Food & Wine
The main ingredients used by Romanian chefs are meats such as pork, beef and lamb, fish, vegetables, dairy products and fruit. A traditional Romanian meal may include:
Appetizer
All kinds of cheeses, cold cuts and vegetable spreads.
Soup
"Ciorba de perisoare" (meatball soup), "ciorba taraneasca" (vegetable soup, with or without meat), "ciorba de burta" (tripe soup).
Fish
"Saramura" (grilled carp in brine), "nisetru la gratar" (grilled Black Sea sturgeon) or "scrumbie la gratar" (grilled herring).
Entree
"Tocanita" or "tochitura" (meat stew seasoned with onions and/ or spices), "ghiveci" (over 20 vegetables cooked in oil), "sarmale" (pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with a mix of minced meats, rice and spices) and "mititei" (The "Wee Ones" - small skinless grilled sausages) are among the favorites.
Dessert
"Papanasi" (cottage cheese donuts, topped with sour cream and fruit preserve), "clatite cu branza" (crepes filled with cottage cheese, raisins and spices) and "cozonac" (traditional holiday sweet bread filled with walnuts, poppy seeds or cream cheese).
A traditional drink enjoyed with appetizers is "tuica" (a potent plum brandy) which varies in strength, dryness and bouquet according to the production area.
Whether you travel in Romania along the coast of the Black Sea or in the Dorbrudja Plateau near the Danube Delta region or in the Province of Moldova or along valley slopes of the scenic Carpathian Mountains or in Transylvania Province or in Wallachia or in nearly any agricultural area throughout Romania, you're in wine country.
Romania is one of the world's top-ranking producers of numerous delicious wines, some of which never leave its borders.
Archeological evidence of country-wide wine production in Romania's grape-friendly soil and climate dates back to the classical Greek and Roman eras of settlement in Romania. Today, on a list of the world's "Top 12 Wine Producers," in which France ranks number one and Italy is listed as number two, Romania ranks tenth (10th) among the world's top wine producers by volume. (Attribution: U.S. News & World Report, May 20, 2002, page 30, citing source: Wine Institute based on data from Office Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin.)
For the traveler interested in adding viniculture to his or her cultural itinerary, a trip to Romania offers many opportunities to visit wine-producing regions and to discover and sample the many different wines of Romania, from little known local and regional wines to Romania's great wine labels, such as Murfatlar, Cotnari, Jidvei, Dealu Mare and Odobesti.
Romania's climate and soil are hospitable to the production of many different types of wines, from dry, sparkling whites to rich, aromatic, purplish reds. And, since traditional Romanian fermentation methods do not employ chemicals, drinking these richly tasting wines seldom results in a hangover.
This section is courtesy of Travel Lady
Magazine.
Dinner at the Count's
by Joyce Dalton
Torches burn in front of the early 20th century Bucharest mansion. A
black-cloaked doorman reminds guests that they "enter freely" and "of
(their) own will." Two words familiar to aficionados of Bram Stoker's
classic novel, Dracula, diners enter the Count Dracula Club, a theme
restaurant situated, appropriately, in Bucharest — Romania's
capital.
The restaurant's three dining salons feature a distinct decor. In the Transylvania room, hand-carved chairs, service
plates from the ceramics centre of Corund, a ceiling of wooden shingles,
and walls adorned with pottery, festival masks and cloth witches remind
diners of the Count's home turf.
In the Hunting Salon, the pelts of a wolf, a wild cat, a wild boar and a Carpathian bear cover the walls,
along with the antlered head of a stag. All are from the collection of a
man who lived and hunted in the area of the Borgo Pass, which the
fictional Jonathan Harker crossed on his fateful visit to Dracula's
castle. Tables are carved of rough wood and chairs sport black woolen
covers.
For an introduction to a major figure in Romanian history,
a portrait of Vlad Tepes dominates the Medieval Room. While the prince
dealt harshly and often gruesomely with all he perceived as enemies, Tepes
is revered by Romanians for his bravery against invading Turks and many
resent Stoker's portrayal of their hero as a vampire. Armor and crossed
halberds, leased from Bucharest's Military Museum, evoke the Medieval
mood, as do engravings of 15th Century battle scenes, an iron chandelier
and heavy, silver plated service plates. A ceramic stove, or soba, stands
against one wall. Lined with photographs from Dracula films, a narrow
staircase leads to a cellar level English pub, reminiscent of the Count's
London days, and to a small, book-filled Library. Beyond a secret door (a
moveable wine rack), the Chapel houses, in addition to tables and chairs,
a box filled with Transylvanian soil. This is Dracula's daytime resting
place.
