Chapter VII

     VII. KNOWLEDGE REGARDING TRADITIONAL ALIMENTATION

                                                                           Valentina IAROVOI

Traditional nutrition involves a very rich fund of knowledge, transmitted from one generation to another, being enriched by new gastronomic acquisitions, as a result of cultural exchanges, of adaptation to evolution, but also with new interpretations of the former culinary practices. The traditional nutrition system evolved in a close relationship with basic and secondary practices, with natural environment and clime conditions, religion and social-historic conditions. For the creation, development and promotion along the time of food and drinking recipes, part of our cultural fund, all the social groups cooperated, all generations and communities. Out of this social cooperation resulted an alimentary system rich in knowledge, skills and practices that maintained their actuality until present. The nutrition preferences represent the most constant skills of human communities. The localities from the Republic of Moldova identify themselves with certain feast meals, with certain drinks, with special ways of cooking them or consumption.

While compiling this section, we have respected the following principles:

  1. Functional (e.g. ritual meals and drinks, daily meals and drinks; Christmas meals; Easter meals);
  2. Source of the product (e.g. vegetable meals, cereal meals, poultry meals, pork meals, dairy meals etc.);
  3. The system of religious and magical-ritual prescriptions and interdictions (meals during the lent, ordinary day meals; prescribed or forbidden meals and drinks);
  4. Area of diffusion (general, regional, local) and actual frequency of preparing and consumption;
  5. Identity value (the degree of specificity from the practice and ethnic point of view);
  6. Age of documentary attesting, preservation, involvement, substitution or elimination of certain products or alimentary meals.



According to the diversity of alimentary traditions, we structured the section as follows:

Basic aliment

Alcoholic drinks

Medium alcoholic drinks

Non-alcoholic or little-alcoholic drinks

Techniques of conservation

Cereal meals specific for the cycle of calendar customs

Cereal meals specific for the cycle of family customs

Meals of wheat flour, with various stuff

Recipes for egg meals (with ritual and ceremonial character)

Recipes of cooked meat meals (with ceremonial and festive character, quasi-general diffusion)

Meals of fried, roasted or baked meat

Recipes of meals from minced meat

Recipes of dairy meals (with daily, festive or specific for certain practices character)

Recipes of meals during the lent (daily character, confessional restrictions)

Cooked meals with flour products


Basic aliment

VII.1. Bread and diverse recipes of preparing it, together with the afferent objects.

VII.2. "Mămăliga" and diverse recipes of preparing it, together with the afferent objects.

VII.3. "Mălaiul" (corn) and diverse recipes of preparing it, together with the afferent objects.


Alcoholic drinks

VII. 4. Wine produced from grapes, after fermentation, together with the various recipes of preparing, keeping and consumption, together with the afferent objects and practices.

VII. 5. Wine produced by maceration-fermentation on "bostina" (in "tescovina"/remnants of squeezed grapes).

VII. 6. Wine obtained after the "tescuire" (squeezing) and fermention of the "must răvac"(mashed grapes).

VII.7. "Rachiu" obtained after the distillation of grape residues (from "tescovina", from wine yeast).

VII. 8. "Rachiu" from fermented and distilled fruits (from plums, sour-cherries, apricots,  pears, from mixture of fruits).

VII.9. "Rachiu" from fermented and distilled cereals (from grain, rye).


Medium-alcoholic drinks

VII.10. Beer obtained after the fermentation of cereals (of barley and rye), with diverse recipes for cooking, keeping and consumption, together with the afferent objects and practices.

VII.11. "Vişinată", "cireşată", "afinată" produced from a syrup of fruits, adding distilled elements.

VII. 12. "Braga" together with various recipes of producing, preservation and consumption, together with the afferent objects and practices.


Non-alcohol or little-alcohol drinks

VII.13. Apple "must" (mash), "cvas" (juice) together with diverse recipes for cooking, keeping and consumption, along with the afferent objects and practices.

VII. 14. "Mied" and "mursa" produced from honey.

VII.15. Fruit and grape "compot" (compote, juice) together with the different recipes of cooking, keeping and consumption, along with the afferent objects and practices.

