Romanian domestic life
DOMESTIC LIFE
Romanian homes are brightly decorated with wall hangings, curtains,
coverlets and tablecloths of richly intricate embroideries. Displays of
folk pottery and carved wooden objects attest to an artistic people who
are seldom idle with their hands. Even much of the furniture is handmade
and beautifully carved and finished.
The center of most homes, is usually the kitchen. This same room is not
only the largest in the house, it is also the living room, the dining
room, and the children's bedroom. One other small room will be the
parents' bedroom and a still smaller one will be the food storage room or
the pantry. A large wood-burning stove with ovens, cooktop, and open
hearth will be centered against one wall of the kitchens whitewashed
interior. Not only do all the good foods come from here, but so does the
heat.
Colorful earthenware dishes, mixing bowls, and casseroles for baking the
many popular vegetable stews are basics of the kitchen as are the heavy
cast-iron pots for soups and cooktop stews like gulyas and
tokany. But most important are the utensils involved in the
preparation of mamaliga. This thick cornmeal porridge that is
almost all things to a Romanian is so special it is cooked in a special
cast-iron pot called a ceaun and stirred with a carved wooden stick
called a facalet. Finally it is turned out on to its own wooden
board to cool and is cut with a special string into hearty wedges; that
is, if it is not prepared to be eaten in one of countless other ways.
Romanians prefer fresh fruits and vegetables, each in its own season. But the pantry area does hold cabbages and root vegetables that can take storage: to preserve them for winter use, vegetables that are more perishable are sometimes wrapped in leaves and buried in an earthen pit. Mostly, however, seasonal fruits are preserved as jams, fruit butters to be used for pastry fillings, dried, or cooked in heavy syrup to produce dulceata, thick sweet preserves of whole or sliced fruits or berries eaten with a spoon between sips of icy cold water and finally washed down with strong Turkish coffee. Cabbage may also be stored as barrels of sauerkraut; other vegetables will he preserved for winter and year-round use as spicy hot, sweet, or sour pickles.