HISTORY OF THE ROMANIAN CUISINE

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HISTORY OF THE ROMANIAN CUISINE

• Cooking food started a long time ago when the
  fire and fruit fermentation were discovered.
• 10 000 years ago people started cultivating
  plants and raising animals.

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FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PEOPLE S DIET
EATING HABITS geographical position, climate,
relief, religion, customs and the contact with
other cultures

• In Romania, the temperate climate, the diverse
  relief crossed by rivers that empty in the Black
  Sea have provided us with conditions for a rich
  diet and eating habits
• The archeological discoveries confirm the
  presence of people on the Romanian territory
  since Paleolithic age until now.

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AGE OF THE DACIAN CIVILIZATION

• The Dacians used to eat roast veal, wild
  pigeons, honey, aromatic wines, juicy pears,
  milk, boiled millet or wheat. They used to
  preserve the food by adding salt or exposing it
  to smoke.
• The pots discovered in that period confirm the
  Roman influences in the Dacians diet and eating
  habits by clay pots for baking bread or hand
  mills. They also brought the pie with different
  stuffings or the olive oil in Dacia.

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DIET AND EATING HABITS IN THE NEOLITHIC AGE

• The archeological discoveries confirm the
  presence of an outstanding civilization at
  Cucuteni, in northern Romania, 6000 years ago.
• The inhabitants had a protein-rich diet. Their
  main occupations were fishing, hunting, farming,
  making hand made tools and clay pots.

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MIDDLE AGES

• In Romania the people from the rural areas used
  to have a vegetarian diet . In the urban areas
  people used to eat meat every day.
• In the 14 th century, the banquets held by the
  boyars contributed to the diversification of the
  Romanians diet.

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CLASSICAL PERIOD 17th-18th centuries

• Corn began to be grown in the 17th century.
• The yellow and round cornmeal mush (also known as
  polenta) replaced the boiled millet and became
  a symbol for the Romanian peasants.
• The Romanian boyars had meals similar to the
  menus from the Western countries where cooking
  food had started to be considered culinary art.
• At the end of the 18th century, the historical
  documents confirm that the Romanians used to
  grow cabbage, peas, beans, onion, garlic,
  cucumbers and potatoes.

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SCIENTIFIC PERIOD 19th-20th centuries

• The food processing industry (sugar, sugar
  products, food concentrates) appeared in the 19th
  century. However, cooks interest was still
  focused on traditional products cooked in clay
  pots.
• In the early 20th century, restaurants (with
  staff trained at the cooking schools from Paris)
  appeared in different towns.
• Capsa brothers invented the so-called Joffre
  cake (that is also very much appreciated
  nowadays) in 1920, and launched it on the
  occasion of the visit of the French Marshal
  Joffre. The cake has the shape of his hat.

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1944 - 1989
COMMUNIST PERIOD

• Food was scarce during the communist period. Food
  rationing was introduced on a wide scale (the
  government promoted it as "a means to reduce
  obesity" and "rational eating"). Bread, milk,
  butter, cooking oil, sugar, pork, beef, chicken,
  and in some places even potatoes were rationed in
  most of Romania by 1989, with rations being made
  smaller every year (by 1989, a person could
  legally buy only 10 eggs per month).
• Nevertheless, the Romanians tried to be creative
  and invent diverse and healthy foods.

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AFTER 1989

• The development of the society and the free
  contact with other European countries have
  allowed the appearance of the industrial
  processed products on the Romanian market.
• Recently, there has been an increased interest in
  cooking and nutrition education as well as
  consumer education according to the European
  norms. Many campaigns focused on healthy food
  choices have been launched in schools and mass
  media in order to raise awareness of the health
  problems caused by eating unhealthy food.
• Besides, there has been an increased interest in
  ecological food products and clear food
  labelling.

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CONCLUSIONS

• As it is situated in a geographical position that
  made it a prime target for many invading nations,
  Romania has a very diversified cuisine influenced
  by the neighbouring countries and the foreign
  invaders.
• Starting with the dishes brought by the Roman
  invaders and continuing with influences from
  other nations such as the Turkish, Russians,
  Germans and Hungarians, the Romanian cuisine
  tried to adapt the international dishes to the
  local traditions. Several dishes, such as
  mamaliga (or polenta as it is often called) and
  sarmale (cabbage rolls with rice and minced
  pork meat) are considered Romanian traditional
  dishes.

Now, its time to check your knowledge! Click on
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THANK YOU!

• This presentation and the learning objects have
  been designed by the Comenius team (pupils and
  teachers) from School no. 191, Bucharest, Romania
  within the Comenius project Food and Health
  (2008-2010)