Culinary History of the Republic of Moldova - Case Study Example

 Topic: Culinary History of the Republic of Moldova Introduction: What is the culinary history of any country? What you eat— How you eat, what you eat— Why you eat, what you eat— How you prepare, what you eat— How you serve what you prepare— --these small issues in short, provide the backgrounder information of culinary history of any country. The same is the procedure for understanding the recipes of Moldovan cuisine. No Darwinian theory is applicable to the evolution of this cuisine. The internet revolution and “the world is one family concept” has impacted the cuisine of all countries, leading to a good admixture of inputs in the cuisines. The chefs are experts on all sorts of recipes and cooking methods, and they are the cultural and culinary ambassadors of dishes between different countries. Each influences the other; each tries to outsmart the competing system by indigenous and imaginative methods of preparing dishes. The dishes are constantly improved and their contents updated on the basis of inputs provided by the clients. Origins of the Moldovan Cuisine: Once upon a time, The Republic of Moldova (Republica Moldova) was part of the ex-Romanian provinces. At present they have independent territorial status. It is difficult to single out the exclusive Moldovan cooking method. The cuisine incorporates elements from different cooking traditions adopted from the neighboring countries. Lot of importance is given to the details in the cuisine. For example, emphasis is on the right amount of spices as for taste and also for coloring the dish. The visual presentation of the dish is important. Some of their traditional dishes have the special cooking method. “The diversity of the vegetables and cereals found in Moldova is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. … Meat is one of the main elements of most of the Moldavian dishes and cure and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.”(Moldavian Cuisine….) Geography of a country has a direct bearing on the cuisine. Human beings eat mainly in response to the hunger due to the demands of geographical conditions. Moldova is a landlocked country between Romania to the West and Ukraine in other directions (North, East and South) This small country is situated in the Eastern Europe on 47 N, 29 E. Its area is 33,700 sq km. It is close to Black sea and this makes the summers warm and winters mild. Just like in a desert area one finds sand, sand and sand again, in Moldova one sees hills, hills and hills again and nothing else around. The hilly plain includes three physical geographic zones: forest, forest-steppe and steppe. By no means a rich country, 25% of the people earn less than $2 per day. The biggest part of the country lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut. This is one of the ideal agricultural regions. The country has a small flatland, the rest are hills and forests. “Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. The economy contracted dramatically following the fall of the Soviet Union, and despite making a limited recovery since 2000, it remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.”(Discover more….) Traditions influence the cuisine, and dishes of Moldova. This country with rich ethnic history consists of Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Gagauzians, Russians, Germans, Greeks, and others. This multi-ethnic character has direct bearing on the popular traditions including the cuisines. The special quality of Moldavian people is hospitality. The guests are served with specially prepared dishes, along with the traditional Moldavian wine. During Easter religious holidays, the special food items dominate the social scene. The important ones are Easter Cake, painted eggs and high quality wine. Wine takes the pivotal position in the cuisine of Moldova and the specialty in this aspect is, a good number of families have their independent, perfected recipes and strands of grapes that have been transmitted down to the generations. This is the unique feature of the Moldovan wine scene. “Moldova is rich in fertile soil and in hardworking and caring people. Nature is very generous in Moldova, offering plentiful grapes, fruits, vegetables, meat and milk products and cereals, all of which have found their uses in our national food. Moldovan cuisine has had a great influence on the traditional food of the other nationalities that live on this territory. At the same time some elements have been incorporated from Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian and Russian cuisine, as well as elements taken some centuries ago from Greek and Turkish food.” (Discover more…) The method of cultivation needs to be emulated by other countries as well, in the interest of health of the people. In Moldova a good range of pure raw materials is produced, without the use of fertilizers that contain chemicals and pesticides. This enables the taste of the dishes to be of a high grade. “The ingredients used in the traditional meals are: a variety of vegetables like tomatoes, green peppers, aubergines, white cabbage, beans, onions, garlic, etc. The vegetables are used for salads and sauces; they are baked, pickled, salted, and canned thus becoming a real food art. The maize and maize flour give a specific color to the traditional meals, like soups, biscuits, flakes, alcohol free drinks, etc. The most common is “mamaliga” - a maize porridge or polenta with a fine and delicious taste. "Mamaliga" is served together with diced meat, cheese, fried meat, cream, etc.”