Doina

The most widespread form of Romanian folk music is the doina. Doina is poetic and often melancholic, sometimes compared to the blues for that reason. In the Romanian folkloric tradition, doina was played mainly orally or accompanied by a single instrument, being the song of elegy, played for self comforting and not intended for festive events because of its sober nature. The Romanian verb "a doini" denotes a particular way of singing, using long, slow-paced, polyphonic arrangements which can be done with voice modulation or with a musical instrument, often woodwind instruments.

The doina is played with a slow, free rhythm melody against a fast accompaniment pattern in fixed tempo, giving an overall feeling of rhythmic tension. Melodies are sometimes repeated in differing songs, and typically follow a descending pattern. Most doinas are about the feeling of "dor" - a Romanian word for "intensely missing" (similar to German Sehnsucht and Portuguese Saudade).

Here are some instrumental doinas, played at trumpet, taragot, pan-pipe, cimbalom:


Constantin Gherghina - Doină din Banat


Dumitru Fărcaş - Doină bănăţeană


Gheorghe Zamfir - Doină de jale


Toni Iordache - Doină de jale

...and some vocal doinas:


Achim Nica - Lasă-i puşca ruginită


Drăgan Muntean - Sara bună, bade Ioane


Ileana Sărăroiu - Munte munte, frăţioare


Tudor Gheorghe - Doină haiducească


Traian Ilea - Lae chioru'


Anuţa Tite - Doina lui Pintea Viteazul

Baked polenta with cheese

A traditional shepherds' dish is the delicious mămăligă cu brânză la cuptor (baked polenta with cheese). A simple, easy to cook, cheap recipe...

You need a fresh cook polenta, butter or oil, cheese, cream, possibly two eggs, bacon, sausages, or ham. In a thermo-resistant bowl smeared with butter or oil you put a thin layer of polenta, a thin layer of broken cheese and cream, a layer of polenta, and so on. The last layer must be one of polenta. On top you add some cheese and/or two scrambled eggs. In the cheese you may add some bacon, sausages, or ham. Insert the bowl in the oven and cook until the crust is slightly browned. Good appetite!

Images from Bucataria Denysei.

Quince dish

Today, a traditional Romanian peasant recipe, simple and easy to prepare - quince dish. Ingredients:
2 kg quinces
200 g sugar
100 ml oil
100 ml white wine
50 g flour

Do not peel the quinces, just wash them well and wipe with a kitchen towel. Cut into quarters, cut the hard part in the center, and then slice the quarters like a orange. Cover the slices with flour and fry them in oil well heated, then remove them in another pot.

Put the rest of the flour and the sugar into the remaining oil and stir over heat until sugar begins to caramelize. Pour the wine mixed with 300 ml of water and still give some boil, stirring so as not to make lumps. Pour the sauce over the roasted quinces and seethed together a few minutes longer.

Serve hot or cold.

Images from here.

Mititei

Mititei or mici (Romanian for little or small ones) is a traditional Romanian dish, grilled minced-meat rolls made from beef (usually mixed with mutton and pork), which contain garlic, black pepper, thyme, coriander, anise, savory and sometimes a touch of paprika. Sodium bicarbonate (and sometimes broth or water) is also added to the mixture. It is best served accompanied by mustard and beer. Ideally the mustard should not contain too much vinegar, because the sour taste does not fit with the mititei. The mititei are very popular in Romania. Legend has it that mititei were invented one evening at an inn called La Iordachi (At Iordachi) in Bucharest, well-known for its sausages, when the kitchen ran out of casings, although similar dishes exist across the whole of Eastern Europe, such as the ćevapčići in the Balkans. Nowadays, it is very popular sold as fast-food or in restaurants close to traffic. They are also sold as processed food in supermarkets.


Here is a recipe for mici:

Ingredients:
One third each ground pork, lamb and beef for a total of 2-2.5 lbs meat
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
10 cloves garlic
1/4 cup water or vegetable/beef stock


Preparation:
Mix well all the ingredients together
Beat either water or vegetable/beef stock into the mixture
Leave mixture in fridge to set for a couple of hours or ideally overnight - this is an important step that aids the meat in coming out tender
Form into little 3-4 inch sausage shapes
NOTE: Keep a bowl of water handy to wet hands (this prevents the meat from sticking to fingers).
Grill on very hot grill, turn once
Serve with bread rolls and light mustard

Add a cold beer and a lazy summer evening and you are in heaven!

