ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Moldova
Five dishes to try in Moldova, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Moldova
Mămăligă
Firm yellow cornmeal porridge served as a sliced loaf.
How to have it: Eaten with sour cream, crumbled brânză cheese and garlic sauce; often a side to stews.
Sarmale
Cabbage or vine leaves rolled around minced meat and rice, slowly simmered.
How to have it: A fixture at weddings and holidays; served with sour cream and mămăligă.
Plăcintă
Thin pan-fried or baked pastry filled with cheese, potato, cabbage or pumpkin.
How to have it: Sold at every bakery and roadside café; try the cheese and dill version with a glass of wine.
Zeamă
Sour chicken noodle soup flavoured with lovage and borș.
How to have it: Moldova's favourite soup and a hangover cure; on almost every restaurant lunch menu.
Mititei
Grilled skinless rolls of minced meat seasoned with garlic and spices.
How to have it: Served with mustard, bread and beer at summer grills and festivals.
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Questions
What food is Moldova famous for?
Mămăligă (firm yellow cornmeal porridge served as a sliced loaf) comes first on our list, followed by Sarmale, Plăcintă, Zeamă and Mititei.
What is the national dish of Moldova?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Moldova is Mămăligă: firm yellow cornmeal porridge served as a sliced loaf. Eaten with sour cream, crumbled brânză cheese and garlic sauce; often a side to stews.
Which dishes in Moldova are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Mămăligă and Plăcintă. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Moldova?
Mititei (grilled skinless rolls of minced meat seasoned with garlic and spices).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.