(Discover more…..) Some other highlights of the Moldovan cuisine that makes it so special and exclusive are: 1. Essential difference in taste exists between meat cooked for the first and the second course. Some such dishes are goulash, roast meat, chicken soul, grilled minced meat and the like. Many types of meat courses are grilled in the traditional style—over charcoal, and not in the ultramodern ovens. Meat is properly picked before initiating the grilling procedure. 2. Moldovan people celebrate holidays in picnic style. Cabbage rolls, noodles, meat jelly, pies, cake dipped in syrup and fruit, special biscuits are the favorites. 3. The cuisine remains true to the ethnic differentiation. Ukrainians like borsch, Bulgarians go with a delicious chicken sauce—mangea, the Gagauzians enjoy sorpa—a spicy ram soap, the Russians take delight in the traditional pelmeni—a variety of roll stuffed with meat. 4. Traditional drinks dominate the cuisine and add additional taste and color. Some of them are juices, stewed fruits, and the alcoholic drinks like brandy, wine, “tuica”, plum brandy etc. 5. Both European and traditional wines are consumed. The local ones are in several styles—they can be dry, sweet and strong with various types of flavors and colors. The European wines used often are Cabernet, Muscat, and Sauvignon etc. The brand name some of the Moldovan wines are Feteasca, Moldova, Black Rara etc. The plum brandy, a strong drink, is produced by traditional methods. Most Moldovan cellars offer wine testing. “Moldovan cuisine is a mix of historical influences, with Greek, Mediterranean, Turkish and Russian influenced dishes commonly prepared. Dishes are characterized by the use of cream and light sauces thickened with a little flour. Maize (corn) is a staple and vegetables are an important part of the diet. There are also regional differences between the northern, western and eastern sides of Moldova, reflecting the strong Russian, Romanian and Ottoman influences in these regions.” (Celtnet Recipes…) The traditional Moldavian cuisine has many delicious recipes. One such dish is Iaman Baeldi made with fried onion, celery, carrots parsley minced together and eggplant and flour mixed with tomato juice. Another dish, purely vegetarian, the Moldavian wonders, is eggplants stuffed with mushrooms. To prepare this dish, peel eggplants, cut into pieces and remove the core; fry minced mushrooms with the green parsley and garlic and put the mixture in to the eggplants. Heat oil in a pan and lodge the mixture, chopped onion and flour. Moldovan cuisine is wonderful and it will leave a deep impact as for taste and the style of serving. A newcomer to Moldova will be impressed by the hospitality, enthusiasm and creativeness of the Moldovan hosts. The fusion of cultures is not something new in this materialistic and internet age, where the world is ‘shrinking’ and people of different countries and cultures are coming together as never before. Cuisine is part of the culture, and intermingling and exchange of dishes and styles of serving is inevitable. Even while accepting the trends and new dishes from other cultures, the essential quality in the Moldovan dishes has been maintained. Some of the traditional households of Moldova create pure magic for food. The ingredients may be the same but the difference in their application, the different style of preparation is to be noted in Moldovan cuisine. In the Moldovan cuisine that has a wide variety of dishes with delicious taste, one sees overriding influence of many people like Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks, Jews, and Germans etc. “Moldovan cuisine is famous for … dishes from diverse vegetables like: marrows, egg-plants, bell peppers, tomatoes. Beans, lentil, radish, onion are commonly used for cooking as well. Vegetables are used either separately or as a side dish. Vegetables can be roasted, stewed, baked, marinated, or boiled. Bell peppers and egg-plants are often stuffed with rice and meat, or other vegetables. Various vegetable ragouts, puree from beans, appetizers from marinated vegetables, are also popular.”