(see Traditions and Expressions of Verbal Art, having Language and Word Meaning as main Vehicle for Cultural Expression; Traditions and Expressions of the Musical Art or Practice; Traditions and Expressions of Choreographic Art or Practice; Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos; Techniques and Knowledge concerning Traditional Craftsmanship).


Methods of food preservation

VII.16. Drying vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, berries, greens, aromatic plants.

VII.17. Salting and drying fish.

VII.18. Recipes for adding salt and preserving in cold brine vegetables, greens, garden herbs.

VII.19. Recipes for long-time preservation, in the animal grease, of meat and meals of pork, poultry, mutton, rabbit meat.

VII.20. Recipes for long-time preservation, in diluted or concentrated sugar syrup, of fruits (sour-cherry, cherries, peaches, apricots, quinces, plums, grape, berries).

(see Traditions and Expressions of Verbal Art, having Language and Word Meaning as main Vehicle for Cultural Expression; Traditions and Expressions of the Musical Art or Practice; Traditions and Expressions of Choreographic Art or Practice; Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos; Techniques and Knowledge concerning Traditional Craftsmanship).


Cereal meals specific for the cycle of calendar customs

VII.21. Recipes for cooking boiled wheat or "coliva" (for ritual feasts on Christmas Eve, New Year/St. Basil, Toader Saturday/ "Sântoader", Dead ones Saturdays /"Moşii", St. Varvara, St. Andrei etc. Having the function of remembering the dead ones), together with the afferent practices.

VII.22. Recipes for cooking boiled meals of cereal flour and dairy (for "Moşii de Rusalii", Ascension/"Ispasul").

VII.23. Models of cooked dough which symbolise Christmas and New Year: "ajunelul", "crăciunelul, "st. vasile" (24 of December/6 of January), together with the ritual practices of cooking, preserving and consumption.

VII.24. "Lipii" (a kind of bread) of wheat flour and unleavened dough which is shared to godparents by children on Christmas Eve (south-western localities), together with the afferent practices and objects.

VII.25. Dough models for children, who carol ("colindători"), perform well-wishing songs ("urători") and ritual seeding ("semănători") ("bolindeţe", "colindeţe", "nodăţei" – for boys, "pupejoare" – for girls, "colăcei", "hulubaşi").

VII.26. Big "colaci" decorated with red wool, for lads "colindători" and "urători".

VII.27. "Colacii"; "colacul" and "pupăza" (in the South) cooked to be offered to godparents on the second day after Christmas and on the second day after New Year.

VII.28. Dough models of saints/martyrs shared on the Day of Saints/Martyrs (9 of March/22 of March).

VII.29. "Colac" cooked from unleavened dough, baked on hearth, for shepherds on the day of the Saint and Great Martyr George (April 23 / May 6) (South zone).

VII.30. Ritual "placinte" (pies) on the last Saturday of the Great Lent (day of Lazar, "Florii"), "vărzările" (pies with cabbage) on the Saturday of the Dead ones /summer "Moşi", on the eve of Palm Sunday, together with the afferent practices.

VII.31. "Pasca" of the Easter cycle (hallowed on the night of Resurrection and consumed during the first Easter days, on "Paştele Blajinilor" (Easter for the Dead ones), cooked before Palm Sunday), together with the afferent practices and objects.

VII.32. "Lipii" (a kind of bread) from the Saturday before Palm Sunday /summer "Moşi", together with the afferent practices and objects.

(see Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos).


Cereal dishes specific for the cycle of family customs


VII.33. Cooked wheat or "coliva", sometimes substituted by cooked rice – in the context of funeral customs and of remembering the dead ones.

VII.34. "Turta", "azima" of wheat flour and unleavened dough in the context of birth, as a gift to midwife (in the South) and in premarital context on St. Andrew,  together with the afferent objects and practices.

VII.35. Cakes of wheat dough (leavened), specific for "cumatria" ("colaci" for attaining "cumetri", "colaci" to offer to "cumetri" at "cumătrie", "pupăză" to offer to midwife/old woman), together with the afferent objects and practices.

