Text by Adriana Sohodoleanu, Ph.D. Post doctoral researcher, Food Studies, author of What’s New in the New Romanian Cuisine?, co-author Sweet Romania, a history about our deserts (with Cosmin Dragomir)

In 2017, I found myself in a restaurant in Bucharest boasting a farm-to-table concept — a novel idea for our city, and indeed, our entire country. Maize, the audacious restaurant’s name, had just launched three days prior, and there I was, gazing at a rustic wicker basket brimming with hay and cradling small pita breads with zacuscă. This introduction to the local fine dining scene was unprecedented; no one had dared, let alone cared, to explore traditional Romanian cuisine. Gold leaf, foie gras, truffles, New Zealand lamb, and freshly imported burrata — those were deemed the epitome of haute cuisine. Yet, as I watched the steam rising from the freshly baked pita, adorned with the luscious spread of zacuscă, a sense of familiarity washed over me. It wasn’t until a spider scurried across the table, swiftly met its demise under my friend’s steady hand, that it dawned on me: the New Romanian Cuisine was unfolding before our very eyes. This was my country — bold, imaginative, and on the brink of culinary innovation.

Years have elapsed since that momentous encounter. Zacuscă has become a staple of the burgeoning neo-local cuisine scene, but not a single spider, to my knowledge, has suffered harm in the process. Though Maize has since closed its doors, its inaugural chef, Alex Petricean — an alumnus of Rene Redzepi’s Noma, hence the avant-garde hay plating — now presides over the iconic Noua restaurant. Chef Radu C.I. Ionescu followed suit, launching his experimental eatery, Kaiamo, shortly after Maize. They were soon joined by Alex Dumitru, Mihai Toader, Cătălin Bejenariu, Mădălina Roman, Daniel Palici and a cohort of young chefs enamoured with Romanian ingredients, eager to re-imagine traditional recipes.

The New Romanian Cuisine embodies an ethos inspired by the pioneering chef Rene Redzepi, progenitor of the New Scandinavian Cuisine. This movement celebrates heritage and tradition, counters the fear of cultural estrangement, and espouses ethical and ecological stewardship. Cooking transcends mere culinary production; it becomes a cultural phenomenon. Like its sibling neo-local cuisines, ours champions flavour, local sourcing, seasonality, and accountability to artisans, the environment, and future generations.

These avant-garde establishments position themselves as catalysts for change, reshaping the Romanian culinary landscape and fostering a renewed appreciation for local gastronomy. While classic Romanian restaurants cling to static menus devoid of seasonality or regional specificity, the New Romanian Cuisine thrives on innovation. By exclusively utilizing local, seasonal ingredients and expanding culinary boundaries, it confronts the looming scarcity of traditional foods with ingenuity. Ramson and nettles, once overlooked or stigmatized, now feature prominently, elevated to Michelin-star status — a testament to our evolving palate and culinary consciousness.
Food becomes a conduit for cultural diplomacy, conveying our heritage and aspirations to the world. By showcasing our past and future through gastronomic experiences, we affirm our identity and place on the global stage. The New Romanian Cuisine and its constant pursuit of modern culinary identity expressions shows that we can build a future without destroying the past and be heritage-aware, proud consumers of Romanian-ness.
Experience the essence of Romania at its finest:
Reservations strongly recommended.
Indulge in New Romanian-style delights at home thanks to recipes offered by chefs to the author; excerpts from ‘What’s new in the New Romanian Cuisine?’ by Adriana Sohodoleanu.