Dishes from Marginimea Sibiului

Marginimea Sibiului in central Romania is a favourite destination for both Romanian and foreign tourists. The area is famous for its traditions, quiet areas and local hospitality. Marginimea Sibiului comprises 18 Romanian and Saxon villages, with many traditional households fitted to welcome guests. Saxon cuisine has also been preserved in the area. Many dishes are based on smoked pork and fruit. In fact the area around Sibiu is famous for its stretched plots of orchards, mostly of apple trees. One particular apple-based dish is the apple soup. You chop up the apples and stew them. Add a beaten egg mixed with sour cream at the end, as well as a few drops of lemon juice to sour it. This soup is served either hot or cold. Another favourite spice when making soups in Marginimea Sibiului is tarragon.

Ștefan Baciu, 12.06.2015, 14:12

Marginimea Sibiului in central Romania is a favourite destination for both Romanian and foreign tourists. The area is famous for its traditions, quiet areas and local hospitality. Marginimea Sibiului comprises 18 Romanian and Saxon villages, with many traditional households fitted to welcome guests. Saxon cuisine has also been preserved in the area. Many dishes are based on smoked pork and fruit. In fact the area around Sibiu is famous for its stretched plots of orchards, mostly of apple trees. One particular apple-based dish is the apple soup. You chop up the apples and stew them. Add a beaten egg mixed with sour cream at the end, as well as a few drops of lemon juice to sour it. This soup is served either hot or cold. Another favourite spice when making soups in Marginimea Sibiului is tarragon.

For the main course we have two suggestions. Our number one is bulz, a name that does not have a direct equivalent in English. It is a typical shepherd dish based on polenta. Most times it is a ball of polenta stuffed with sheep cheese, although the cooking may vary. You need one kilo of cornmeal and half a kilo of sharp cured sheep cheese. First make the polenta. Bring the water to a boil, salt to taste and simmer the polenta, stirring occasionally. Then grill these balls of polenta until they crack open. In another version of the recipe the bulz is grilled directly on the embers, by wrapping polenta in clay. Leave the bulz pellets on the embers until both clay and polenta are baked. Remove the ceramic when done and serve hot.

Our second choice today is beef stew, another staple for Marginimea Sibiului. You can make as much of this dish depending on the number of guests. You will need a few medium-sized onions, which you chop finely and braise in a cast-iron pot, placed on the embers. Chop the beef into small pieces and add it together with some water. Leave to simmer over a low heat. Finely chop some two bell peppers, three tomatoes and a couple of garlic cloves and add them to the mix. Towards the end, add salt and pepper to taste, a couple of bay leaves and a glass of red wine. Serve hot with polenta.

And of course, enjoy!