VII.36. Cakes of wheat  dough (leavened), specific for the wedding custom: "colaci" of the "vornicei" for inviting to wedding; "colaci" which the wedding guests come with; "colaci" of "nuni" (wedding sponsors); "colaci" of "cuscri"; "jemna" on the table of the "nuntasi" (in the north and center), bride’s "jemna", "jemna" at "Iertăciune" (asking forgiveness from parents), "jemna înjemănată" (excepting South-West); bride’s pupaza (in South-West), colac and pupaza for asking forgiveness from "nănaşi" (in South-West), together with the afferent objects and practices.

VII.37. Cakes of wheat  dough (leavened), specific for the funeral custom or remembering the dead ones: "călăghie"/"hălăgică" (villages on the bank of river Prut); "capete" (sud-vest); round "colac" for each object offered as "pomană", for persons present at the feast after burial and at the feasts on the 3rd, 9th, 20th, 40th day, after 1 year and during 7 following years; "colaci" for the "ciur" (sieve) with bones or the "covata" (trough) with bones; "colaci" for the tree of life (round "colac", "soul’s ladder", "pupeze", "hulubaşi"); "colaci" for ritual bridges or decks; "colaci" for "năsălii" (litter for carrying the coffin to church), together with the afferent objects and practices.


Dishes of wheat flour, with different stuff

VII.38. Recipes of dishes from unleavened dough (pastry): "plăcinte", "învîrtite", "colţunaşi", "vărzare", with different stuff.

VII.39. Recipes of dishes from leavened dough: "plăcinte", "învârtite", "saralii", with different stuff.

(see Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos).


Recipes of dishes made of eggs (ritual and ceremonial character)

VII.40. At Lord’s Resurrection – boiled eggs, coloured in red, decorated with images, "împistrite"/"muncite".


Recipes of dishes made of boiled meat (ceremonial and festive character, quasi-general spreading)

VII.41. Meat dishes preserved through different methods: "pastramă" of pork, mutton, poultry, game, pork ham, sausage.

VII.42. Recipes of dishes made of boiled and spicy meat, by non-aerated preservation (mutton "cavurma", a distinct dish of mutton – in the South); dishes of boiled meat with condiments; "răcituri" of pork, poultry (cock), fish.

VII.43. Recipes of boiled meat with vegetables – pasta – soup with beef, chicken "zeama" (soup); fish "zeama"; "borş scăzut" (variety of soup) with cabbage and pork;  "ciorbă" (variety of soup) with mutton (in South-West), "ciorbă" of rabbit with home-made "borş" (sour liquid).

VII.44. Recipes of dishes made of boiled meat with vegetables, garden greens and vegetal or animal greases with sauce: "tocană" (stew) (made of pork, beef, poultry); "plachie" of fish (South); "ciulama" of poultry, beef, mutton (South); roasted chicken with cream or in white sauce (North and Center); potatoes with meat; "tochitură" of pork, mutton (South); varieties of cabbage with meat (bigos).

(see Feasts, customs and rites; Knowledge, practices and symbols concerning man, nature and cosmos).


Dishes of fried, roasted or baked meat


VII.45. Recipes of lamb back under earth (South).

VII.46. Recipes of stew made of pork, poultry.

VII.47. Recipes of hens, ducks, and fish filled with stuff and baked in oven.

VII.48. Recipes of chicken, pig cooked as "frigărui" (skewers).

VII.49. Recipes of fish fried in pan.

VII.50. Recipes of mutton, poultry roasted in pan.

(see Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos).


Recipes of dishes made of minced meat

VII. 51. Dishes made of minced, spicy liver – smoked, boiled or baked (pork "saltison", mutton with stuff, birds with stuff, fish with stuff).

VII.52. Dishes of minced, spicy meat and greases, condimentate – smoked, on grill or roasted (pork sausages, or made of mixed pork, beef, poultry; "mititei"; pork "chiftele", of mixed pork, beef, poultry; pork "pârjoale", of mixed pork, beef, poultry, fish; cighiri, "chifteluţe", "gălucele").

