty, the whole is simmered for a few minutes. This dish and nourishing meals. “Ciorba” is soured with , is never served without polenta. supplemented with cream and seasoned with The specific of Dobrogea is the delicious tarragon. are cooked with home-made , soup, noted for its nutritional value, plachie de and with “rantas”, as well. Home-made noodles are crap ( cooked with and ), spitted much used for , meals and also for sweets. lamb and various sorts of prepared in a very With home-made noodles, we may the well- simple manner and served with garlic . The known ”iofca” with cabbage, nuts, , poppy; there turkish influence is seen in the specific cakes with is also the , which is cooked in most and called baclava and sarailie and from Banat [10]. in the turkish coffe, with a strong flavour. A good range of alcoholic are available Muntenia region’s cuisine is influenced by the (national Romanian drinks), many of them home- French gastronomy. Some particular dishes from made: Tuica: a type of made of , Muntenia are: dried prune or prune with meat Palinca: a very strong brandy, : Feteasca, stew, pie (notably during winter), duck Grasa de Cotnari, Pinot Noir, Riesling, with and goose jelly or pork jelly. Pork jelly from Murfatlar vineyards, local : Ursus, Silva, - is an made from low-grade cuts of pig Ciuc. meat, such as trotters, containing a significant Each historical region has its specific gastronomy, proportion of connective tissue. Pork jelly is a which has been maintained, completed and enriched popular appetizer serve at Christmas. in terms of variety and quality through borrowing The Oltenian cuisine is always seasoned with from the of the other people it contacted or , pepper and chilli pepper. Oltenian cohabited with [10]. are famous: they are made from equal The best way to enjoy a Romanian specialty is in a amounts of and pork chopped finely and Romanian dish called “strachina”, they are made of mixed with garlic, pepper and , the paste being burnt clay and richly decorated. then stuffed into sheep casings, then the sausages are smoked. Maramureș is known for it’s small scaled agricultural character. Most villages are agricultural settings where families have their own piece of , a homestead, a few and often an . This means lots of villagers having a very self sufficient way of life, providing Figure 2. Romanian dish [12]

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4.Food and local produce various ways with garlic, , pepper and other , but the most widely used flavoring method, In what concerns the types of food, in Romania which also acts as a preserver, is the process there are a variety of products, even if one can talk about cheese, meat, fish, , , wine, Cabbage rolls - are made of (usually , , jams and compotes or other traditional pork, but also beef, sheep, poultry, or even fish) related products [5]. mixed with and other and rolled into cabbage . In some regions cabbage rolls are Romania is one of the few countries in Europe served with cooked corn and sour cream. where organic fruits and are widely available at farmers’ markets at very affordable Corn meal with salty cheese and sour cream- prices. Vegetables can be found in both fresh and “Mămăligă” is the name of a food made from boiled preserved forms in various dishes, such as: soups, corn meal similar to polenta. Layers of cheese added and other cooked dishes. Fruits are present to the cooked and a sour cream topping in a wide variety of sorts, ranging from the ones make this specialty a delicious entrée or . that appear throughout summer to those from late Smoked sausages- ground meat is pressed into pieces autumn. Some fruits are stashed and then of intestine, and then placed in smoke. consumed throughout winter, while others are Traditionally, this delicious specialty is flavored with preserved and then transformed into: jam, stewed sweet and hot paprika, salt, garlic and cumin. fruits, marmalade, jellies, , etc. [9]. Human nutritional research is continually showing that a „Caltabosii” called in some areas and ”calbaji”, are well-balanced , rich in and vegetables, sausages made from pig cooked and grind on promotes good and may reduce the risk of the day of sacrificing pig. Is consumed fresh or certain diseases [1]. Some (, , smoked. If in the composition we add dill, savory, , basil, ) are used to (collected in cutting pork, allowed to clot, boiled and many traditional meals, meat dishes, soups, grind) we obtain the so-called ”sangerete”. sour soups (), salads, sauces and pickles. Pork feast- is an ancient tradition, involving a thank- For the food preparation, Romanians use many you dinner to honor those friends and relatives who : oil, , , grease. For cooking, the helped in processing food obtained from butchering a mostly used are: oil (87.4%), butter or margarine -raised pig. For the feast, the meat, liver, , (5.1%), grease (0.4 %), oil and grease (1.1%) [3], ribs and hocks of the pig are fried in its own fat. therefore the traditional culinary preferences are for fatty food (Festila, 2013) [4]. Greaves with onions - this food is obtained by pieces of bacon (its high content). products are obtained as a result of the Nevertheless, around Christmas many people enjoy traditions in some areas, where people have always some golden colored greaves with some salt and red been concerned about sheep breeding. The sheep onions. milk, cow, buffalo cow or she-goat milk are used for obtained cheese specialties. Romania cuisine Lamb - is a Romanian food traditionally also varies per seasons, such as, plenitude of served at Easter referring to the sacrifice of Jesus, the vegetables and fruits in summer and pork based Lamb of God, it is made from lamb liver, rice and recipes in winter. eggs. Traditional food products have been considered to Rissoles from - Made mostly in Moldova be a part of our national identity and culture. They but in other regions of the country as well, rissoles are connected to a particular territory or place and are fried meatballs made from pork occasionally their name is connected to their historical mixed with sheep meat, beef or poultry, with eggs, trademark. dried crumbs, garlic, herbs and salt added to it. Smoked bacon - is made from the fat found either Peasant’s - is always a great success at festive in the abdominal area or on the back of a pig. In meals. The advantage of this platter is that it is a various regions of the country, bacon is flavored in combination of of both animal and vegetable

