Back in the day cities of Romania were very mixed, bringing people from all across the Balkans and even further away. Minorities made city life what it is today, in a way enhancing the normal day-to-day experiences. And there is one fundamental experience that everyone just understands. Having a cold drink during the summer. And guess what you would enjoy? A cold drink of Braga!
What is Braga?
Braga is a traditional fermented, sweet-sour drink originating from the nomadic Turks of Central Asia, also known as boza in Turkish and Slavic languages. It is made by boiling ground grains—traditionally millet, but also wheat bran, barley, rye, corn, or maize—with water, after which the mixture is allowed to ferment lightly, producing a nutritious, cloudy beverage with very low alcohol content. Considered “the drink of the sultans,” braga has been prepared for hundreds of years, with recipes passed down through generations.
It used to be really popular in large cities like Bucharest back in the day because of a large Balkan population moving here, many Albanians moving here and bringing boza with them, but also other Balkans wanting to drink boza, especially from the Ottoman Empire.
Because “bragă” can be produced by many different grains, it can be produced at a very cheap price, so in the Romanian language we have an expression “cheap as bragă” (ieftin ca braga). For me it was really weird because I didn’t understand what is the connection with the city of Braga was and why it was cheap. It took me a while to figure it out.
Sources: https://historia.ro/sectiune/general/bragagiii-de-altadata-cum-se-racoreau-566085.html
.https://www.libertatea.ro/lifestyle/ce-este-braga-cum-se-prepara-4746754
.https://www.viva.ro/retete/ce-este-braga-si-cum-se-prepara-3582404
Dracula's Guide to Romania 
Leave a comment