Romanian food is honest, filling, and not well-known outside its borders — which is a shame, because it's good. The cuisine draws on Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Central European influences, blended with a strong local tradition of preserving, smoking, and fermenting.
What to Eat
Sarmale — stuffed cabbage rolls filled with minced pork and rice, simmered in tomato sauce and served with sour cream — is the dish Romanians identify as their national food. Every family has its version. You'll find them on every traditional restaurant menu and at every festive table.
Mici (pronounced "meech") are small grilled skinless sausages made from a mix of beef, pork, and lamb, seasoned with garlic, thyme, and anise. They are eaten at roadside grills, football matches, and summer barbecues, always with mustard and cold beer.
Ciorbă is a category of sour soups that appear on every menu. Ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup, for the brave), ciorbă de legume (vegetable), and ciorbă rădăuțeană (chicken and vegetable with cream) are the main types. The sourness comes from borș (fermented wheat bran liquid) or lemon juice.
Mămăligă is a cornmeal porridge equivalent to polenta, often served with brânză (sheep's cheese) and sour cream. Once considered peasant food, it's now celebrated as comfort food.
Other things worth trying: jumări (rendered pork crackling), papanași (fried doughnuts with jam and cream), cozonac (sweet festive bread with walnut or Turkish delight filling).
Wine and Spirits
Romania is one of Europe's significant wine producers and almost entirely unknown for it. Indigenous white grapes — Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală, Tămâioasă Românească — produce interesting, aromatic wines; international varieties (Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay) also do well. The main wine regions are Dealu Mare (Muntenia), Cotnari (Moldavia), Recaș (Banat), and Murfatlar (near the Black Sea). Wines are very affordable by Western standards.
Țuică is the national spirit: a plum brandy that ranges from rough and fiery to carefully aged and complex. The homemade version, pălincă, can reach 60% alcohol and is offered as welcome hospitality in rural homes. Accept graciously; decline after the first glass if you need to drive.
Where to Eat
City dining has improved dramatically since 2010. Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, and Sibiu all have good restaurant scenes, with a mix of traditional Romanian food (look for places called restaurant or cramă) and international cuisine. Prices are low by Western European standards — a meal with wine at a decent Bucharest restaurant rarely exceeds €25 per person.
In smaller towns and villages, look for pensiuni (guesthouses) where owners cook traditional food from their own gardens and animals. This is often the best food in Romania.