3 Traditional Foods
You Have To Try in Chişinău

Mămăligă is a traditional porridge and the country's national dish that is often confused with polenta. It is an extremely simple dish of boiled cornmeal that was cooked mostly by peasants in the past, often acting as a substitute for bread. They would prepare it in a round-bottomed kettle known as ceaun, and after it cooled down and hardened, the porridge would get sliced with a piece of string. Mămăligă is often topped with butter, sour cream, or cascaval cheese. Another way of serving the dish includes crushing the porridge in a bowl of hot milk. In the last few decades, this simple and rural meal evolved into something bigger, so today it can also be found in modern, upscale restaurants. The dish is also very popular in Moldova.Expand

Zeama is a traditional soup that is also known as the ultimate hangover cure. It typically consists of homemade chicken broth that’s prepared with a smaller whole chicken, water, thin homemade egg noodles (tăiței de casă), and a variety of finely chopped vegetables and herbs. The soup usually contains carrots, onions, sweet peppers, leeks, tomatoes, and potatoes, and it is typically flavored with pepper, salt, and a handful of aromatic herbs such as parsley, dill, thyme, lovage, or celery leaves. Traditionally, the broth is made sour with the addition of borș acru (fermented wheat bran juice), lemon juice, or zeamă de varză acră (sauerkraut juice). Zeama is enjoyed throughout the whole year, typically for lunch. It is often served with traditional Moldovan cornbread on the side, while other typical accompaniments include sour cream, hot peppers, and lemons.Expand

Plăcintă, from the Latin word placenta which means flat cake, is a traditional fried pastry or a thin cake consisting of flour, water, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. This fried or deep-fried pastry is enjoyed warm, and it is usually stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. A great variety of fillings can be used for the stuffing, including branza cheese, sweet cheese, mashed potatoes, shredded cabbage, apples, jams, and sour cherries, to name a few. Plăcintă’s texture and consistency can range from light and fluffy to doughy and crispy, resembling a flatbread. Depending on the filling and the method of preparation, it can be consumed as an appetizer, a dessert, or a light main dish. It is generally regarded as a vegetarian dish, but it can also be filled with meat such as shredded chicken.Expand