Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Easter
The high point of the Orthodox calendar. The main meal revolves around lamb; especially delicious is
stu-
fat de miel
, a lamb stew made with green onions and garlic. Breads play an important side role, particularly
pască
,
a traditional Easter sweet cake, and a sweet egg bread called
cozonac
.
Christmas
Dinner centres on pork, starting with a soup of smoked pork, and ham or pork chops as the main
course.
Sarmale
will also be served. Sweets include
cozonac
, walnut cake and even pumpkin pie. In Transylvania,
you will find
singeretta
, sausages made with pig's blood, liver, kidneys and fat.
Romanian Drink
The Hard Stuff
Sure, Romanians enjoy a good beer or glass of wine, but when it comes to serious drink-
ing, the only real contender is fruit brandy - schnapps, eau de vie - or as the Romanians
say,
ţuică
. Typically,
ţuică
is made from plums (surveys say three-quarters of the nation's
plums end up in a bottle), though we've also seen apricots and pears applied to this nefari-
ous craft.
The best batches are from the backyard still,
and nearly everyone has an uncle or grandpa
who makes the 'best in Romania'. You'll often
find
ţuică
sold in plastic bottles at roadside
fruit stands, sitting there innocently next to the
apples and watermelons.
A shot of
ţuică
before a meal is a great way
to break the ice, and Romanians say it does
wonders for the appetite. Unless you're a seasoned drinker, though, we'd hold the line at
one or two shots. Homemade batches can run as high as 50% to 60% alcohol (100 to 120
proof).
Palincă
(called
horincă
in Maramureş and
jinars
in the Cluj-Napoca region) is similar,
only it's filtered twice and can be even stronger.
Not all
ţuică
is the real deal. If you're wondering if
your drink is genuine or merely fruit-flavoured al-
cohol, rub a bit on your arm and give it a sniff. If
you smell the fruit and not the alcohol, it's the
genuine article.
Wine & Beer
Though it definitely flies under the radar screen for wine production, Romania is the 9th-
biggest winemaker in the world and produces many wines that are world class.