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origin such as cheese, the tangy cheese called process that is based on , and . “burduf”, pork rinds, bacon, greaves, fresh “Pickles” - are a result of the lactic fermentation of tomatoes and plenty of onions. , green tomatoes, red peppers, etc. Some Grilled sausages- “Mici” or “mititei” meaning other pickles are obtained after adding a special “little ones” are a kind of grilled sausages that solution based on and other , such as: usually come in a cylindrical shape, consisting of horseradish, lovage, calamint, pepper or , which is often mixed with pork and . sheep meat. Garlic, and hot paprika -Sweetbread - to bake a truly delicious sweet are used to flavor this tasty food, usually they are bread always represents a challenge. Old experts say served with mustard. that the quality of the used is very important, with - is a worldwide but the with a firm and baking cure-all for cold days and also it is very the bread in a tightly closing oven make a significant appreciated by the children. This soup doesn't need difference as well. a lot of ingredients, some fresh vegetables and Sweet dough figurines - are a baked for a chicken. traditional holiday to celebrate the first 40 martyrs of Bean soup with hocks- is one of the core foods in Jesus. In the honor of the martyrs, women from Romanian cuisine, even though there are Moldova bake 40 figurines from dough using a recipe noticeable differences in the way it is prepared in resembling that of sweet bread. various regions. In the South, bean soup is - is an ancient traditional food in prepared with several kinds of vegetables added, in Romania. This delicious dessert is usually filled with Moldova it is flavored with dill or tarragon, in sweet cheese and it is sprinkled with powdered . Transylvania, it is thickened with flour cooked in oil and with sour cream and vinegar. Vargabeles- - the recipe was prepared for the first time in Cluj, in XVIII century by an - there are two common recipes of tripe innkeeper named Varga and the name of the recipe soup traditional in Romania: one of them is made means lining cobbler. It’s a with noodles, with sour cream, the other one is served with garlic cottage cheese and eggs. sauce and vinegar. Besides tripe, which is calf stomach cut into strips, this soup contains , Papanash with cow cheese and blueberries - is a celery roots and beef hocks. dessert made from sweet cow cheese, served with marmalade or jam, and , it is very Vegetable soup from Radauti-this food is popular in the local . somewhat similar to tripe soup, except it is made of poultry meat and lots of vegetables, which 5.Conclusions makes it a lighter version of tripe soup. Romania is one of the European countries with a Transylvanian vegetable soup with pork- contains strong traditional culture, that is still alive, in the tarragon, which, combined with pork, adds a very same form as the old times. The country has a cuisine special flavor to the soup. influenced by other cultures, whose route somehow intersected with the Romanian culture. goulash with smoked meat - this traditional Transylvanian goulash is very special. It is Romanian cuisine can be devided based on regional basically a kind of stew, but the ingredients used differences (Moldavia, Bucovina, Muntenia, confer an interesting flavor to it. Dobrogea, Transylvania, etc.). The traditional ways to prepare food it is characteristic for each region of Bean paste with smoked meat- a traditional the country. culinary originating from Transylvania can’t be missing from festive and . The developing of the culinary tourism and agro- tourism represents an important step in the promotion - “Zacusca”- is obtained from of our cultural and historical heritage to the world. eggplant, tomatoes and carrots in a complex

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Compliance with Ethics Requirements. Authors 6. Keppler N., Taste of Romania. Hippocrene Books, declare that they respect the journal’s ethics 2011, New York. requirements. Authors declare that they have no conflict 7. Matlovičová K., Pompura M., The culinary tourism of interest and all procedures involving human / or in . case study of the traditional local sheep's animal subjects (if exist) respect the specific milk products in the regions of orava and liptov. and standards. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 2013, 2(12), 129-144. References 8. Nistorescu G., Tudorache P., Nistoreanu P., 1. Catunescu C.M., Tofana M., Muresan C., Ranga Gastronomic tourism, a new trend for contemporary F., David A., Muntean M., The effect of cold tourism? Cactus Tourism Journal, 2014, 9(1), 12-21. storage on some Quality Characteristics of 9. Păucean A., A Geographical and Historical Overview Minimally Processed parsley (Petroselinum of the Transylvanian Cuisine. Bulletin UASVM Food Crispum), Dill (Anethum graveolens) and Lovage Science and Technology, 2013, 70(1), 1-7. (Levisticum officinale). Bulletin USAMV, 10. Pirvulescu I., Bordean D.M., Petroman I., Petroman , 2012, 69(2), 213-221. C., Rujescu C., Radu S., Sirbulescu C., Study on 2. Constantin S., Gastronomic Traditions and Banat’s traditional gastronomy. Lucrări Ştiinţifice- Habits in the Far East. Cactus Tourism Journal, seria Agronomie, 2009, 52. 2012, 3(2), 54-60. 11. Sava C., Cleșiu S.R., Romanian gastronomy between 3. Cioban C.L., Anca A., Formation of healthy food traditionalism, commerce, business and rural tourism. skills at school children. Lucrări Ştiinţifice –seria 2013, article available from Agronomie, 2009, 52, 235-240. http://www.orizonturi.ucdc.ro/arhiva/2014_khe_6_pd 4. Festila A., Healthy eating practices in Romania, f3/013.%20cipriana%20sava.pdf Master Thesis, Aarhus School of Business and 12. http://www.123rf.com/photo_2902934_painted-clay- Social Sciences, Aarhus University, 2013. -from-romanian-peasant-museum.html 5. Florea C., Culinary Tourism -a key-aspect of 13. http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi%C8%99ier:Provincii_ Romanian tourism development. 2013, article Romania.png) available from 14. http://baboumaramures.com/maramures/ http://www.cafee.ase.ro/wpcontent/uploads/2013e dition/file%2841%29.pdf

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