14-Day Moldova
Itinerary

Mămăligă

Moldova's daily bread and its most enduring staple — cornmeal (maize flour) slow-stirred in salted water until it thickens to a dense, golden polenta; turned onto a wooden board and cut with thread rather than a knife; served with brânză (sheep's milk cheese), smântână (sour cream) and a fried egg; the Moldovan mămăligă is denser and drier than Romanian versions.

Sarmale

Moldova's greatest celebration dish — minced pork and rice seasoned with dill and parsley, wrapped in brined cabbage or vine leaves into tight cylinders, layered with more cabbage and smoked pork ribs, then slow-braised in a tomato-whey broth for three to four hours; served with smântână; no Moldovan Christmas or Easter table exists without them.

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.

Plăcintă

Moldova's most beloved filled pastry — a circular flatbread of yeasted or unleavened dough folded over a filling of fresh sheep's cheese and dill, sour cherry, potato, or pumpkin and then either pan-fried in sunflower oil or baked; sold at every piata (market) and roadside stand; the cheese-and-dill version is the canonical Moldovan breakfast.

Mici (Grilled Sausages)

Shared with Romania but fiercely claimed by Moldova — short, skinless cylinders of minced pork, beef and lamb blended with garlic, thyme, baking soda and a small amount of broth to keep them moist; grilled over charcoal until charred on all sides; eaten with mustard and fresh bread; the standard Sunday grill and every street fair food.