Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Going Meatless
Devout Orthodox Christians observe a vegan diet on Wednesdays and Fridays and for ex-
tended periods during religious holidays. That said, the quantity and quality of meatless
offerings at most restaurants on most days is not what it ought to be. During religious hol-
idays, some restaurants will offer a
meniu de post
(menu without meat or dairy). This
menu could include mains such as
cartofi piure cu şniţele de soia
(mashed potatoes with
soy schnitzels),
sarmale de post
(vegan cabbage rolls),
zacuscă de vinete cu ciuperci
(egg-
plant and mushroom dip) and
tocăniţă de legume de post
(vegan vegetable stew).
Aside from that, nearly every restaurant will
have a list of vegetarian salads.
Salată de roşii
(tomato salad) is sliced tomatoes doused in
olive oil and vinegar, and covered in chopped
parsley and onion. Also popular is
salată de
castraveţi
(cucumber salad), or tomatoes and
cucumbers combined in a
salată asortată
(mixed salad).
On entree lists, look for
murături
(pickled
vegetables, such as cucumbers or cauliflower),
ciuperci umplute
(stuffed mushrooms), and
potato dishes, including
cartofi ţărăneşti
(country-style potatoes), which is often served
alongside meats.
Soups are often served with a small pepper on the
side. Don't put the pepper in the soup; instead take
a nibble of it along with a spoonful of soup. You
might also be served a dish of clear or creamy gar-
lic sauce. The local habit is to take a spoonful of the
garlic and mix it with the soup.
Leave Room for Dessert
Romanian cooking excels in the sweets department, so be sure to leave plenty of room for
a 'second' main course. More pedestrian - but still delicious - desserts include strudels,
crepes (
clătite
) and ice cream (
îngheţată
). Our favourite, though, has to be
papanaşi
. This
is fried dough, stuffed with sweetened curd cheese and covered with jam and heavy
cream.
HOLIDAY TREATS
Romanian celebrations and rituals are intricately bound up with food.
All Saints Day
(9 March) Little
mucenici
(martyrs) are baked on this day; in most of Romania they are pieces of
unleavened dough in a figure eight. However, in Moldavia they're brushed with honey and sprinkled with wal-
nuts, and in Wallachia they're boiled with sugar then covered with crushed walnuts and cinnamon.
