A FOOD TRADITION

Moldavian Cuisine

Moldavian cuisine in eastern Romania belongs to a broader historical food culture shared across the Prut and shaped by Romanian, Slavic, Jewish, and Ottoman influences. Its cooking favors cornmeal, wheat, beans, cabbage, potatoes, pork, poultry, freshwater fish, sour soups, and abundant herbs. Baking, preserving, fermenting, and cooking over wood fires are characteristic techniques, with fillings and dumpling-like preparations appearing frequently. Recognizable examples include tochitura moldoveneasca, a rich meat preparation; poale-n brau, a sweet or savory cheese pastry; and alivenci, a cornmeal and cheese bake. This entry should not imply exclusive national ownership, since closely related foods are also central to the cuisine of the Republic of Moldova.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.