Romanians don’t just survive on blood, we have long traditions of food, and Transylvania is the place where Hungarians, Germanic populations, Romanians, and quite a few other smaller groups coexisted and, of course, made some wonderful food.
Caraway soup
Besides being a really cool, Christopher Kimball has a knack for food, and this recipe I have never heard of and just sounds amazing as a concept.
Chicken quince stew
Chef Haan is really popular on Instagram, and I’m sad he hasn’t caught on to where his recipes shine: on YouTube. Half Taiwanese and half Romanian, he just has the love of a culture in a very unique way, I mostly watch for the relationship, as most of the dishes he makes I already know. To be honest, I await more fusion dishes, as those spark creativity in my heart. This recipe, though, got me really excited:
Transylvanian Balmos
Where I am from, shepherds use whey, and cheese is more complicated, as it depends on what the shepherd is making. One of my favorite experiences is usually to go to a sheepfold and have the professional make it for me.
Reinterpreted sarmale from Cluj
Translates to cabbage in Cluj style from French, I prefer to call it lazy sarmale, but I don’t want to get into arguments with people from Cluj.
Haans grandma’s version of pork sarmale
She is the real professional, and even though I believe certain things need to be done in another way, she is too good at being a grandma, and I bet it is absolutely delicious and better than whatever I could make.
Lichiu – Lemon Tart-ish
I haven’t tried this either, but… when I went hiking in Transylvania, a couple elderly ladies said that this is absolutely amazing.
Gomboti/Galuste cu prune – Plum Dumplings
An Austro-Hungarian recipe that I love and tastes like childhood from my region.


Leave a comment