"Romania's skinless charcoal-grilled sausages, beef, pork and lamb with caraway, are the national food of every Romanian Sunday barbecue."
About Mici (Grilled Sausages)
Romania's most beloved street food and barbecue centrepiece: short, skinless cylinders of minced beef, pork and lamb blended with garlic, caraway, thyme, baking soda and a small amount of broth that keeps them juicy; grilled over hardwood charcoal until charred on all sides and moist within; served with yellow mustard and fresh white bread; the national food of Sundays and football matches.
Mici (Grilled Sausages), a staple of Romania's cuisine
Romania's Barbecue
Mici, affectionately called mititei, are Romania's beloved grilled sausages: short, skinless cylinders of minced beef, pork and lamb, seasoned with garlic, spices and herbs and charred over charcoal. Without casings they char directly on the grill, staying juicy within. They are the national food of Sundays, football matches and street fairs, eaten with mustard and bread.
The Caraway
The Romanian seasoning leans on caraway alongside garlic and pepper, a subtle note that helps distinguish mici from related sausages elsewhere in the region. The exact blend is a matter of family and butcher pride. It is what gives Romanian mici their particular savour.
The Baking Soda Trick
The technical secret is a little baking soda worked into the meat, which raises its pH and keeps the mici moist and tender on the fire, sometimes with a splash of broth for extra juiciness. Overworking the mix drives that moisture out. A light hand is what keeps them succulent.
Communal and Outdoor
Mici belong to warm-weather, outdoor eating, grilled by the dozen for crowds at barbecues, fairs and football grounds. They are eaten hot off the grill with yellow mustard and white bread, often the best versions coming from busy street-fair grills that keep the heat high. They connect everyday Romanian life to its communal, open-air food culture.
What to Expect
The mici arrive from the grill, charred on all sides, moist inside from the baking soda technique. Mustard is applied directly. The bread is for managing the mustard.
Why Try It
Mici are the food that most directly connects Romanian everyday culture to its outdoor, communal eating tradition.
✦ Photo Gallery
Insider Tips
Eat immediately from the grill, mici cool and tighten rapidly.
Caraway distinguishes Romanian mici from Moldovan ones. Both are good.
Street fair mici are often the best, the high-turnover grill maintains heat better.
