Meat-eater’s (and polenta lover’s) paradise

Romanian cuisine is incredibly excellent and one the top Things about Romania You Should Know, but because it is predominantly meat-based, it can be a bit hefty.

Grilled mixed meat, stews, goulash, and various charcuterie-style meats are all staples of the Romanian diet. Prepare to eat a lot of vegetable soup, mushrooms, and polenta if you're a vegetarian or vegan! Yes, polenta (or mămăligă, as it's known in Romania) goes with everything, as it was originally peasant and shepherd fare. This cornmeal-based side dish is so common that it may be found in almost every restaurant, no matter how upscale.

Because Romanian cuisine has its roots in the Eastern Orthodox Church, it features a variety of holiday dishes organized according to the season and holiday. Vegetables, grains, fruits, honey, milk, dairy products, meat, and game are all used in Romanian cuisine.

There are many various varieties of dishes, which are occasionally grouped together under a generic word; for example, the category ciorbă encompasses a wide range of soups with a distinct sour flavor. Meat and vegetable soup, tripe (ciorbă de burtă) and calf foot soup, and fish soup are some of the variations, all of which are soured with lemon juice, sauerkraut juice (zeamă de varză), vinegar, or borș (traditionally made from bran). In Romania, the category țuică (plum brandy) refers to a strong alcoholic spirit.