Top 3 Romanian Cheese Dishes

Traditional Romanian-style cornmeal porridge called mămăligă is combined with white cheese in this simple Romanian dish. To make mămăligă, a mixture of cornmeal, salt, and water is gradually poured into boiling water and cooked until it has obtained a thick and smooth texture. Once prepared, the cornmeal porridge is typically served with different types of Romanian soft white cheeses such as telemea or brânză de burduf. Generous amounts of grated cheese can go either on top of or on the side of the steaming hot porridge, although the porridge is also frequently mixed with the cheese or even layered with it before being baked. Mămăligă cu brânză is often finished with additional grated cheese on top before serving, and it is usually accompanied by a dollop of sour cream on the side.Expand

Kashkaval pane is the name for Bulgarian fried cheese. It's made by breading and frying yellow kashkaval cheese. This sheep's milk cheese is semi-hard in texture, and it's especially well-suited for cooking, grating, and melting. Kashkaval pane is often served as an appetizer in pubs or a street food item that's beloved for its portability. In Romania, the dish is known as cașcaval pane and it's traditionally accompanied by fries, mashed potatoes, or mamaliga.Expand

Mămăliguță cu brânză și smântănă combines traditional Romanian-style cornmeal porridge with cheese and sour cream. To make mămăliguță or mămăligă, cornmeal is gradually added into boiling salted water and cooked until thickened and smooth. The porridge can be more on the softer or thicker side, depending on individual preferences, and it can either be layered with grated cheese, sour cream, and (sometimes) boiled eggs before serving, or simply accompanied by grated cheese and a few dollops of sour cream on the side. Typical types of cheese used in the preparation of this dish include Romanian cheeses such as telemea (similar to Greek feta), brânzá de burduf (sheep’s milk cheese), or brânză de vaci (a type of cottage cheese). This simple dish is a common way to enjoy one of Romania’s staples - cornmeal porridge.Expand