Top 10 Romanian Foods – Most Popular Dishes in Romania

While Romania is better known internationally for Dracula, Transylvania, and Nadia Comaneci, its lesser- known cuisine is something well worth exploring. Traditional Romanian food brings together a mix of local ingredients. It is heavily influenced by Balkan, Turkish, Serbian, German, and Hungarian cuisines, and due to this rich heritage, Romanian food is varied, filling, and very savory.

1. Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls)

Sarmale is a true comfort food that you can find at every traditional Romanian wedding and you’ll smell the mouthwatering aroma wafting on the streets during the Christmas and New Year holidays. 

The filling is made of minced meat (usually pork, sometimes combined with poultry) mixed with spices, rice, and onions. This is then rolled up in sour (fermented) cabbage leaf parcels, and simmered for hours in a special sauce made of sauerkraut juice, tomato juice, and other secret ingredients.

In some Romanian regions they use vine leaves instead of cabbage. For fasting or for a vegan choice, the minced meat can be very successfully replaced with a mixture of ground nuts, grated carrots, and chopped mushrooms. 

Sărmăluțe, as you’ll find them on restaurant menus, are served with sour cream and hot mămăligă, which brings us to the next staple food.

2. Mămăligă (Polenta)

Usually a side dish for sarmale or served plain with sour cream and Romanian cheese, mămăligă is made from corn flour boiled in water with a pinch of salt and a few drops of sunflower oil.

It’s very healthy and makes a fantastic partner for gravies or stews. Shepherds like to mix it up with salty sheep cheese to create a specialty called “bulz”.

3. Mici (Grilled Minced Meat Rolls)  

Literally translated as “Small ones” because traditionally Mici were only the size of an adult finger. They are truly succulent and delicious, which explains why they are so popular at  barbeques, street food, cottage weekends, and birthday celebrations.

This is another food that can be smelled from miles away and makes your mouth water. Easy to make, all you need is minced pork and beef mixed with garlic, spices, and a pinch of sodium bicarbonate.

Form the mixture into small sausage-like portions and put them on the grill. Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, you can enjoy them best with only mustard and fresh, crusty bread.

4. Ciorbă de burtă (Beef Tripe Soup)

Want to be a little bold when traveling abroad, and sample some unique local delicacies? Then you have to try one of the most popular soups in Romania – Beef Tripe Soup. While the name may not sound too appealing, it’s a real delicacy and is sure to make your tastebuds sing!

Considered the ultimate hangover remedy, Tripe Soup is made from the stomach of a cow, with vegetables, and special bones, flavored with lots of garlic and soured with vinegar. Hot chili peppers make a great pairing.

5. Pomana Porcului (Romanian Pork Stew)

This dish comes from an old rural tradition, and the two are best experienced together to get the full experience. It starts in the cold, crispy air of December, when pigs are sacrificed for Christmas dinner.

Fresh meat cut from the freshly slaughtered animal is then fried in its own fat in a deep pan. 

This savory feast goes down best when served with authentic pickles. Restaurants often feature this dish on the menu, but if the pig is not freshly slaughtered, you won’t truly be honoring it and it won’t taste as good.

6. Jumări (Pork Greaves)

From the same sacrifice of the pig, Romanians make a crunchy, salty starter called jumări. It’s made by frying bits of bacon and pig fat.

Jumari is best served warm and is always accompanied with raw onions and a shot of țuică, the traditional Romanian plum brandy, as a digestive. 

As delicious and moreish as it may be, you don’t want to overdo it if you still want your pants to fit.

7. Cozonac (Sweet Bread)

There is no Christmas or Easter without this traditional Romanian  treat.  The pride of every cook, Cozonac can be a real challenge for a household because it has to be done right.

This Romanian dessert is a type of sweet bread filled with sweet walnut paste, poppy seed paste, or Turkish delight and raisins.

Kneading the dough is demanding work and the whole process takes a while, but the result is truly rewarding.

It can also be found all year round in stores or fairs, but nothing compares with the taste of a homemade one. If you get the opportunity to try, make sure you compliment the baker on the unique recipe and his or her skill in making this wonderful Romanian confection.

8. Drob de miel (Lamb Haggis)

Lamb haggis (drob de miel) is a festive Romanian Easter dish that looks like meatloaf with boiled eggs inside. Recipes vary from one region to another, sometimes even from one family to the other. But there are some rules and secrets to keep in mind, no matter what kind of haggis you want to make because this tasty appetizer is much more than meets the eye.

Minced lamb offal, green onions, eggs, and bread dipped in milk are baked together along with fresh cut herbs, such as dill and parsley, and garlic. Pork is sometimes added as are chicken livers. Drob de miel can be served as a main course, with various side dishes, or as a tasty appetizer.

9. Papanași

Returning to desserts, Papanași will definitely have you coming back for more. Originating from the northern part of the country, this calorie bomb is very popular among all Romanians with a sweet tooth.

It’s a donut shaped cottage cheese and semolina mixture that is first fried and then covered in sour cream and jam, preferably blueberry. This sour and sweet combination is a complete delight for your senses and feast for your eyes. It’s also a nightmare for your waistline, but who cares!

10. Salata De Boeuf (Beef Salad)

No dinner party is complete without Beef Salad. This festive dish is really easy to make from ingredients “leftover” from making a soup. Along with vegetables and meat cut into small cubes, the dish includes mayonnaise and is completed with pickles.

The original recipe is made with beef, but nowadays many Romanians replace the beef with chicken to create a lighter version.

Romanian food may not look very fancy but it’s very tasty and inviting. The recipes are being passed forward through generations without losing their identity or taste. If you like Romanian cuisine, you might also be interested in the following:

• Most popular Romanian soups
• Most popular Romanian cheeses
• Guide to Romanian wine
• Top 10 Romanian cookbooks
• Top 10 Romanian red wines
• Top 10 Romanian white wines
• Best foods in Transylvania

Check out our list of most popular foods in neighboring countries:

• Most popular Hungarian foods
• Most popular Serbian foods
• Most popular Ukrainian foods
• Most popular Bulgarian foods
• Best wines from Moldova
• Best sweet Hungarian wines

Adina Serban

Adina has a passion for healthy living and exercise. She has a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and loves nature. She also loves reading, good coffee and exploring new places.