Patrick Oconnell
Romanian mămăliga is a traditional peasant dish that has become a national dish in Romania. It is a polenta made out of yellow maize flour. It is often served with cheese, such as feta, kashkaval, or cascaval, a sheep's milk cheese similar to pecorino. Mămăliga can be served as a side dish or as a main course. It is a versatile dish that can be made to be soft or hard, and it is often used as a substitute for bread.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is Mămăligă? | A polenta made out of yellow maize flour |
| Where is it traditional? | Romania, Moldova, southwest regions of Ukraine, Thessaly, Phthiotis, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland in Ukraine, the Black Sea regions of Georgia and Turkey, and Italy, Switzerland, Southern France, Slovenia, Croatia, and Brazil (where it is called polenta) |
| History | Historically a peasant food, often used as a substitute for bread or a staple food in poor rural areas. In recent decades, it has become an upscale dish available in fine restaurants. |
| How is it cooked? | By boiling water, salt, and cornmeal in a special-shaped cast-iron pot called ceaun or tuci. |
| Consistency | When cooked peasant-style, Mămăligă is much thicker than Italian polenta, to the point that it can be cut in slices like bread. When cooked for other purposes, it can be much softer, sometimes almost like porridge. |
| Cutting | Harder boiled Mămăligă is traditionally cut with a string, so it doesn't stick to a knife. |
| Health benefits | Fat-free, cholesterol-free, and high-fiber |
| Health alternatives | Can be used as a healthy alternative to refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, or hulled rice. |
| Serving suggestions | Mămăligă is often served with sour cream and cheese on the side (Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână) or crushed in a bowl of hot milk (Mămăligă cu lapte). Sometimes slices of Mămăligă are pan-fried in oil or lard. |
| Traditional Moldavian meal | Often served with meat, usually pork or fried fish, and mujdei, a garlic-and-oil sauce. |
| Mămăligă-based dishes | Various recipes may include milk, butter, various types of cheese, eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, ham, fish, etc. |
| Romanian breakfast | Mămăligă Cu Ouă Si Cu Brânză (cornmeal with bacon and cheese) |
What You'll Learn
- Mămăligă is often served with telemea, a cheese similar to feta
- It can also be served with cașcaval, a sheep's milk cheese
- Mămăligă cu lapte is mămăligă served in a bowl of hot milk
- Balmoș is a mămăligă-like dish made with cornmeal boiled in sheep's milk
- Mămăligă is sometimes served with sarmale (a type of cabbage roll)
Mămăligă is often served with telemea, a cheese similar to feta
Mămăligă is a traditional Romanian dish, similar to polenta, that is made with cornmeal, water, and salt. It is a versatile dish that can be served as a porridge or sliced like bread. Mămăligă is often served with telemea, a cheese similar to feta.
Telemea is a type of feta cheese that is made from sheep's milk. It has a salty and "goaty" flavour that pairs well with the creamy, mild cornmeal of mămăligă. Mămăligă cu brânză, or mămăligă with cheese, is a popular dish in Romania and is often served as a side or on its own.
There are many ways to prepare and serve mămăligă with telemea. It can be baked, layered with polenta and cheese, or served with poached or over-easy eggs, chunky tomato sauce, or sour cream. Mămăligă can also be prepared as a porridge and topped with crumbled telemea.
In addition to telemea, mămăligă can also be served with other types of cheese such as cașcaval, a semi-firm light yellow cheese, or sour cream. Mămăligă is a versatile dish that can be served in many different ways and is a popular part of Romanian cuisine.
Mămăligă has a long history in Romania and was traditionally a peasant dish. It is mentioned in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, where the character Jonathan Harker writes, "I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was 'mamaliga', and eggplant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call 'impletata.'" Today, mămăligă is considered a national dish of Romania and can be found on menus in restaurants across the country.
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It can also be served with cașcaval, a sheep's milk cheese
Mămăligă is a traditional Romanian dish made from cornmeal, similar to Italian polenta. It is a versatile dish that can be served as a side or a main course, and can be made with various ingredients, including cheese. One type of cheese that is commonly used in mămăligă is cașcaval, a sheep's milk cheese similar to pecorino or kashkaval.
Cașcaval is a semi-firm, light yellow cheese with a salty and slightly tangy flavour. It pairs well with the creamy, mild flavour of the cornmeal in mămăligă. Mămăligă with cașcaval is a popular dish in Romania and is sometimes served with additional toppings or ingredients, such as sour cream, butter, or eggs.
