Some of you might be wondering what do Romanians have in the fridge for a fast snack. So, I am here to teach you the Romanian way, and maybe help you figure out what to eat if you are staying for a longer period of time in Romania.
Bread – Pâine/Franzelă
Romanians eat almost everything with bread, so you need it for all the pairings on this list (you can replace with boiled potatoes or polenta if you are gluten intolerant, but that is already turning into a cooked meal)
I prefer other types of breads but this is the cheapest and the most nostalgic loaf:
You have the bread, now let’s get some healthy stuff.
Vegetables – Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red bell Pepper
There are other vegetables that we sometimes eat but I would argue most of the vegetables we consume from the shop for a quick snack are these bad boys. Don’t forget to salt them or place, some salt on the side.
In the image you see the veg and a spread, that is a healthy version of an eggplant spread, called salata de vinete.
Salata de vinete – Eggplant/Aubergine spread – Dracula’s favorite!
Roast some eggplants on the grill or some fire, mayo or sun flower oil, maybe some lemon, maybe some onion. Spread it on some bread and you are down to business! How to make it: Link
You can find it in most supermarkets it can be Vegan or Vegetarian.
Zacuscă – Roasted Red Pepper Spread
If you had the honor to visit the Balkans, then you should have heard of Ajvar, Zacusca is the Romanian version and is something that most people remember fondly as a food and is very comforting. How to make it: Link
It is easy to find it in a supermarket and it is Vegan.
Cheeses – Cascaval, Telemea or Regionally specific cheeses
The easiest cheeses to find in the supermarket are telemea and cascaval but there are many regionally specific cheeses waiting to impress you.
Easiest cheeses to find: cașcaval, telemea, brânză de burduf
If you have chrome you can translate this article: Link
Meat cuts – Sibiu Salami, Dried Pastrami, Ham
Romanians are meat eaters so if a Romanian makes a Charcuterie board it is going to consist mostly of meat. The meat section is crazy full but here are some of the easiest to find.
Sibiu Salami (Salam de Sibiu): During communism it was very hard to find this “luxury good”, but it is a product with a long tradition (will come back with an article in the future)
Dried Pastrami (pastramă): Not the type of pastrami that you are thinking of, but it is very tasty the homemade one is amazing but you can find it in the supermarket.
Ham (șuncă): It is affordable and one of the most common products consumed.
Pate
You can definitely get some really nice pate’s at places we call băcănie (also healthier) but if you just need a quick bite to eat you get a can of pate.
Dracula’s favorite one in the supermarket is this one (the best ones are homemade!):
Garlic Bean paste – Fasole Bătută
This is the type of recipe that is better for the evening as it means you can’t go and socialise. Also it showcases how afraid Romanians are of Dracula…
It is also vegan and vegetarian.
Video start at 1:48:
Fish roe – Salată de icre
This is much easier to buy already made in the supermarket but if you make the homemade version it is truly impressive. Basically fish eggs, oil and a bit of lemon. You can also find it in Greece called taramasala. Just know that it is heavier than it looks!
Butter and jam
Get the best butter you can find, spread that bad boy on some bread and then get the best jam you can find. Pro tip is to find “magiun de prune Topoloveni“, a type of plum jam that has European protected status as it is made following a traditional recipe, without additives, preservatives or added sugars. It contains just 4 different types of plums making it a healthy snack (don’t forget it has quite a bit of natural sugars).
Jams are easy to find in supermarkets, the magiun is a bit more difficult to find. Take away the butter and it is vegan!
Snacks – The unhealthy happiness
You go to the supermarket and you want to experience the unhealthy vibes of Romania! What do you do? You follow the next link:
Dracula's Guide to Romania 
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