Grilled minced meat rolls, finger-sized and thumb-thick, seasoned with garlic, black pepper, thyme and a touch of baking soda for the springy bite that defines the dish.

Mititei trace through the Balkans (Serbia, Greece and Turkey) into 19th-century Bucharest, where the dish is first documented in 1870 by Ulysse de Marsillac and named in 1872 by N. T. Orășanu. A popular Romanian legend credits Iordache Ionescu's tavern on Strada Covaci in Bucharest, where Uncle Iordache supposedly ran out of sausage casings and grilled the seasoned meat directly on the grates. The name means little ones, from Romanian mic, and the dish crossed the Prut into Bessarabia where it became the standard summer-grill order at Moldovan beer gardens. In Chișinău it lands on every grill from Pegas to the Beer Mania festival.

Where to eat Mititei in Chișinău

4 editor picks for Mititei in Chișinău, ranked by editorial score. All Chișinău signature dishes · Mititei across every city.

  • La Taifas

    Order Tocăniță cooked in the cauldron with mămăligă and a shot of house țuică.

    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.

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  • Pegas Terrace & Restaurant

    Order Marbled beef steak with seasonal vegetables and a glass of Fetească Neagră.

    Pegas in Chișinău is the long-running two-storey European fusion room on Strada Albișoara, with a wide summer terrace and a Moldovan wine list.

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  • Sălcioara

    Order Sarmale wrapped in vine leaves with sour cream and mămăligă on the side.

    Sălcioara in downtown Chișinău is the traditional Moldovan dining room with carved-wood interiors, evening live music and a kitchen built on village recipes.

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  • Beer House

    Order Pork knuckle with house lager and sauerkraut.

    Beer House in Chișinău is the German-themed brewpub on Bulevardul Negruzzi, brewing on-site and serving grill-heavy pub food with a daily 12-hour run.

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Make it at home

Serves 2012 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g minced beef (80/20)
  • 300g minced lamb shoulder
  • 200g minced pork belly
  • 8 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with 1 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 0.5 tsp ground caraway
  • 0.5 tsp ground allspice
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 150 ml cold beef broth
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil, for the grill

Method

  1. Combine all three minced meats in a wide bowl. Add the garlic paste and every spice (including the baking soda).
  2. Pour in the cold broth and knead the mixture with one hand for 6 to 8 minutes; it should become tacky and slightly aerated.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours, so the spices and baking soda fully bloom.
  4. Wet your hands in cold water and roll the mixture into finger-thick logs about 8 cm long. Lay them on a tray.
  5. Light a charcoal grill or heat a heavy ridged pan to medium-high. Brush the grates with oil.
  6. Grill the mititei for 3 minutes per side, turning once, until well charred on the outside and just cooked through. Total cook time is 6 to 7 minutes.
  7. Pile onto a wooden board with mustard, a stack of fresh bread and a cold local beer.

Editor tip. The baking soda is the secret to mititei's signature spring; do not skip it, and rest the mixture overnight so the flavour settles.