Food of Moldova
Moldovan cuisine is rooted in farm produce: corn, wheat, pork, sheep cheese, vegetables, fruit and walnuts. Many dishes share ground with Romania and Ukraine, including polenta, stuffed cabbage and filled pies. Meals are warm and hospitable, built around fresh seasonal produce and homemade preserves.
Mamaliga
Polenta with cheese and sour cream.
- Main dishes (10)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (3)
- Soups (4)
- Salads (3)
- Breads (3)
- Desserts and sweets (5)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (5)
Staples
- cornmeal
- pork
- cabbage
- sheep cheese
- vegetables
- walnuts
- grapes
- wheat
Signature flavors
- dill
- garlic
- thyme
- parsley
- lovage
- black pepper
Main dishes
Polenta with cheese and sour cream.
Key ingredients: cornmeal, cheese, sour creamStuffed cabbage or vine rolls.
Key ingredients: cabbage, pork, riceFull guide →
Folded pastries stuffed with cheese, potato or cabbage.
Key ingredients: dough, cheese, potatoChicken soup with homemade noodles.
Key ingredients: chicken, noodles, lemon
Grilled sausages.
Key ingredients: beef, pork, garlicFull guide →Plum-filled potato dumplings.
Key ingredients: potatoes, plumsSour vegetable soup.
Key ingredients: bran, vegetables
Pork and polenta.
Key ingredients: pork, sausage, polenta
Filled dumplings.
Key ingredients: dough, potato, cheese
Vegetable spread.
Key ingredients: eggplant, peppersBreakfast
Warm polenta with milk.
Key ingredients: cornmeal, milkPastry with cheese.
Key ingredients: dough, cheeseCheese and tomatoes.
Key ingredients: cheese, tomatoStreet food
Hot pastries.
Key ingredients: dough, cheese
Bread rings.
Key ingredients: doughDoughnuts.
Key ingredients: dough, sugarSoups
Chicken soup.
Key ingredients: chicken, noodlesMeatball soup.
Key ingredients: meatballs, vegetables
Beet soup.
Key ingredients: beets, cabbageFull guide →Bean soup.
Key ingredients: beansSalads
Eggplant spread.
Key ingredients: eggplant, onionCabbage salad.
Key ingredients: cabbageTomato salad.
Key ingredients: tomatoBreads
Homemade bread.
Key ingredients: flour
Sweet nut bread.
Key ingredients: flour, walnutsBraided sweet bread.
Key ingredients: flour, eggsDesserts and sweets
Apple pastry.
Key ingredients: applesCheesecake dumplings.
Key ingredients: cheese, cornmealWalnut sweet bread.
Key ingredients: flour, walnutsWalnuts in syrup.
Key ingredients: walnuts, sugarDoughnuts.
Key ingredients: doughDrinks
Fruit compote.
Key ingredients: fruitFresh grape juice.
Key ingredients: grapes
Elderflower drink.
Key ingredients: elderflowerHerbal tea.
Key ingredients: herbsFruits and produce
Moldova's famous table and juice grapes.
Key ingredients: fresh, juice
In desserts.
Key ingredients: baking
Orchard apples.
Key ingredients: baking
For jam.
Key ingredients: jam
For preserves.
Key ingredients: preservesDish guides from Moldova
Explore Moldova on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Eastern Europe
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Mamaliga: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Placinta: Unknown, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mititei aufm Grill: Stoschmidt, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tochitura-moldoveneasca: Nicubunu, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pierogi z masłem - 2023.03.31: Aw58, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Zacuscă bgiu: No machine-readable author provided. Bogdan assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Covrigi-brasonveni: Nicubunu, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Borscht served: liz west from Boxborough, MA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Baba ganoush closeup: avlxyz, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cozonac-cu-nuca-103: Vvssmmaann, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Peach kompot: Biso, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Socată sticlă: Bogdan29roman, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Grapes, Rostov-on-Don, Russia: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Walnuts - whole and open with halved kernel: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- 95apple: Agricultural Research Service (Research agent of United States Department of Agriculture), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Plums African Rose - whole, halved and slice: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Prunus cerasus - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-113: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
