I am so excited to talk about food, I didn’t even care if my first article had any success, I just wanted to share all the foods that I can to help you dip your flavor buds in this summer.
Pastai cu usturoi – Sauteed greenbeans with garlic
I will start by saying that each family makes their own version and focuses on their own texture. There are too many variations, but garlic and green beans are the constants, but then again, there are quite a few types of green beans, and even garlic is quite different. I do recommend going down the rabbit hole of recipes just for the experience.
Dovlecei Pane – Battered Zuchinis
To be honest, when my parents made these, it was a massive disappointment because they look like Romanian schnitzel, and it would make me very sad. Why make something fried mildly healthy when it could be pure decadence? I personally don’t like these bad boys, but I know a lot of Romanians that get excited, so here they are on the list!
Cheese and a homegrown tomato
This might look generic, but tomatoes that are perfectly ripe with your favorite Romanian cheese are heaven. Some people love caș, others love telemea, urdă, or even the humble smoked cașcaval. I remember once driving to Vrancea county with my father, and when we arrived at my father’s side of the family, we were offered a full meal, and we just wanted something light. We got some freshly picked tomatoes and a dry salty cheese (I think it was caș) and it was the best thing ever after a long drive in a car without AC.
Grilled tomatoes
Found out recently that this is popular in Romania during the summer. I knew that in the US it was a big thing, but cultural similarities never cease to amaze me. So grilled tomatoes on the grill is the way to go!
Ciorba acra de dovlecei – Sour Zuchinni Soup
It is a vegetable soup where the star is zucchini. I usually prefer it with extra sourness, so that can mean adding bors, yogurt, or my favorite… sour cream. Different families have different versions, but it is best served cold during the summer.
Supa de roșii rece – Cold Tomato Soup
The most popular version is with rice but considering how many international versions there are out there, the Spanish gazpacho can also wiggle itself in. Is it Romanian? Not really, but it is part of Romanian summer food. I would say that the one with noodles or the one with rice is more “local” but let’s not get into that debate.
Socata
This is my favorite summer drink, you ferment elderflowers with some sugar and maybe some lemons and puff a magical drink.
Limonada – Lemonade
So some cultures think that lemonade is Sprite, others make it very fancy. In Romania lemonade is water, sugar and lemon juice. If you want to add other stuff or make it with fizzy water, it is your choice, but this is the basic version, and you can build from that. If you go to the restaurant, you will get the overpriced version of this.
Braga – A drink coming from the Balkan area called Boza
It was really popular in Bucharest before communism and would be sold cold during the summer on the street. Today it is really hard to find in the city, but Dracula got you covered: Bogdania Bistro, Coltea Kebab and if you get outside of the city in Slatina you find the most famous one… Atletul Albanez translated to the Albanian Athlete.
Blueberry Soup (or sour cherry soup, or other types of fruit soup)
It’s hard to find recipes online or even photos, but what I can tell you is that this recipe is really popular in Transylvania, and it is viewed as a soup, while I believe it is more of a dessert.
Pandispan – Sour Cherry Tart (or any summer fruit tart)
My favorite summery goodness… the dessert that my grandma used to make and I would eat like crazy, finishing a tray of these bad boys in one day… Those were the day…
For more articles:
Dracula's Guide to Romania 
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