Moldova's national soup, clear chicken broth with homemade egg noodles and tarragon, is distinguished from every neighbouring country's version by that single herb.
About Zeamă
Moldova's national soup: a clear, intensely flavoured chicken broth made from a whole bird and root vegetables, enriched with homemade egg noodles (tăieței de casă), tarragon and lemon juice; the soup is always served with smântână stirred in at the table; the clarity of the broth and the freshness of the tarragon are the quality markers.
Moldova's National Soup
Zeama is Moldova's national chicken soup, a clear broth made from a whole bird simmered with root vegetables, enriched with homemade egg noodles and finished with tarragon and lemon. Light yet restorative, it is everyday home cooking rather than festive food. Its clean, honest flavour is the whole point.
“Zeama is Moldova's national chicken soup, a clear broth made from a whole bird simmered with root vegetables, enriched with homemade egg noodles and finished with tarragon and lemon.”
The Tarragon
The herb that sets zeama apart from every neighbouring chicken soup is tarragon, whose gentle anise note gives the broth a distinctive freshness. It is what makes the soup specifically Moldovan rather than generically Eastern European. Fresh tarragon is essential, since the dried herb turns dusty and medicinal.
The Noodles
The soup is enriched with taietei de casa, homemade egg noodles, added in the last minutes so they cook in the broth without turning it starchy. Made fresh and cut by hand, they are silky and soft. They give the clear broth just enough body to make it a meal.
Honest Home Cooking
Zeama is Moldovan cooking at its most honest, nothing hidden or complicated, just a good bird, fresh noodles, garden herbs and a squeeze of lemon. The lemon is added at the table to brighten the bowl. Many Moldovans regard it as a restorative, the soup reached for when comfort is needed.
What to Expect
The zeamă arrives in a deep bowl, the broth clear and pale gold, the noodles silky and soft. The tarragon is fresh and slightly anise-forward. The lemon juice is added at the table.
Why Try It
Zeamă is Moldovan home cooking's most honest expression: nothing hidden, nothing complicated, just clean flavour.
Insider Tips
- The tarragon must be fresh, dried tarragon produces a dusty, medicinal flavour.
- Drink the broth first before eating the noodles.
- Add the lemon juice at the table, not during cooking.
