Today we are going to share with you the drinks of Romania that you must try when you visit! These are the classic drinks that all Romanians know, but that a lot of foreigners have probably never heard of. When you go out to lunch or dinner and see these drinks on the menu, just go ahead and try it out!
1. Milk
Romanians consider dairy and milk to be very healthy, and so kids and adults alike make sure to drink plenty of milk. Most milk in Romania is sold fresh, either as whole milk or skim milk. There are also various types of drinkable yogurts you can try that are said to help with digestive issues. Some of these are quite good and are worth a try!
2. Traditional Romanian Wine
Though Romanian wine is not well known outside the country, Romania is actually one of the largest wine producers in the world. Among European countries, it is the fifth-largest producer, behind Italy, France, Spain and Germany. Romania has some of their own grape varieties, but they also cultivate some of the more popular varieties, such as Sauvignon, Muscat, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Romania’s wine-making traditions date over 6,000 years back.
During your trip, check out a wine shop and ask the vendor for their recommendations! Some of the popular Romanian wine varieties that you might not have heard of before inclue Feteasca, Alba, Feteasca Regala, Aligote, Tramaioasa Romaneasca, Grasa de Cotnari, and Galbena de Odobesti for white wines. For red wines, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir are quite popular, but some Romanian varieties include Babeasca Neagra and Feteasca Neagra.
Just with the wines alone, there are so many different things to try!
3. Traditional Romanian Beers
Beer is also probably not something you think about when you think about Romania, but Romania has quite a variety of delicious beers, including craft beers. Obviously, craft beers have been rising in popularity in recent times, but Romania has brands of beers that have been around for hundreds of years. If you are a beer lover, you must try some of the amazing Romanian varieties!
One of the most classic beers of Romania is Timisoreana. It was founded in 1718 and was made in the first brewery in Romania. Today it still uses its traditional recipes and is made only by master brewers. It would take another hundred and sixty years for another classic beer brand to be born: Ursus (which means “bear”). Their first brewery was in Cluj in 1878.
4. Socata
Did you think we were only going to list alcoholic drinks? While there is a lot of variety of alcohol here in Romania, Romania has more to offer than just booze. The Socata is a classic example. It is a European elderflower drink. You can get it carbonated or non-carbonated, and it is actually a healthy drink!
Elderflower is good for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Socata is also good for digestion. This is a fermented drink, so depending on the type it could be slightly alcoholic, but the point of drinking it is not for the alcohol (it is much more like kombucha than beer).
5. Brandy
Although Țuică is a type of brandy, there are many other types of brandies. Țuică is brandy made from plums, but brandy in general is called rachiu in Romanian. Romanian brandy is often flavored with anise and is consumed as an aperitif. One of the other popular types of brandy is Palinka, which can be made from all kinds of fruits, including apricots, pears, sour cherries, apples, mulberries, and quince.
6. Cocktails
If you are more of a mixed-drink person, there are plenty of Romanian cocktails to try too! A White Romanian is popular, and it is made with Kahlua, banana liqueur, milk, vodka, and a couple slices of banana. The Hugo Cocktail is quite popular too, made with lime cordial, prosecco, elderflower cordial, and soda water.
7. Coffee
Did you know that the inventor of the espresso, Francesco Illy, was born in Romania? He later moved to Italy and opened his first espresso coffee shop there, which is why Italy gets the credit. However, Romanians love coffee! Be careful if you do try to order an espresso though – espressos in Romania tend to be brewed with a little more water than Italy.
This technically makes it a doppio, but Romanians don’t call it that. You should also note that when you order a regular coffee at a coffee shop, you will probably be served an espresso. Some restaurants serve “American coffee” if you are looking for that. When you walk down the streets of any city in the country, you are sure to find plenty of coffee shops.
Romanians brew their coffee in all different styles, but Turkish style is considered to be traditional Romanian style too. If you are invited over to a Romanian’s house before dinner, you will undoubtedly be invited to share a cup of coffee (and probably a pastry to go with it!).
8. Țuică
This is a Romanian classic that you absolutely must try when you visit the country. This is a plum brandy spirit that is similar to the Hungarian palinka or Bulgarian rakia. It is often served for guests to welcome their arrival, and is poured into traditional ceramic Țuică cups. This would make a great gift set to bring back home – cups plus Țuică!
9. Teas
We would not exactly say that Romanian teas are a “must try” when you are in the country, but Romanians do drink tea occasionally. Tea is thought of as more of a medicinal drink, that you can have to help cure yourself of a cold. Often Linden tea is served to those who are sick, as it is believed to help you relax and aid your digestion.
Even though teas are not quite as popular as other drinks, they are beginning to gain popularity due to international influence – especially caffeinated teas. Caffeinated teas used to never be consumed in Romania, but as they are getting more and more popular worldwide, they are starting to gain traction in Romania as well.