Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The fish soup (
ciorbă de peste
) served in and around the
Danube Delta is some of the best in the world. It's typically
made from several types of fresh fish, including trout, pike-
perch, sturgeon, carp and a giant Black Sea catfish known as
somn
, plus lots of fresh vegetables, garlic and other spices, all
simmered in a cast-iron kettle.
Tochitură
, another menu staple, is a hearty stew that could
easily be filed away under the 'comfort food' category too.
There are regional varieties, but it's usually comprised of pan-
fried pork, sometimes mixed with other meats, in a spicy to-
mato sauce or wine sauce, served with
mămăligă
, cheese and -
this is the rub - topped with an egg cooked sunny-side up. How can it go wrong?
Dare To Try
»
răcituri
- jelly made from
pig's hooves
»
ciorbă de potroace
- soup
made from chicken entrails
»
brânză în coajă de brad
-
cheese wrapped in tree bark
Street Eats
Romanians love to eat on the go. Look out for:
»
covrigi
- hot pretzels sprinkled with salt or sesame or poppy seeds
»
gogos
i - doughnuts, dusted with sugar or stuffed with fruit
»
placinte
- warm sweet or savoury pastries, stuffed with fruit, curd cheese or meat
»
mici
- grilled rolls of spiced minced pork or beef, served with mustard
»
shoarma
- like a shawarma, though usually made from chicken or pork, with toppings
like cabbage and tomato sauce
COOKING COURSES
A trip to Romania is a rare opportunity to learn the basics of Romanian cooking. While there are not many cook-
ing schools or programmes to choose from yet, the list is growing every year.
»
Mobile Cooking Romania
(
http://mobile-cooking-romania.com
)
A travel company
offering package tours to major tourist destinations, combined with themed gourmet
cooking classes and dining events with international chefs and sommeliers.
»
Société Gourmet
(
www.societegourmet.ro
)
This Bucharest-based outfit offers
themed cooking classes. Most of the courses feature international cuisines, but there
are also regional courses, such as regular weekend truffle hunts in Transylvania. It
also has kid's programmes.
