Moldovan cuisine facts for kids
Moldovan cuisine is the traditional way of cooking in Moldova. It uses many local ingredients like different meats, potatoes, cabbage, and various grains. This cooking style is very similar to Romanian food. It also gets ideas from other nearby countries, including Greece, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. The Ottoman cuisine also had a big influence on Moldovan dishes.
Contents
Why Moldovan Food is Special
Moldova has very rich soil called chernozem. This special soil helps grow lots of delicious foods. Farmers can grow many grapes, fruits, vegetables, and grains. They also raise animals for meat and milk products. All these fresh ingredients are used to make the tasty national dishes. The rich soil and traditional farming methods allow for a wide variety of foods to be grown.
Popular Moldovan Dishes
One of the most famous Moldovan dishes is mămăligă. This is a thick cornmeal mush, similar to polenta. It's a very common food in Moldova. People often eat it with stews and meat dishes. Sometimes, it's topped with cottage cheese, sour cream, or pork rind.
Another special food is brânză. This is a type of salty cheese. Friptură is also popular, which is a stew made from lamb or goat. Most meals in Moldova are enjoyed with local wines.
Vegetable Dishes
Moldovan cooking often combines many different vegetables. These include tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cabbage, beans, onions, garlic, and leek. Vegetables are used in many ways. They are found in salads and sauces. People also bake, steam, or pickle them. Pickled vegetables are called murături. They can also be salted or marinated.
Soups and Stews
Many soups in Moldova are called borș or ciorbă. They all have a special sour taste. These soups can be made with meat and vegetables, or with fish. The sour taste comes from borș (traditionally made from bran) or lemon juice. A very popular chicken soup with meat is known as zeamă.
Meat and Fish Dishes
Meat is very important in traditional Moldovan cooking. It often appears as an appetizer or the first part of a meal. Common meat dishes include roasted and grilled pork. There are also beef meatballs, known as pârjoale and chiftele. Steamed lamb is also a favorite. Meat and fish are often marinated first, then grilled.
Holiday Foods
For holidays, people enjoy special dishes. These include stuffed cabbage rolls with minced meat, called "sarmale". Another holiday favorite is pilaf, which is a rice dish. Pork jelly, noodles, and chicken dishes are also common.
The holiday table is usually filled with delicious baked goods. These include pastries, cakes, rolls, and buns. They come with different fillings like cheese, fruit, vegetables, or walnuts. Some famous baked treats are cozonac, pască, brânzoaice (Poale-n brâu), sfințișori, papanași, colaci, plăcinte, and cornulețe.
Foods from Different Cultures
In some parts of Moldova, you can find foods from different ethnic groups. In the east, Ukrainians often eat borscht. In the south, Bessarabian Bulgarians serve mangea, which is chicken with sauce. The Gagauz prepare shorpa, a very flavorful mutton soup. In Russian communities, pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings) are popular. For New Year's Eve, many dishes are influenced by Russian cuisine, like shuba and Salată de boeuf.
Another popular dish is a type of dumpling called colțunași. These can be filled with fresh white cheese (colțunași cu brînză), meat (colțunași cu carne), or even cherries.
Drinks in Moldova
Moldova has many popular drinks, both with and without alcohol.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Non-alcoholic drinks include compotes made from stewed fruit. Fruit juice is also a common choice.
Alcoholic Drinks
Popular alcoholic drinks are divin (which is Moldovan brandy), beer, and local wine.
Moldova is famous for its wines. They use European grapes like Sauvignon, Cabernet, and Muscat. Some of Moldova's own grape varieties include Fetească, Rara neagră, and Busuioacă albă.
Sparkling wine is very special in Moldovan cuisine. The country makes a lot of classic white and pink sparkling wines. They also make red sparkling wines, which were first created in Moldova. The most famous sparkling wines come from the Cricova winery. Some well-known Moldovan sparkling wine brands are Negru de Purcari, Moldova, Chişinău, Cricova, Muscat spumant, National, and Nisporeni. These wines are made from many different European grape types. These include Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot menie, Sauvignon, Aligote, Traminer pink, Muscat blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot noir. The local grape called Feteasca Albă has been grown in Moldova since ancient times and is also used in sparkling wines.
Images for kids
