Moldova — Food and Dining
Cuisine
There are plenty of small restaurants and coffee shops. The service tends to be slow, but the cuisine is delicious, with a range of traditional national dishes and European food.
National specialties:
• Mititeyi (small grilled sausages with onion and pepper).
• Mamaliga (thick, sticky maize pie) which is served with brinza (feta cheese).
• Tocana (pork stew) should be tried with sweet-and-sour watermelons and apples.
National drinks:
There are more than 100 varieties of excellent wines produced in Moldova.
• White wines include Aligote, Riesling and Sauvignon.
• Moldovan Cabernet and Merlot are noteworthy reds.
• Doina or Nistru brandy is an ideal accompaniment with desserts.
Tipping: 5 to 10% will be gladly accepted.
Nightlife
In Chisinau, there is a good selection of theaters and concert halls, and an opera house. The Eminescu Music and Drama Theater specializes in Romanian productions, as does the Youth Theater Luceafarul (Poetic Star). All performances in the Chekhov Drama Theater are exclusively in Russian (the building used to be the Chisinau Choral Synagogue). The Philharmonia Concert Hall houses Moldova’s Symphony Orchestra. It is also the base for the folklore Doina Choir, the internationally-renowned Zhok National Dance Ensemble and the Fluerash Orchestra of National Music. Russian and Romanian productions can be seen in the puppet theater Licurici (Glow-worm). The country is famous for its tradition of folk arts and there are many lively musical groups (Tarafs), which play a variety of rare folk instruments including the tsambal (not unlike a dulcimer), cimpoi (bagpipe), fluier and nai.
