RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The Gastronomic Tour of Romania

The local cuisine, traditional music and dances are the main ingredients for an unforgettable holiday.

The Gastronomic Tour of Romania
The Gastronomic Tour of Romania

, 22.08.2013, 15:37

Because the Orthodox Easter is celebrated in the first week of May, the month of April comes with a big offer of events devoted to this holiday, such as painted eggs festivals and traditional food fairs, where people from various parts of Romania come to show their skills.



Gastronomic festivals are attracting an increasing number of tourists in search of new dishes, traditions and people. That’s why we’ll first take you to the Varlaam village in the county of Buzau, eastern Romania. In May, sheep breeders celebrate the Weaning of Lambs, occasion on which a feast is organized. Maria Blidaru, the festival’s organizer and the owner of a guesthouse in the village, tells us more about the surprises in store for tourists:



Maria Blidaru: “The weaning of lambs is a spring celebration, when the sheep set off for the mountains and the lambs are left in the folds. Lamb meat dishes are prepared on this occasion, while cheese is prepared on the spot, in front of the participants, as tradition calls it. This is an open-air celebration and we do our best to promote our products: the Varlaam dumplings with butter and cheese or with lamb meat. We organize all sorts of cooking competitions to highlight these products’ quality and taste.”



This year the festival in Varlaam will be held on May 11th, on the first Saturday after the Orthodox Easter. We recommend you book rooms in guesthouses in advance, because several hundred people are usually attending the festival.



Another interesting destination is the village of Turia, in Covasna County, central Romania. On Turia Days, an international food festival is staged. Even a world record was set here when a 60-meter-long dumpling with cheese was made. The village of Tismana, in Gorj County, southwestern Romania, is also worth visiting. An Aspic Festival is organized here every year. After a delicious meal, a walk would be exactly what you need. Not only the walk, but also the destination is important, as the Tismana Monastery, built in the 14th century is located here. Its painter used vegetal colours, including a special kind of red, today known as the “Tismana red.”



Another hot spot for Romanian traditional food lovers is Praid, in Harghita county, that hosts some of best known stuffed cabbage rolls festivals. People from all over Romania and even Hungary are competing for the best cook title. Aautumn has its gastronomic temptations, such as the Cheese and Pastrami Festival in Bran, in Brasov County, central Romania. On this occasion local shepherds will lure tourists to sample traditional mutton products and try out homemade wine and plum brandy.



Another favourite destination among food lovers is Bercea village in Buzau County. It is here that every October a festival devoted to the Plescoi sausages is held. To this day the sausages are prepared observing old recipes which the locals like to keep secret. Further south, in Bailesti, Dolj County, villagers organize the Grape Juice and Leek Festival, where local recipes will indulge even those guests who are difficult to please.



As an option, you can also plan a visit to one of Romania’s famous wine cellars. Marius Pasca takes charge of the tourist department at the Recas Wine Cellars in Timis County. He presented us the best of its wine offers:



Marius Pasca: “Wine is man’s companion throughout the most important stages of human life, from our birth to our death. This is one good reason why people want to better understand this companion and its origins. People come to see how and where wine is made. Our menus are always related to wine, from traditional menus specific to Western Romania, to international menus based on fish, seafood, salads, Goulash, potato-based dishes, to name just a few recipes. Nothing is left to chance in wine sampling. Wine is best appreciated when served with appropriate dishes which must be prepared by master chefs”.

Walking on Brâncuși’s route in Gorj County
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 31 October 2024

Walking on Brâncuși’s route in Gorj County

UNESCO included on its world heritage list, in 2024, the Heroes’ Path, a sculptural ensemble in Târgu Jiu made by Constantin Brâncuși. The...

Walking on Brâncuși’s route in Gorj County
Attractive Romania
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 17 October 2024

Attractive Romania

Attractive Romania was launched in 2024. It is the most complex online platform created for the promotion of cultural tourism at home, Alao it is...

Attractive Romania
Foto: pixabay.com
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 03 October 2024

On the Transalpina in Ranca

Transalpina is the road located at the highest altitude in Romania, which is why it earned its reputation as “the road above the clouds”....

On the Transalpina in Ranca
Photo: facebook.com/Romsilva - Parcul Național Semenic- Cheile Carașului
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 26 September 2024

Speleological tourism in Romania’s Anina Mountains

Romania is home to roughly 12,000 caves, actually being one of Europe’s top countries in terms of the number and the diversity of the caves. Being...

Speleological tourism in Romania’s Anina Mountains
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 19 September 2024

Romania’s wine story

The itineraries and the tours taken around Romania’s wine cellars are focused on one single eventual aim: getting acquainted with the regions...

Romania’s wine story
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 12 September 2024

The Golden Apples Cultural-Touristic Route

The Cultural-touristic “Golden Apples” Route includes destinations such as Bukovina, the Danube Delta, Mărginimea Sibiului, Târgu Jiu and...

The Golden Apples Cultural-Touristic Route
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 01 August 2024

Harghita, the Family Friendly County

In the center of Romania, in Harghita county, there is a petting zoo. Contact with animals can be therapeutic, and here you can find deer, Icelandic...

Harghita, the Family Friendly County
Traveller’s Guide Thursday, 25 July 2024

Herculane Spa and Secret Treasures

Today we arrive at one of the oldest spa resorts in Europe, attested around the year 150 CE. Located in southwest Romania, the Băile Herculane spa...

Herculane Spa and Secret Treasures

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company