Ţuica

Ţuica is a traditional Romanian alcoholic beverage made from plums.

Traditionally, ţuica is prepared from early October until early December (after winemaking is complete). The process must generally be finished before Christmas, as not to leave unfinished business for the next year. The plums must be left for fermentation for 6–8 weeks, in large barrels. According to both tradition and Romanian standards, distillation must be done in a brass still, using a traditional fire source (generally wood, but also charcoal). Distillation can be done inside a specially built barn (this is practiced especially in Oltenia and Wallachia) or outdoors, usually on a hill (in Transylvania). The temperature is controlled traditionally by interpreting the sounds that the still makes and by tasting the brew at different points in the process. After distillation, ţuica may be left to age between six months and ten years in oak aging barrels (the result is pearlescent yellow, has a strong aroma, and is known as "old ţuică", or it may be consumed immediately (new ţuică). Mixed with water, ţuică should never turn white or opaque. Most ţuică is moonshine, prepared using traditional methods, both for private consumption and for sale. Although this is illegal, the government tolerates these practices, and does not consider this bootlegging, due to the nature of the drink. Some communities have acquired production licenses and legally produce and bottle țuică.


A famous type is "ţuica cu fruct". This is basically a glass bottle of old ţuică containing a whole fruit (usually an apple or a pear). This is obtained by hanging empty bottles on trees in spring or early summer, and growing the fruit inside the bottle.


Normally, ţuica is only consumed before the meal, usually alongside some telemea cheese, olives, tomatoes and onions. In most cases, only a shot is served as it's too strong to be sipped. The drink is also present in all traditional parties such as weddings, baptisms, hunting parties, harvest festivals, religious holidays, family reunions, and wakes. In most of rural Romania, ţuica is the usual drink to hold a toast with, rather than wine, which is almost always consumed towards the end of the party. Usually it is drunk before meal, as it increases appetite.

Cabbage rolls

Sarmale (cabbage rolls) is a traditional Romanian food, served at nearly every wedding and holiday (and there are MANY)... The recipe is somewhat different in the Romanian regions, but here is a traditional one:

Ingredients
500gr ground beef
500gr ground pork ( do not use the lean kind - it will enhance the flavor if you use the regular one)
1 spoon tomato paste
salt and pepper
2 spoons rice uncooked
1 large or 2 small cabbage heads
1 large onion
250g smoked bacon cut in small pieces
500 gr (1 can) wine sauerkraut
1 spoon whole peppers
salt and pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 laurel leaf
1 small smoked pork hock - just for taste
water

Directions
1. Filling: Mix the ground beef, ground pork, tomato paste, salt and pepper (after taste - if you use the cabbage pickled in brine, remember that it can be quite salty!) and rice. Set it on the side at room temperature while you prepare the leaves of the cabbage.
2. If you use the pickled cabbage, taste it and if it is too salty wash it gently without breaking the leaves. If you use fresh cabbage, you have to add it whole in salted boiling water for 5 -10 minutes (depending how thick the leaves are - as a general rule try to choose the thinnest leaves possible). Once boiled take each leaf carefully and wrap about 1 - 2spoons of meat. The size of the rolls are really personal preference, in Southern Romania they are usually really small and going North towards Moldavia they get really big in size.
3. Separately, in a pan fry the bacon together with the onion until translucent (about 2-3min) and add the sauerkraut, salt (again taste the sauerkraut and see how salty it is), pepper, whole pepper and the tomato paste- cook another 3 minutes. Set it aside.
4. In a deep crock/pan spread evenly at the bottom about 1/3 from the sauerkraut mix. On top of it add one layer of rolls. Add another layer of sauerkraut and another layer of rolls. Finish with a layer of sauerkraut. On top add the small pork hock and the laurel and add water in order to barely cover the rolls.
5. Boil on stove top at med- slow heat approx. 2 hours - 2 1/2 hours. Take out one roll after 2 hours and try to see if it is cooked thoroughly. Once cooked, take out the laurel and the pork hock and discard.
6. Bake at 375F for another 30 minutes until you see a nice crust formed on top of it.
7. You can actually freeze it. In the freezer keeps very well for at least 1 month.
8. Serve it with polenta and top each plate with 2 generous spoons of sour cream. Enjoy!


Amount Per Serving - Calories: 828, Total Fat: 18.9g, Cholesterol: 64mg