Radio România Internațional

Tag: traditional dishes

  • Preparations for Easter

    Preparations for Easter

    Eastern Christianitys biggest and oldest religious holiday, Easter, which marks Christs resurrection from the dead, is this year celebrated on the same day, April 16th, by both Orthodox and Roman-Catholic Christians. A few days after Christs triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was tried by the Romans, crucified and laid in his grave, but he rose from the dead three days later. This succession of events took place over the course of a week, known as Passion Week. Special evening services are held in churches in this period, the most important being that on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. These services recount the terrible moments that took place more than 2,000 years ago.



    The majority Orthodox Romanians attend the services held at churches and monasteries across the country and abroad. In his Easter Pastoral Prayer, the patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Daniel told believers that Jesus did not respond to violence with violence and to malice with malice, but prayed for his tormentors to be forgiven. The patriarch said mans soul opens to heaven only when it fills with humble repentance, sincere forgiveness, peace and merciful love. The final preparations for Easter Sunday are made on Holy Week.



    On Maundy Thursday, people start making preparations for the Easter meal. They paint the eggs red and bake a type of Easter bread known as “pasca and pound cake. A kind of terrine made of lambs organs called “drob in Romanian, lamb steak and wine are Easter dinner staples in this country. Special festivals and fairs are also held around Easter. Bucharests Constitution Square, for example, hosts an Easter fair until April the 17th.



    The fairs 110 stands sell traditional Romanian products, including decorative objects made of wood, glass and ceramic, as well as musical instruments, traditional costumes and food products. A special area at the fair is dedicated to children, with mini train rides, merry-go-rounds, workshops where visual artists and actors help children express their creativity. Some people spend Easter in the mountains, where many hotels and guesthouses are already fully booked. Others go to the seaside or even abroad for a short holiday. Many Romanians working abroad return to their native country to be with their loved ones. Seriously ill, but in stable condition, King Mihai I of Romania will spend Easter at his private residence in Switzerland. Princess Margaret, however, the Custodian of the Crown, and her husband, Prince Radu, will attend Easter Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Cluj Napoca, Transylvania. (Translated by C. Mateescu)

  • Dishes of Transylvania

    Dishes of Transylvania

    In the Apuseni Mountain area, in Transylvania, self reliance is the norm. People work hard, and therefore their food is rich and heavy. Pork and mutton, cabbage, potatoes and dairy products are the norm. Lard is used rather heavily, alongside plenty of smoked fatback eaten with onion and homemade bread. Homemade spirits are also a local staple.



    One local recipe you might be interested in is rich soup made with smoked meat, based on either cabbage or potatoes. Another local specialty is the pork and sausage stew, with lard-fried onion. Another delicious local preparation is pies that resemble a stuffed crepe, with salted cheese inside. The crepe dough resembles bread dough, a plain flour, water and salt combination. After the dough is left to rise, it is rolled into thin sheets, which are then layered with cheese in-between. The resulting pie is served topped with butter or sour cream. It can also be served as a desert if the filling is sweet.



    Another rich dish is layered polenta, prepared in various ways throughout the country. It is typically made in a metal or clay pot. Take sliced sausage and finely cubed pork and brown them separately, preferably in a Dutch oven. Also separately make a soft polenta. Use some of it to cover the bottom of a larger oven dish, previously greased with the liquid left from browning the meat and sausage.



    Spread out over the polenta the above-mentioned meat products, then another layer of polenta, add on top of that crumbled hard sheep cheese, the salty kind, then another layer of polenta. You can also beat an egg and brush it on top of the whole thing. Bake in the oven until golden brown. When serving you can top it with a dollop of sour cream.



    If you are terrified by the caloric content and the amounts of fat in this dish, remember it was meant for people in the countryside who worked hard all day in the field and in the household. Enjoy!