Romanian Christmas Food: Mouthwatering Feast

With Christmas fast approaching, I think it’s the perfect time to update you on all the Romanian Christmas foods we usually indulge in. These traditional dishes are mouthwatering and special!

You can imagine that, with Christmas being the biggest holiday of the year, the kitchens (and tables) come alive with incredible aromas and special foods. Because, yes, we have plenty of foods that are only cooked during the winter holidays.

Families in Romanian villages even grow pigs for the Christmas feast only, so expect pork meat to be the star of most festive dinners in Romania. With these in mind, let’s check out all the delicious Romanian Christmas foods below!

1. Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls)

sarmale romanesti

Sarmale are a staple at Romanian Christmas tables. These are the foundation of any meal and a must-have during any special occasion. Which is a good thing, because they are delicious!

These tasty cabbage rolls are made with minced pork (sometimes mixed with beef), rice, onions, and a blend of herbs and spices. This mixture is wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves and simmered for hours until they are soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

My family has a special recipe that includes adding a bit of smoked bacon into the mix, for an extra layer of flavor. There are all sorts of variations in different families – but as I said before, they’re all delicious.

Sarmale are usually served with a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt, if you’re counting calories) and a side of polenta.

And yes, you can’t have too many sarmale – they’re that good!

2. Caltabosi

caltabosi and more

A boiled sausage that smells like it came from the sewers, caltabos is made from a blend of pork organs, garlic and spices, with some recipes also adding rice to the mix. Everything is stuffed into pork or sheep intestines and served boiled or smoked.

We usually eat them with a bit of mustard, and they’re generally part of a larger meat platter with all sorts of cold cuts and meats (more of which I will share below).

While I have to admit that I’m not a fan of caltabosi, many people love them so you have to taste them and see what side you’re in (let me know in the comments section below!).

You should also check out Romania’s traditional foods here. Plenty of overlapping dishes – but many new ones to discover, too!

3. Toba de Casa

A tastier alternative to caltabosi, the homemade Toba is a mix of pork jelly and aspic and various types of pork meat (sometimes including organs and pork legs). There are alternatives with turkey or chicken meat, and they’re equally delicious.

All these ingredients are stuffed inside a pork’s stomach and boiled for hours, then allowed to dry for one day. There are also smoked varieties available, but I prefer the basic one.

4. Piftie

piftie de porc

Similar to Toba de Casa, Pifitie (aka Pork Aspic) is a mixture of pork jelly and meats but usually served in bowls and it’s more of a New Year’s type of food – but I’m including it on the list because many families also prepare it for Christmas.

Usually, the pig’s bones (including legs, ears, and other gelatinous parts) are boiled for hours, together with other meat cuts, garlic, and spices. Once it cools, piftie has a firm, jiggly texture that’s surprisingly delicious. It’s sometimes garnished with slices of hard-boiled egg or pickled vegetable cuts, making it as pretty as it is tasty.

Out of all of the “stranger” Romanian Christmas foods, piftie is my favorite. I’m sure you will love it too if you can live with eating that jiggly texture.

5. Salata Boeuf

Salata Boeuf

We call this a salad, but don’t expect it to be the healthy stuff doctors recommend! On the contrary, it’s a dense, greasy and delicious treat made with chopped beef or chicken, mixed with diced boiled potatoes, carrots, peas and pickles (usually pickled cucumbers and red peppers).

Everything is mixed with a ton of homemade mayonnaise AND topped with a nice layer of mayo, as well as an additional assortment of pickled cucumber and red pepper cuts to make it easier to eat.

While definitely unhealthy, this is a real treat and everybody loves Salata Boeuf.

You should also check out the traditional Romanian Easter foods here, in case you’re planning to stay for a longer period of time in Romania.

6. Homemade Pork Sausages

Romanian sausages platter

There are tons of varieties of homemade pork sausages, from fresh varieties that you have to grill or fry yourself before eating, to dried or smoked ones. Most are usually a hit at the holiday table.

You should try the Transylvanian sausages first – these are usually thicker and made with larger bits of meat and paprika. (Also, read more about Transylvania in my detailed guide).

I also enjoy Oltenesti sausages (from the Oltenia region) – these are usually thinner and fattier, but equally delicious, especially if you grill or cook them in the oven.

Finally, we have smoked varieties like the famous Carnati de Plescoi (or Carnati de Buzau – same thing) which are also made, for a change, with sheep’s meat and sometimes mixed with beef too.

All in all, there are all sorts of sausages that you can enjoy for Christmas (and throughout the year). Just pick the ones that look most delicious to you – they will surely be so!

Except for sarmale, all of the dishes above are usually part of a large platter of aperitifs. This is my favorite part of the Christmas meal – trying a bit of everything (and usually getting full before the main dish is served).

Now let’s get to some main dishes!

7. Tochitura Moldoveneasca cu Mamaliga

Tochitura moldoveneasca

This hearty Modovan stew combines tender pork, sausages, and sometimes liver, first fried in oil (or pork fat) and then served over mamaliga (polenta), usually with a fried egg on top.

8. Coaste de Porc

pork ribs

Pork ribs are also a hit during the Romanian Christmas feast. Marinated with garlic, herbs, and spices, then slow-roasted until the meat is tender and the skin is perfectly crispy, the pork ribs are usually served with a side of pickles or cabbage salad and fries.

These are the highlights but expect to have all sorts of pork meat as the main dish, cooked in various ways – all unhealthy, all delicious.

9. Homemade pickled vegetables

homemade pickles

To wash away some of that grease – or to make it easier to consume – homemade pickles are a staple during the Christmas feast in Romania. I absolutely love the homemade ones, which should traditionally be extremely pickled and salty.

(My mouth is literally watering as I’m writing this. YUM!)

