Home Regions Europe Moldova

Moldova

Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. Moldova's capital and largest city is Chișinău.

Featured Dishes from Moldova

Ghiveci

Ghiveci

Stewed vegetables, may also contain fish, chicken, lamb

Ghiveci cu pește

Ghiveci cu pește

Stewed or sauteed fish and vegetables

Hybivka

Hybivka

Kasha

Kasha

Porridge made from buckwheat, millet, pearl barley, semolina, other grains

Katliety

Katliety

Ground meat patties made with pork, beef, veal

Kharcho

Kharcho

Beef and walnut soup made with rice, cherry plum purée, serve with coriander, may also be made with, for example, chicken, lamb, veal

Kurinyy sup

Kurinyy sup

Chicken soup, may also have noodles, dumplings, vegetables, mushrooms, cheese

Mamaliga

Mamaliga

Yellow corn porridge, similar to polenta, the thick variety is cut into slices and served with brinza cheese and meat or fried fish, fried or scrambled eggs, smetana (tejföl, sour cream), garlic, stews, can also be broken into pieces in a bowl of hot milk

Mangea

Mangea

Chicken with sauce

Meatball soup

Meatball soup

Mici

Mici

Small grilled skinless sausages/meat rolls

Moussaka

Moussaka

Eggplant casserole

Musaca

Musaca

Potato and meat pie, similar to moussaka but typically made without eggplant

Nalysnyky

Nalysnyky

Crepes, filled with cheese, meat, mushrooms, fruit

Okroshka

Okroshka

Chilled summer kefir soup made with raw vegetables, cucumbers, radishes, spring onions, boiled potatoes, eggs, beef, ham, sausage, veal

Ostropel

Ostropel

Chicken stewed in tomato sauce, also made with pork, beef, lamb, rabbit, serve with mamaliga (polenta)

Ovoshchnoy sup

Ovoshchnoy sup

Parjoale

Parjoale

Breaded and fried minced meat patties, made with beef, pork and lamb

Pelmeni

Pelmeni

Savory dumplings filled with beef, lamb, pork, salmon, creamy mushrooms, serve with sour cream, dill and vinegar, in a broth

Peste prajit

Peste prajit

Fried fish, serve with polenta and mujdei (garlic sauce), mamaliga, brinza cheese, tejföl (sour cream)

Pirog

Pirog

Pastry filled with savory ingredients such as cabbage, meat, fish, mushrooms, potatoes, or sweet ingredients such as smetana, fruit, honey, nuts, poppy seeds

Pirozhki

Pirozhki

Fried savory or sweet pies, filled with meat, rice, vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, cottage cheese

Piti

Piti

Meat and vegetable stew, made with mutton, potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes

Placinta

Placinta

Sweet or savory pastry or pie, made with phyllo dough filled with a variety of fillings such as meat, brinza cheese, brinza and tejföl, cabbage, potatoes, apples, sour cherries, pumpkin

Plov

Plov

Mixed rice dish made with, for example, mutton, beef, chicken, carrots, onions, fruit, berries, raisins

Pumpkin soup

Pumpkin soup

Punjeni patlidžani

Punjeni patlidžani

Stuffed eggplant

Rasol

Rasol

Boiled or stewed meat, vegetables, potatoes

Roast lamb

Roast lamb

Serve with scrambled eggs, dumplings and tejföl (sour cream), and a good wine

Roast pork

Roast pork

Roast rabbit

Roast rabbit

Rulada de pui

Rulada de pui

Sarmale

Sarmale

Cabbage rolls, filled with minced pork, rice, spices

Shashlik

Shashlik

Cubed, skewered and grilled meat kebabs

Solyanka

Solyanka

Stew made with beef, chicken, pork, sausages, fish or mushrooms, and with vegetables and barrel salted cucumbers

Sorpa

Sorpa

Meat and/or vegetable stew

Stufat de miel

Stufat de miel

Sup

Sup

Soup, made with vegetables, meat, dumplings, many different kinds

Svekolnik

Svekolnik

Cold borscht soup, made with beets, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, buttermilk, crawfish, ham, veal

Tocană

Tocană

Meat and/or vegetable stew, made with veal, lamb, pork, potatoes, vegetables

Tocanita de ciuperci

Tocanita de ciuperci

Mushroom stew, stewed mushrooms

Tochitura

Tochitura

Stewed meat with vegetables, made with lamb, beef, pork, chicken, sausage, offal, bacon, serve with mamaliga and fried eggs

Tushonka

Tushonka

Canned stewed meat

Ukha

Ukha

Fish soup with vegetables and potatoes, commonly made with carp

Varenyky

Varenyky

Dumplings, filled with sweet or savory mixtures like ground meat, cheese, potato, sauerkraut, fruit, blueberries

Veal stew

Veal stew

Stewed veal and vegetables

Zeamă

Zeamă

Chicken soup with noodles, vegetables

Zrazy

Zrazy

Meat cutlets or rolls filled with, for example, mushrooms, vegetables, liver, eggs, grains, may also be made with mashed potatoes and fried, similar to croquettes

