This can sometimes be hard for me, because I am a vegetarian and Romanians eat a lot of meat dishes, but I do my best and most people understand. This is also why I like focusing on the tasty cheese I can get here! I was very happy to try the kürtőskalács as well.This is something I had heard people talk about before I got here, so I was really looking forward to tasting it. It did not disappoint!
If you go to a Romanian restaurant, you will find that there are usually multiple courses and the meal will be a much slower and longer event than we are used to in the USA. All of the cheeses and meats are purchased at grocery stores or markets, and they are usually priced per kilogram. Pastries and breads are often sold at little stands on the street, but you can also buy them in grocery stores. They are usually freshly baked every day. Kürtőskalács, however, is prepared in a really interesting way. Most of the time, you buy it at a tent or stand, so you can usually watch it being prepared. The dough is rolled onto a metal cylinder, and then rotated over hot coals until it gets nice and crisp. Then, it is sprinkled with the traditional sugar and cinnamon.
Cheese-making in Romania dates back to ancient times, when the Dacians (one of the the ancient civilizations in this region of the world) inhabited the area. Sheeps milk cheese, especially telemea, connects to the traditional job of sheepherding in Romania.