The main stars in this category are pickled cucumbers (in brine, not vinegar), pickled cabbage (while most is used for sarmale, there’s still enough left for a tasty salad topped with paprika), but also a mixture of various pickled vegetables like carrots, peppers, cauliflower, and gogonele (which are green, unripe tomatoes).

10. Ciorbă de Burtă

Ciorba de burta

It might not sound good, being made of tripe (cow’s stomach), but it’s actually a delicious, hearty soup that you will most likely love. Mainly because you can eat the creamy mixture and avoid the tripe, if it seems too much.

Usually served with a splash of vinegar, a nice serving of sour cream for extra creaminess, mujdei de usturoi (a delicious garlic sauce), and one whole hot chili pepper, Ciorba de Burta is a real treat.

Served as a starter, it remains as hearty as a main dish – so eat just a bit to leave room for the other delicacies. As a bonus, Romanian Ciorba de Burta is said to be the perfect cure for hangover, so you have that as an added bonus.

And if you’re wondering where will you burn all these calories, the answer is simple. Head over to one of the Best Ski Resorts in Romania!

11. Ciorba Radauteana (Soup from Rădăuți)

While not necessarily a Christmas-specific soup, it is usually made during the Winter holidays and it has to be on the list, as it’s one of the tastiest, most appreciated Romanian soups. As an added bonus: it’s made with chicken meat, not pork!

This is basically a lighter version of the Ciorba de Burta, with the beef tripe being replaced by chicken breast. The rest is similar in taste, although the cooking process is a bit different.

12. Cozonac

different types of Cozonac
Different types of Cozonac.

No Romanian Christmas is complete without cozonac. This is a sweet, braided bread filled with various goodies – usually a mixture of walnuts, cocoa, and raisins. There are also varieties with Turkish delight (which I like better) or mixes of the two.

My wifes homemade cozonac
My wife’s cozonac is always the best!

The dough is rich and fluffy, baked to golden perfection, and considered the staple piece of the desserts during Christmas. Speaking of which – did you learn How to Say Merry Christmas in Romanian? Make sure you do to impress your hosts or friends!

13. Homemade cake selection

platter of assorted Romanian cakes

Similar to the original platter of starters which involved all sorts of meats and hearty salads, Romanians end the Christmas feast with a platter of cakes. Usually homemade, although recently people rush to the stores to buy them instead.

Either way, we have the cozonac as the main guest, but also various small cuts of delicious, assorted cakes. Try at least one of each. Here’s what you can find on your platter:

  • Lamaita (sometimes called “Alba ca Zapada” aka Snow White): a light, lemony cake with vanilla and lemon cream.
  • Krantz – a Christmas classic here, a crunchy delight that mixes vanilla sponge cake layers with caramel & walnut meringue and vanilla cream. All of this is topped with crunchy, caramelized walnuts.
  • Salam de biscuiti (biscuit salami) – a crunchy and creamy dessert made from biscuits mixed with raising, Turkish delight, coconut flakes and cocoa – all rolled and shaped like a salami, hence its name.
  • Poppy seed cake – One of my all-time favorites, this is a soft cake filled with vanilla cream filling with plenty of poppy seeds that give it a specific taste.
  • Nuci umplute (filled walnuts) – They get their name because of their walnut shape. It’s a crunchy crust filled with a chocolate cream with rum flavor.
  • Greta Garbo cake – Not sure why it’s named after the actress, but the cake is a delicious mix of crunchy waffle layers with filling made of apricot jam and crushed walnuts, all topped with a layer of homemade chocolate.
  • Figaro cake – Similar to the cake above, it has layers made of crunchy walnut meringue, filled with various jams (apricot, sour cherry, and such – usually more sour to counter the very sweet meringue) and topped with powdered sugar.

This platter with cakes is the one I usually look most forward to during Christmas. By that time I’m obviously stuffed – but for these tasty sweets, there’s always extra room.

And if all these delicious treats haven’t convinced you that you should visit the country during the holiday season, check out my previous article explaining what to expect from Romania during winter.

14. Placinta cu branza / mere (Cheese/apple pies)

Romanian pie for Christmas

These pies come in various shapes and flavors, both sweet and savory. During Christmas, you’ll find fillings like cheese (either salty or sweet, with raisins), apples, pumpkin, or even cabbage.

All of these are delicious and usually left to be served as a “lighter” dinner following the hearty lunch. Or, depending on what you make, added to the appetizer or dessert platters.

I like the Romanian pies because they have a soft, flaky and buttery crust that perfectly complements the filling.

15. Bonus: Sorici (Pork’s skin)

I had to end this list with the star of the Christmas feast – the pig. And I’m ending it with sorici (pork skin) – you can see it in the photo #2 above. Yup, this is something that many people enjoy eating!

There are various ways to have it – either immediately after the pig has been slaughtered, fried a little over a direct flame and rubbed with salt, or prepared later in a similar fashion.

It’s a “love it or hate it” type of food. I personally never developed a taste for it, but my wife loves it. So… be brave and give it a try to see which side you’re in. (An even bigger bonus if you find and dare to eat Pork’s ears. Apparently, they taste similar to Sorici, but crunchier.)

To round up the winter holidays article nicely, I recommend reading my previous posts – Best Christmas Markets in Romania and the Best Winter Destinations in Romania.

If reading about these delicious dishes has made your mouth water, wait until you try them in person! And if you have any favorite Romanian Christmas foods, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments below.

Calin
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2 thoughts on “Romanian Christmas Food: Mouthwatering Feast”

    • Haha, true! Traditional Romanian foods are not very vegan-friendly. There would be some options, like the traditional mamaliga served with cooked pickled cabbage (a delight!) and even sarmale can be made with rice and mushrooms instead of meat.

      Reply

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