Night, of course, is a different story. As guests sip such
concoctions as Transformation, Elixir Dracula and Transylvania Night, the
lights begin to dim and the air seems to chill. If diners move quickly,
they might reach the Chapel in time to see the Count pushing back the
cobwebs surrounding his coffin to emerge for his nightly prowl. First,
though, he wanders through each room, presumably, checking out dinner
possibilities.
Since, as Bram Stoker has told us, books are
Dracula's friends, he pauses in the Library, but no one occupies its one
table that evening. Moving on to the English pub, he recalls pleasant days
spent in 19th Century London and smiles at a picture of the boat that
brought him to England where he met Mina, his true love.
Happy to
leave his solitude and mingle with guests, the Count mounts the narrow
staircase as flames from the silver candelabrum in his hand cast
flickering shadows on the walls. Reaching the Medieval room, he studies
the portrait of his namesake and speaks of Vlad Tepes and the Order of the
Dragon, which was awarded to Vlad's father, also known as Vlad
Dracul.
Moving on to the Transylvania room, the Count, spying the
masks and other traditional artifacts, reminisces about his native land
and his beloved castle high in the Carpathian Mountains' Borgo Pass. "I've
dined already," he tells his startled guests, a la Stoker, before moving
on to the Hunting Salon.
As he listens to the howling of wolves and
stares at the various skins and pelts covering the walls, Dracula recounts
tales of hunting parties near his mountain home. "Listen to the children
of the night. What music they make!" he exclaims, quoting, as always, his
19th century creator. Noticing that he is not alone, the Count inquires of
his guests, "Do you prefer to hunt or be hunted?"
His head swirling
with memories, Dracula puts a record on an ancient gramophone. But the
sentimental music casts him into despair for it reminds him that Mina soon
will marry another. With a swirl of his long black cloak and flowing white
scarf, he takes his leave, hoping the dark streets of Bucharest will
provide solace for an aching heart.
With their host now absent,
diners' thoughts again return to the menu, which is a treat in itself as
each item is named and described in Draculean words. Among the dozen or so
hot and cold appetizers, diners can choose Professor's Van Helsing's
favorite dish or lamb pastrami and polenta. The menu reminds diners that
Van Helsing, the Count's most fierce enemy, preferred dried beef with
cheese, basil, garlic and olive oil while Vlad Dracula's chef prepared the
lamb dish for Mohammed II's messengers, serving it just before their
impalement.
Several sour soups are offered. As the menu explains,
Transylvanian cuisine uses sour cream, tarragon and eggs in a variety of
soups. The egg, it adds, is a symbol of resurrection and in earlier days,
an egg was put in a loved one's coffin.
Count Dracula's special entrees include Devil's Chicken in Hot Sauce ("Doubtless, there is something
strange or magnetic in the sauce's ingredients which works for life in a
peculiar way," according to the menu) and Outlaws' Brochettes (in Jonathan
Harker's journal, he wrote "I dined on what they call 'robber steak', bits
of bacon, onions and beef, seasoned with red pepper strung on sticks and
roasted over the fire"). The Continental and Romanian offerings also
feature several fish and game dishes. Tradition says that on St. George's
night, at the stroke of midnight, all the evil in the world has full sway.
However, if one stays on a lake's edge and sees a fish, he will be have
luck throughout the year.
For dessert, clatite, a crepe filled
with chocolate, fruit jam or cheese, shouldn't be missed.
While ordinary mortals must settle for a less dramatic entry, an evening
at the Count Dracula Club restaurant is certain to add a memorable note to
a Romanian trip.
The restaurant is situated on the banks of the
Dambovita River, a short taxi ride or reasonable walk from most Bucharest
hotels:
Count Dracula Club Restaurant
Splaiul Independentei 8A
Bucharest, Romania
Telephone: 312 13 53
E-mail: office@romantic.ro
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