Ajika

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Ajika

Spicy bell pepper condiment, either red or green, made with peppers, garlic, herbs and spices

Alivenci

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Alivenci

Sweet or savory cornmeal cake, made with urdă or telemea cheese, smetana or tejföl

Aspic

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Aspic

Au jus

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Au jus

A light gravy or dipping sauce made from the juices of cooked meats, used with meat dishes, French dip

Baklazhannaya ikra

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Baklazhannaya ikra

Roasted eggplant spread or dip, serve with toast, bread, vegetables

Bliny

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Bliny

Pancakes, made with flour, buckwheat, barley, rye, oatmeal

Brânzoaică

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Brânzoaică

Sweet cheese pastry

Bryndza

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Bryndza

Soft sheep's milk cheese

Buterbrod

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Buterbrod

Open-faced sandwich

Buzhenina

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Buzhenina

Herb-roasted pork, commonly served cold as an appetizer

Caesar salad

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Caesar salad

Cartofi la cuptor

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cartofi la cuptor

Oven-cooked potatoes, for example, fries, wedges, potato casseroles, scalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, potatoes au gratin, twice-baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes (Cartofi dulci la cuptor)

Caviar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Caviar

Salt-cured fish roe, several different varieties and ways to serve

Caviar

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Caviar

Salt-cured fish roe, several different varieties and ways to serve

Chifle

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chifle

Homemade rolls or buns, not to be confused with fried plantain chips of the same name

Chiftele

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chiftele

Meatballs, serve with potatoes, rice pilaf

Chrain

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chrain

Minced horseradish relish, there are two main variations, red and white, red chrain is made with beets while white chrain omits the beets, use with gefilte fish (fish balls)

Ciuperci umplute

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Ciuperci umplute

Coltunasi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Coltunasi

Dumplings filled with savory or sweet filling, made with cheese, meat, potatoes, cherries

Covrigi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Covrigi

Cozonac

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cozonac

Sweet leavened bread, common during Easter, Christmas, New Year's, Pentecost

Cucumber and radish salad

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cucumber and radish salad

Dressed herring

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Dressed herring

Pickled herring layered with boiled vegetables and mayonnaise

Eggs

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Eggs

Fasole batuta

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Fasole batuta

White bean dip or spread, top with caramelized onions and serve with bread

Fruit

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Fruit

Apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, peaches, plums, quince

Golubtsy

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Golubtsy

Cabbage rolls, filled with minced meat, vegetables, rice and spices

Grilled vegetables

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Grilled vegetables

Vegetables cooked over a flame

Kalach

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kalach

Braided sweet bread, similar to brioche, common during Christmas

Kapusta

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kapusta

Cabbage, used in cabbage soup (капуста суп), braised, stewed, served as a side dish

Kashkaval

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kashkaval

Unpasteurized cow and sheep's milk cheese

Kholodets

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kholodets

Kishka

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kishka

Sausage made with a mix of meat and grain stuffed inside beef intestine

Kolbas

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kolbas

Koliva

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Koliva

Wheatberry porridge, made to honor the dead

Kutia

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kutia

A sweetened mix of wheatberries, nuts, poppy seeds, raisins, honey, apricots, common during Christmas

Mamaliga

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mamaliga

Yellow corn porridge, similar to polenta

Masline

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Masline

Mezeluri

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mezeluri

Mici

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mici

Small grilled skinless sausages/meat rolls

Mimosa salad

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mimosa salad

Layered salad made with canned fish, cheese, eggs, onion and mayonnaise

Mujdei

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Mujdei

Garlic sauce, used with fried fish, fried or grilled pork, chicken, mici (sausages), rasol, fried potatoes

Muraturi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Muraturi

Pickled vegetables, cauliflower, eggplant, cucumber, tomato, cabbage, onion, beet, carrot, peppers, green beans, celery

Nachynka

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Nachynka

Cornmeal dressing or spoonbread, serve as a side with meat

Olivier salad

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Olivier salad

Potato salad with peas, carrots, pickles, eggs, chicken, apples

Oua umplute

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Oua umplute

Hard boiled eggs filled with mixtures of liver, tuna, egg yolks, onion, meat, avocado

Parjoale

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Parjoale

Breaded and fried minced meat patties, made with beef, pork and lamb

Pască

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pască

Sweet cozonac bread with a sweet cheesecake-like filling made with cream cheese, lemon zest and raisins, common during Easter

Pastrama

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pastrama

Seasoned and cured meat, made with pork, veal, sheep, lamb, mutton, chicken, goose

Pita

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pita

Placinta

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Placinta

Sweet or savory pastry or pie, made with phyllo dough filled with a variety of fillings such as meat, brinza cheese, brinza and tejföl, cabbage, potatoes, apples, sour cherries, pumpkin