Moldova's national dish: a stiff cornmeal porridge cut with string and served with sheep's-milk brânză cheese and a spoonful of sour smântână on top.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Cornmeal porridge replaced millet-flour porridge as Bessarabia's staple after corn arrived from Venice in the 17th century, untaxed by the Ottoman Empire and able to combat the famines of the era. The dish became the table's everyday base alongside brânză cheese and smântână sour cream, and is traditionally cut on a wooden board with a length of string rather than a knife. It is the dish that defines the Moldovan table from the village to the city restaurant.
Common allergens: Dairy
Tip from the editors. If sheep's brânză is unavailable, use feta plus a tablespoon of yogurt to soften it; never substitute polenta flour, the grain is too fine.
La Taifas in Chișinău is the old village house with porch on Strada București, serving rustic Moldovan cooking and live folk music in a clay-pottery room.
OrderTocăniță cooked in the cauldron with mămăligă and a shot of house țuică.
TipBook a porch table on a warm evening; the kitchen leans on cauldron stews and the placinte are made to order with a 20-minute wait.
Sălcioara in downtown Chișinău is the traditional Moldovan dining room with carved-wood interiors, evening live music and a kitchen built on village recipes.
OrderSarmale wrapped in vine leaves with sour cream and mămăligă on the side.
TipReserve a corner table for the live music nights; order the house brandy alongside the zeamă starter.
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
More cities are in research. Want mămăligă cu brânză și smântână covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.
