Tastes & Tales: How Romanian Gastronomy Brings Every Season to the Table

Romanian cuisine is entering a new era by bringing long-forgotten recipes and local ingredients back into the light, says food writer and scholar Adriana Sohodoleanu. “What would you like to eat today?” It’s the question that all Romanian mothers ask, including my own, right after “Hello”. It’s their way to show unconditional love.

Family gathering at a table together to enjoy lunch. (Photo: Pexels)

In my country, it’s rare to have a gathering that doesn’t include plenty of good food and wine. At the table, laughter bursts into the air, and stories start to flow, many of them about the food on the plate. Families and friends talk about inherited recipes, their memories inevitably bringing regionality into the discussion.

And for good reason. Romania has ten historical regions, each with its own geography and ethnic tapestry, producing a rich diversity of culinary experiences. Proud Moldovans from the Romanian side of the Prut River champion fluffy poale-n brâu pastries and delicious wine like the sweet Busuioacă de Bohotin, or the slightly mineral Zghihară, with its green apple and lime notes. Others get misty-eyed about Dobruja’s Danube Delta and its wealth of fish dishes, particularly the storceag, a silky sturgeon broth enriched with egg yolks and whey, which has its roots in Ukrainian culinary traditions.

The wine region of Buzău County and truffle region of Prahova County (Photo: Marriott International)

With over eleven ethnic influences in their region, Transylvanians reminisce fondly about everything from the Saxons’ plum and cream hanklich to spicy Hungarian goulash and Jewish ciolent, a meaty stew usually eaten for Shabbat. Folks from Muntenia, meanwhile, get excited about the award-winning wine from that region’s Buzău County and the amazing truffles from Prahova County. The two make a remarkable pairing, embodying the contemporary culinary philosophy: what grows together, goes together. Romania’s other regions boast multicultural histories and mouth-watering dishes of their own.

These stories and recipes, along with techniques and tricks, are often learned in the kitchen, a precious intergenerational knowledge sharing that takes place while chit-chatting with grandma over the stove. One lesson is seasonality, a concept deeply embedded in traditional cuisine. Grandmothers teach it without words, while chefs inspired by the New Romanian Cuisine movement – all about seasonality and the foregrounding of ‘forgotten’ ingredients – articulate it assertively, both on their plates and in their discourse.

Chef Nicolae Lică of JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel enjoys the freshness of seasonal local products like truffles (Photo: Marriott International)

Adrian Chirică, F&B Manager at JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, puts it beautifully: “In the morning, when I look at the kitchen table, it’s like seeing the whole season in front of my eyes.” The hotel’s Executive Chef Nicolae Lică concurs – “When we discuss food, we’re really discussing the season” – explaining that his creative process begins at the farmer’s market, where displays of fresh, seasonal vegetables provide the foundations for his menu. Trufandale, the first produce of any given season, shines on JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel’s menus, while humble, long-disregarded ingredients like ramson and nettles also take starring roles, along with heritage recipes.

The forgetting of such ingredients and recipes extended for some two decades after 1989, when good food meant imported food – international, exotic, foreign. Returning to local foods has taken time but has flourished beautifully in the past six years, inspired by the New Local Cuisine movement pioneered in Denmark by chef René Redzepi of Noma. Embracing local, seasonal, and identity-driven food, young chefs have reignited a national appreciation for traditional Romanian cuisine, reimagined for modern tastes. Their individual efforts have spurred on the broader hospitality industry to value culinary heritage, paving the way for local producers, small farmers, and passionate winemakers.

With steady demand from chefs passionate about locally sourced foods, producers have begun diversifying their offerings, achieving consistently high quality, and even started selling directly to consumers who discover their products through restaurant menus or chef recommendations. The outcome is more small producers enjoying stable businesses and the satisfaction of seeing their produce on restaurant menus, and more consumers who are better informed and nourished. This small revolution has also sparked a renewed sense of pride and belonging for all parties involved, "The overall feeling is that you are in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing," says Austra Lucinskaite, General Manager of The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection.

Raspberries from local producer Nicușor Marcel Soare in Ilfov County. (Photo: Marriott International)

JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel buys up the entire raspberry crop of local producer Nicușor Marcel Soare. Based near the city in Ilfov County, Nicușor acknowledges with a smile that this business relationship has gradually blossomed into “a ten- or eleven-year-old friendship”. His raspberries glisten like rubies, their juicy acidity providing the perfect finish in the hotel restaurants’ desserts or adorning the cocktails of Pavilion Lounge. "I am very proud and happy that my raspberries have made it to a great place", says Nicușor.

A dessert at JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel made from the fresh raspberries provided by local producer. (Photo: Marriott International)

Hotels like The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection and JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel are now playing key roles in introducing visitors to Romanian regions beyond the capital via their flavours. Through their menus, they act as cultural gatekeepers, offering a delicious immersion into Romanian heritage. “As hoteliers, we feel it’s increasingly important to highlight the roots of local cuisine, which are local products,” says Austra, who is especially proud of the appearance on her hotel’s menu of Prahova truffles, honey, and wine from Dealu Mare, a region likened to Tuscany by wine aficionados.

The truffled ravioli made by Chef Cristian Serb of Marmorosch's Blank restaurant using truffles from the Prahova County. (Photo: Marriott International)

At the Marmorosch’s Blank restaurant, diners experience Romania through a thoughtfully crafted local menu. The truffled ravioli symbolizes Romanian character: modest on the surface but strong within, while Pleşcoi sausages in the signature risotto tell the story of outlaws in Buzău County who once shared stolen sheep meat with the poor. This dish pairs perfectly with a glass of aged Fetească Neagră, the grape that gives “Bordeaux-like wines while having a clear Romanian typicity”, as Mihaela Oprea, junior oenologist at the county's LacertA Winery puts it. With Romania’s excellent terroir and over 2,000 years of winemaking tradition, the country ranks among the "new old-world" producers. Dealu Mare, one of the country's premier vineyards, "is the best region for reds" explains Mihaela, adding "that is why we made it our purpose to showcase these local aromas."

The menu at Blank also features mămăligă, a centuries-old Romanian polenta, presented in two forms to highlight its ubiquity and versatility: as bulz, traditionally paired with cheese and elevated here with smoked duck breast and pancetta, and as a mousse accompanying shrimp with caviar, dill oil, and truffles.

Florin and his dog truffle hunting in Prahova County. (Photo: Marriott International)

As for those truffles, the precious fungi are supplied by a man called Florin who, drawn to “being in the outdoors everyday, close to the dogs”, first took to truffle hunting as a hobby. Truffles, he says, "are considered the black diamonds of the earth and are very, very hard to find. My greatest joy comes from digging them out and bringing happiness to those who eagerly await them."  

In today’s Romania, food not only evokes cherished memories but also creates the context for building new ones. Even more importantly, it mirrors a community’s identity. Heritage recipes, reimagined with fresh local ingredients, bridge past and future, tradition and creativity. These recipes resist industrial uniformity and globalisation while fostering pride, self-confidence, and local economic growth. There's a social component as well – the personal connections established between chefs and their suppliers enrich the lives of all involved.

As for my mother, she has only recently stopped asking if I’ve eaten. I take it as a tacit, long-overdue acceptance that my work revolves around food! The real danger now is overindulgence, yet she still fills my plate and pantry with delicious homemade goods.

Immerse yourself deeper into the unique methods and traditions behind Romania's best truffles, wine, and raspberries, and meet the producers who passionately look after these exceptional local ingredients in our short film Tastes & Tales - A Journey Through the Local Flavors of Romania.

Published: January 07, 2025

Last Updated: February 26, 2025