When I think of Romanian barbecues, the first thing that comes to mind is that you must have mici on your menu.
Mici / Mititei
Mici / mititei translates as “little ones.” I know you can’t make little into a plural, but in Romania, you can! The magical little ones are skinless sausages seasoned with spices, bicarbonate, and garlic (the garlic is supposed to ward off Dracula…)
I found this really amazing, comprehensive Romanian article on the history of mici: Link (use the translate button on the upper right-hand side on Google Chrome)
Long story short, the mici are of Ottoman influence, and due to their proximity and close-connected history, it seeped into our culture. This is a short, historically accurate account, but the legends are a bit more exciting.
The first legend starts off with the inkeeper, Iordache Ionescu, more than a century ago. He had a famous sausage recipe that would make any meat lover shed a tear, but one day he had no skins for his sausages and he had to improvise, so he took the meat composition, rolled it up placed it on the grill, and served it just like that. The mititei exploded in popularity, and before World War II, you could find them at every corner.
In May 1877, when Russian troops entered Romania to expel the Ottoman armies from Bulgaria, Principe Carol I of Romania had a secret agreement with the Russian Tsar. This pact allowed Russian troops passage through Romania to reach the Balkan front in exchange for Romania’s independence and territorial integrity. When Turkish forces learned of this, they considered Carol I a traitor and bombarded the Romanian side of the Danube. Romanian artillery, equipped with smaller caliber cannons and elongated shells, humorously called these shells “mititei.” The name was later humorously transferred to the small sausages, which became a popular dish, as documented by Cluj historian Călin Felezeu.
For the history of the recipes of mici, see: Link (written in Romanian so use translate)
More articles:
Dracula's Guide to Romania 
Leave a reply to 1st December: Romanian National Holiday – Dracula's Guide to Romania Cancel reply