Placinta - the most famous traditional delicacy in Moldova

The national cuisine of each country represents a true reflection of its centuries-old traditions, which the inhabitants of every country cherish with praise. The secrets of national dishes are transmitted from generation to generation. The Moldavian cuisine is full of such secrets and mysteries too. Our small and sunny republic is located in a region of abundant natural opportunities. Most people usually associate the country with wine, placinte, delicious fruits, cheese, and corn porridge - mamaliga. For us, Moldavian residents, the national cuisine is really something we can be proud of. Today you will find out more about one of the tastiest, most famous, and delicious treats of Moldova - placinta.

A bit of history 

A bit of history of the Moldavian cuisine - it was formed gradually. Like any other cuisine, it was actually influenced by countries in the region with a rich culture. Our country, as you may see on the map, is located on one of the oldest trade routes, between vast and prosperous countries. In the period from the 10th to the 12th century, a large number of Greek dishes entered our cuisine. Moldavian people were skilled enough in adopting the method of cooking butter, puff and puff pastry, which was at the time common in South European and Mediterranean countries. Right from that time, the famous placinte were introduced to our cuisine and remain one of the most notable "business cards of Moldova."** **One interesting fact: the word placinta comes from the Latin "placenta," which means "cake," - a cake in the Greek language is called "plakount" translating to "a flat cake.” As you could see, the Moldavian cuisine was formed from the integral structure of different cuisines of the neighbor countries, combining diverse and conflicting features: however, it soon got so loved all over the world.

The recipe of the Moldavian placinte

Placinte - are cakes with different fillings. These are Moldavian, Romanian, and Ukrainian cakes of a round or square shape. Placinte are usually made of dough and puff pastry. The stuffing may be cabbage, feta cheese, cottage cheese with greens, sweet cottage cheese, salty cottage cheese, potatoes, meat, pumpkin, apples, and other fruits. It depends on your taste. The recipe is quite simple: in a glass of boiling water, you should add oil and salt. Then slowly add the flour and fastly knead. The dough should be elastic, and it should not stick to your hands. It must be wrapped in tape and left to rest for about 30 minutes. During this time, you can cook the filling. Boil potatoes, for example, mix them with fried onions and herbs. When the dough is ready and rested, you need to divide it into separate balls; after - roll each ball into a cake, and put the stuffing in the center. The dough around the filling should be cut into eight segments. Then cover the filling with the resulting 'petals.' In the end - fry the cakes in a pan with oil until they get a golden brown color. It is delicious to eat them with sweet tea or coffee. 

Where to eat placinte in Chisinau

If you have the chance to try the famous and delicious Moldavian placinta at a local's house in a Moldavian family, go for it! However, if there is no such possibility -  you may think of other places where to eat those delicious cakes while in Chisinau. A variety of different placinte with various stuffings can be found in the "La Placinte" restaurant in Chisinau, on Stefan cel Mare street, 182 or in the Restaurant "Moldovenesc" in the shopping center "Sun City" on Pushkin Street, 32. Enjoy Placinta - the most famous traditional delicacy in Moldova!