Romani cuisine

Not to be confused with Roman cuisine or Romanian cuisine.

Romani cuisine is the cuisine of the ethnic Romani people. There is no specific "Roma cuisine"; it varies and is culinarily influenced by the respective countries where they have often lived for centuries. Hence, it is influenced by European cuisine even though the Romani people originated from the Indian subcontinent. Their cookery incorporates Indian and South Asian influences, but is also very similar to Hungarian, Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, Eastern European cuisine and Romanian cuisine. The cuisine of Muslim Romani people is also influenced by Balkan cuisine and Turkish cuisine.

Overview

Romani dishes are usually made hot and spicy with the use of spices, such as paprika, garlic and bell peppers. Potatoes are also a staple in their diet. A traditional Romani dessert is pirogo. The recipe consists of eggs, raisins, walnuts, pineapple, sugar, butter, egg noodles and cottage cheese. Another traditional dish cooked by Romani people is sarma, salmaia or sodmay, which is made from cabbage stuffed with meat and rice. Romani people consume dishes consisting of stuffed peppers, especially on holidays and special occasions. Romani people also cook pufe (made from fried flour), xaritsa (fried cornbread), bogacha (baked bread) and xaimoko (a meal consisting of rabbit meat). They serve their meals with kafa (coffee) and chao (tea) with sugar and milk or fruits such as strawberries, peach slices, apple slices, or lemon. The Roma believe some foods are auspicious and give luck (baxt). American Roma believe red pepper, black pepper, salt, vinegar, garlic, onions and a sacrificed animal such a lamb to be lucky foods. In Maribor, Slovenia, there is a Romani restaurant called Romani Kafenava. Some itinerant European Romani people cook hedgehog stew.

List of Romani dishes

• Stuffed peppers
• Pufe
• Pedogo
• Xaritsa
• Xaimoko or Hymoko
• Goulash
• Cigányturo
• Bogacha
• Ciganypecsenye
• Sarma or Sodmay
• Sax Suklo
• Rabbit stew
• Baked hedgehog
• Mamaliga
• Cabbage roll
• Saviako
• Gushvada (cheese strudel)
• Schnitzel

See also

• Romani society and culture

External links

• How to Eat Like a Real "Gypsy"
• Inside the Culinary Traditions of the Roma people
• Introducing Roma Cuisine, The Little-Known 'Soul Food' Of Europe
• Hungary Roma restaurant eases prejudice through food
• Romani Cuisine and Cultural Persistence
• Gypsy Feast: Recipes and Culinary Traditions of the Romany People
• Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia - Volume 2 - Page 175