VII.53. Dishes of minced meat and greases, "bulgur"/ smashed wheat grains, also with rice, spicy, garden greens, vegetables, rice: "sarmale" ("găluşte", "găluci") with pork, mixed (pork and beef); vegetables with stuff (peppers, zucchini, potatoes, tomato and aubergins).

(see Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos).


Recipes of dairy meals (with daily, festive character, with specific of practice)

VII.54. Unfermented milk, boiled or not (sweet, from cow, from goat),"corasla".

VII. 55. Fermented milk ("lapte acru", "chişleag", "lapte covăsit", "lapte batut", from cow).

VII.56. Fermented and boiled dairy, the result of processing, during several stages, the milk from cow, goat, sheep ("zer", "zară").

VII.57. Dairy resulting from milk (cream, "chişleag", "brânză", butter).

VII.58. "Brânzeturi" (cheese products) from fermented and boiled milk: "brânză" from cow; clotted "brânza" from cow, frozen "brânză" from cow mixed with sheep "branza", "urdă", "jitniţă"; sweet "caş" (type of cheese) from sheep.

VII.59. Fermented brânzeturi and preserved with salt (clotted and salted "branza" from cow, salted brânză from sheep (slices), "brânză" from sheep, crumbled and salted), fermented "brânzeturi", melted and homogenized, preserved through drying ± smoking (cheese).

VII. 60. Pastoral meals based on dairy and cheese-like products ("sărbuşcă", "balmoş").

(see Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos).


Recipes of dishes during the fast (daily character, confessional compels)

VII.61. Milk of "buhai"/ "Juflă" – dish made of rye seeds, smashed in marcoteţ (pot), and boiled with water, for Christmas Eve.

VII.62. Dishes of raw vegetables, adding vegetable greases, natural ferment and spices.

VII.63. "Borş gros" (a kind of soup)  –  cooked from corn and sour cabbage.

VII.64. Dishes of season greens from the spontaneous flora (ramson or garlic,  "leurdă", watercress, "stevia", pile work, nettle, lobodă).

VII.65. Dishes of season cultivated greens (cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines, white and red cabbage, garlic, onion, red beet, spinach, parsley, dill, thyme, celery, horseradish, lovage).

(see Feasts, customs and rites; Knowledge, practices and symbols concerning man, nature and cosmos).


Broths with flour dishes

VII.66. "Zamă", "borş", "ciorba" soured with borş (natural ferment made of wheat or corn tărâţe/flakes), adding fresh or conserved tomato, are cooked with cabbage, rice, pasta, and is served as the first meal.

 VII.67. Broths of season greens from the spontaneous flora (sorrel, nettle, loboda, stevia, comestible mushrooms), cultivated greens (green and red loboda, leek, spinach, garden stevia, parsley, dill) and vegetables (with greens and vegetal spices), potatoes, beans or bean pods, leek, tomatoes, baked cabbage, carrot, celery, parsnip, parsley, lovage, spices.

VII.68. Broths of fresh, dried or smoked fruits (chiseliţă/stewed plums, sloes, sour-cherries, apples, apricots).

VII.69. Dishes "scăzute" (with greens, vegetal grease and spices): "tocană" (stew), iahnie, ghiveci, mâncărică.

VII.70. Dishes of nettle or cultivated greens: leek, spinach, stevia; of vegetables or combinations of vegetables: "iahnie" or "tocană", "ghiveci" from combining potatoes, bean pods, spices: pepper, thyme, dill, leaves of celery, peppers, all of them being "călite" (roasted) in oil; of peppers roasted in oil, "tocană" of aubergins, bean pods with garlic; of greens or vegetables and adding pasta: cabbage călită with home-made "tăiţei" (noodles).

VII.71. Dishes of cereal broths: boiled wheat ("colivă"), boiled corn or baked on cinder; from corn flour: "mămăligă", "terci", "budincă" (varieties of porridges).

(see Celebrations, Customs and Rites; Knowledge, Practices and Symbols about Man, Nature and Cosmos).



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