(World of ….) Different types of spices are liberally used in Moldovan cuisine. The important among them are pepper, cloves, savory and tarragon. Onion and celery are mostly served as salads separately. Garlic is popular. To every dish meat or vegetarian, the addition of garlic is a must. Two types of sauces with garlic are famous in Moldova. They are “mujdei” and “scordoli.” A special feature of Moldovan cuisine is meat is cooked with plenty of vegetables and fruits like apricot and quince. Wine and tomato juice are also commonly used for cooking meat and sauces. This process softens meat. “Flour products of Moldovan cuisine include various stuffed pies, "vareniki". They use grapes and different fruits for desserts such as quince, apples, plums, cherries, apricots, nuts. Corn cake, "Gogos" cookies, "Semiluna", "Alvita", "Peltea" are the most popular confectionary products.”(World of…) Wine shows its dominant presence in the Moldovan cuisine. Wine ‘flows’ during the traditional holiday celebrations and festive dinners. No meal is complete without the accompaniment of wine. Stuffed pies are served with traditional Moldovan Cahors. Moldovan cognacs (divin) find favor with Moldovan people. “Polenta and brynza are often served with red wines made of different kinds of grapes. But dishes with stewed or roasted vegetables are served with light rose or white wines. Desserts are normally served with sherry filled with aroma of wildflowers, fruits and nuts… wine is also used for making of confectionary products, like cookies and cakes and cookies made with puff paste. Moldovan halva and nut nougat are just delicious. Red dessert wines which could be served as a dessert are often served with different desserts.”(World of….) What makes the Moldovan cuisine unique is the excellent combination of food products and richness of taste, as they use fruits and vegetables produced naturally, without the use of artificial methods which use chemicals for fast growth and higher yields, but which are harmful to the health of the consumers. “Like with Greek and Turkish food, most Moldovan recipes call for the use of plenty of vegetables. Capsicum, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, garlic and onions are used to create light salads, tangy sauces, and baked recipes, while some are even preserved as pickles for use all year round. Maize is a key ingredient, forming the base of biscuits, soups and even some non alcoholic drinks.” (Restaurants in…) Apart from the alcoholic drinks like Moldovan wine and brandy, the teetotalers have excellent choices of fruit juices and stewed fruits. Tuica, the local brandy, plum based, is also very popular. The common man is looked after well and the cuisine takes care of his taste-buds and the budget. Cheap food items are available in many eateries dotted across the area. These are very popular with the locals and for a change they are fascinating for the tourists as well. The little restaurants offer excellent service. A pizza shop or a fast food counter will give you cheap and best food items. “Moldovan cuisine has had a great influence on the traditional food of the other nationalities that live on this territory. At the same time some elements have been incorporated from Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian and Russian cuisine, as well as elements taken some centuries ago from Greek and Turkish food.” (Levon Travel…) Conclusion: Besides delicious dishes, Moldovan is very fond of wines. In the cuisine, no dish vegetarian or meat is said to be complete without different types of spices. Vegetarian recipes are out of the ordinary, unique and interesting and the color used in their decoration adds to the taste. The dishes are nutritionally well-balanced. Once you develop the taste for the Moldovan dishes, you would like to have them again and again. Some of the recipes are tried and tested for generations and they hold unique position in the family traditions. They say, home life pleasure depends upon good cooking. The traditional homes at Moldova know this fact well. But serving food is as important as the preparation of the dishes. Disciplined and affection at serving as a good host, stimulates appetite and gives lots of satisfaction, as eye-appeal of a nicely laid table with a variety of dishes and plenty of salads works wonders with an individual on the dining table. To use the cliché, the easy way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. When one talks about the stomach, be warned of the advice of George Bernard Shaw tenders about eating wrong type of food, “Your stomach is your grave!” Moldovan need not worry about this assertion by Shaw. Their cuisine is both nourishing and mouth-watering! *********** References Cited: Celtnet Recipes - Moldova Recipes comprehensive directory of recipes…. Cached - Retrieved on September 19, 2009 Discover more about Moldovan Republic... Slavic and other cultures… Retrieved on September 19, 2009 Levon Travel - Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Many European Countries... Moldovan cuisine has had a great influence… Retrieved on September 19, 2009 Restaurants in Moldova - Hotels and Restaurants Tips Traveling around Moldova is a culinary experience …. Retrieved on September 19, 2009 Moldavian Cuisine: Preparation Methods for Moldovan Cooking –Retrieved on September 19, 2009 World of Moldova Welcome to Moldova. Moldova info…. Retrieved on September 19, 2009 Read More