THE GASTRONOMICAL WONDER OF TRANSYLVANIA
There are a lot of things Transylvania can impress you with, such as medieval castles, captivating history and legends, but also wonderful cuisine. What makes the food here so special is the perfect combination of the influence brought here by the minorities in the past.
In a few words, the food here is heavily seasoned, fatty and delicious and the main ingredients are pork, green vegetables, eggs and cheese. Here are some examples of them:
1. Tocăniță de porc cu mămăligă– it is as simple as it gets, pork and “mămăligă” also called polenta, but the way the meat is prepared takes a lot of knowledge and secret ingredients.
2. Varză a la Cluj– a dish based on cabbage and meat, a little bit spicy, specific to the Cluj area.
3. Ciorbă de fasole cu costiță afumată– we can easily say in Romania we have the best ”ciorbă” or soup and one specific to these places is the soup with beans and flavourful smoked ribs.
4. Ciorbă de pui cu tarhon– tarrgon is an essential spice in transylvanian cuisine because of the sensational smell it gives to the food and this soup is no exception. Chicken meat is usually used in this recipe.
5. Gulaș la ceaun– it is prepared from pork (ribs, smoked pork), dumplings, vegetables and many spices. It looks like a very thick and flavorful soup or stew.
6. Pui a la Cluj– we had cabbage from Cluj, now we present chicken from Cluj, a dish specific to the community of Hoștezeni, which came to Travsylvania in the XVI century
7. Gomboți cu prune – for dessert we have transylvanian dumplings, made out of plums and the softest dough. The technique of making this dough is known since The Middle Ages and was brought to Romania by the austrians in the Renaissance times.
If you want to taste all these amazing traditional food, the team from My Transylvania (mytransylvania.ro) can give you a gastronomical experience you’ll never forget through their Transylvanian Brunch, an event that supports and promotes local products, recipes and culture. It is free of cost, but guests are expected to pay a donation.
Another event that offers a special gastronomical experience is Oktoberfest Brasov, inspired by the well-known german holiday, it is a festival where people all over the world can come to enjoy a pint of beer and traditional Romanian food.
Wishing you a good day,
Victoria Bistrița