A Typical Romanian Meal
Many Romanian recipes consist of the same influence as the rest of its culture. The Turks introduced Romania to meatballs which Romanians adapted to create a meatball soup known as perisoare. The Austrians introduced snitel while the Greeks brought them musaca. One of the most common dishes, known as mamaliga, is a cornmeal based side dish often accompanied by a main course or inversely eaten as a dessert served cold with sugar on top. Many other countries have contributed to Romania's wild cuisine adding such dishes as bors from the Ukraine, the famous dessert baklava from Greece, and tiramisu coming straight from the infamous Italian culture.
Traditional Romanian Meatball Soup
In Romania there are a few guidelines one must follow in order to be considered an acceptable guest in their culture. After a meal, it is common practice to thank the cook of the meal by saying "sarut mana" which translated means "I kiss your hand" or a basic thank you. In earlier years, many people would physically kiss the hand of the cook in thanks for the meal. However, in this modern age, it is not as commonly practiced in favor of a simple "sarut mana". As a guest in a traditional Romanian household, it is sometimes expected that you bring a dish such as fresh fruit or homemade bread and in return, the host feeds the guest for the night. These practices resemble a trading of culture and a betterment of mankind through good will and good food.
For more information regarding the traditional and modern dishes of Romania please visit http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/romania/p/romanianfood.htm