The dish can be prepared in several ways, depending on personal preference. One method is to bake the mămăligă with the cheese, creating a crispy and golden dish. Another method is to layer the cornmeal and cheese, similar to a lasagna, and serve it as a more creamy and indulgent dish.
Mămăligă with cașcaval can be served as a comforting and satisfying meal, perfect for a chilly day. It is a dish that showcases the versatility of cornmeal and the richness of Romanian cuisine. This combination of flavours and textures has made mămăligă with cașcaval a beloved dish in Romania and beyond.
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Mămăligă cu lapte is mămăligă served in a bowl of hot milk
Mămăligă is a traditional Romanian dish, similar to polenta, made from cornmeal, water, and salt. It is cooked in a round-bottomed kettle called a "ceaun" and served as a substitute for bread or as a staple food.
Mămăligă is often served with sour cream and cheese (mămăligă cu brânză și smântână) or crushed in a bowl of hot milk (mămăligă cu lapte). It can also be served as a side dish with meat, usually pork or fried fish, and mujdei, a garlic-and-oil sauce.
Mămăligă is a versatile dish that can be adapted to different recipes and cooking methods. It can be baked, fried, or grilled, and is often served with other ingredients such as cheese, butter, or eggs. One popular variation is mămăligă cu brânză, which is mămăligă baked with cheese. Another dish, called bulz, consists of mămăligă with cheese and butter, roasted in the oven.
Mămăligă has a long history in Romanian cuisine and is considered the country's national dish. It is a versatile and affordable staple that can be adapted to different tastes and preferences.
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Balmoș is a mămăligă-like dish made with cornmeal boiled in sheep's milk
Mămăligă is a traditional Romanian dish made from cornmeal, similar to polenta. It is considered the country's national dish and is often served with cheese. The cornmeal is boiled in water and served with butter, sour cream, or cheese. The cheese used is typically cascaval, a sheep's milk cheese similar to pecorino, but it can also be served with telemea, a cheese similar to feta.
Balmoș is a dish that originated in the Transylvania region of Romania. It is a type of mămăligă made with cornmeal boiled in sheep's milk. It is a versatile dish that can be served as a main course or as a side dish, often served with a salad, sauteed mushrooms, grilled meats, or stews. The cornmeal is cooked slowly over low heat, allowing it to absorb the flavours of the other ingredients. The result is a smooth and velvety texture that forms the perfect base for the cheese.
To make Balmoș, combine yogurt, milk, sour cream, eggs, oil, and cheese in a pot and bring to a boil. Then, slowly add the cornmeal, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Season with salt and let the mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pot.
Balmoș is typically served hot and is considered a comfort food, especially during the cold winter months. It is a delicious and hearty dish that can be enjoyed all year round.
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Mămăligă is sometimes served with sarmale (a type of cabbage roll)
Mămăligă is a Romanian dish that is traditionally served as a substitute for bread. It is made with cornmeal, water, and salt, and has a similar consistency to polenta. In fact, mămăligă is sometimes referred to as "Romanian polenta".
Mămăligă is a versatile dish and can be served in a variety of ways. It can be made with milk, butter, cheese, eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, ham, and fish. One popular way to serve mămăligă is with sarmale, a type of cabbage roll or grapevine roll. Mămăligă is also commonly served with sour cream and cheese (known as mămăligă cu brânză și smântână), or with a bowl of hot milk (mămăligă cu lapte).
In terms of cheese, mămăligă is often served with telemea, a type of feta cheese, or cașcaval, a sheep's milk cheese similar to pecorino. Other types of cheese that can be used include kashkaval, a semi-firm light yellow cheese, and bulz, a baked dish made with mămăligă, cheese, and butter.
Mămăligă has an interesting history and was traditionally a peasant dish, but in recent decades, it has become an upscale dish served in fine restaurants. It is said to have been mentioned in the opening chapter of Bram Stoker's "Dracula", where the character Jonathan Harker writes, "I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was 'mamaliga', and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call 'impletata'".
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Frequently asked questions
Mămăliga is a Romanian polenta made out of yellow maize flour. It is considered the country's national dish.
Romanian mămăliga is often served with telemea, a type of feta cheese. It can also be served with cașcaval cheese, a sheep's milk cheese similar to pecorino.
In addition to cheese, Romanian mămăliga typically includes cornmeal, salt, and water. It may also be served with sour cream, butter, or eggs.
Mămăliga can be baked or cooked on a stovetop. It is traditionally cooked in a round-bottomed kettle called a "ceaun" and sliced with a piece of string.
Mămăliga was historically a peasant dish and used as a substitute for bread. It has recently emerged as an upscale dish served in fine restaurants.
