The Romanian restaurants and gastronomy.

Although international cuisine is available in better quality restaurants, make sure that you savour the local Romanian dishes. Romanian cooking is rich, tasty and substantial, as befits a country were all food is still naturally grown, where fruits and vegetables follow their normal season, and when the winter is cold.

Pork is a special favorite, but you will find good beef, veal, and chicken too. They are delicious simply grilled. Typical Romanian specialties include a range of soup " ciorba ", a sour soup made from fermented bran , bacon, potatoes and beef or chicken. Hearty stews such as " Tachitura Moldoveneasca " are accompanied like many Romanian meat, and " Mititei " is small grill sausages perfumed with aromatic herbs. Among Fish dishes sample carp on the spit, a local specialty in the Danube Delta.

A range of excellent white and red Romanian wines of the famous vineyards of Murfatlar, Cotnari, Jidvei, Dealu Mare, Odobesti, Valea Calugareasca, accompany local and international dishes to perfection, while " Tuica " the local plum brandy is often drunk as a digestive. But beware, it carries a sting in its tail! The local Romanian beers are excellent.