Author: Gety

Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been greatly influenced by Ottoman cuisine, while it also includes influences from the cuisines of other neighbours, such as Germans, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Hungarians.
Zacuscă is a vegetable spread popular in Romania. Similar spreads are found in other countries throughout, or bordering the Balkans.
The word zacuscă is of Slavic origin which means simply "breakfast" or "appetizer" or "snack".
The main ingredients are roasted aubergine or sauteed onions, tomatoes, roasted red peppers (belonging to a local cultivar called gogoşari), and chopped onion. Some add mushrooms, carrots, or celery. Other ingredients are also added according to taste, including spices. Traditionally, a family will cook a large quantity of it after the fall harvest and preserve it in sterilized jars.

Highschool
„Balasa Doamna”
Targoviste Romania

Students
Radu Stefan Cretu
Teodor Mihalache
Mihai Eusebiu Gherghina
Mihai Ciobotaru
Teachers
Irina Mares
Gheorghita Vasile

Highschool
“Balasa Doamna”

Zacusca with eggplants
Ingredients:
3 kg eggplants
1 kg bell peppers
2 kg red peppers
1kg onion
700 ml oil
1l tomato juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Salt

Preparation
1 Bake the eggplants, bell peppers and red peppers.Then peel the burnt skin, the seeds and filaments and leave to drain. Chop the onions and baked vegetalbes with a knife.
2 Put the chopped onions in oil and when it is slightly softened , add the chopped vegetables.
3 Add the tomato juice , bay leaves and peppercorns . Let them boil for about 50 minutes until well reduced then add the salt and honey.
4 Pour in hot jars and lid them . Turn them upside down and leave to cool until the air is completely eliminated.
Zacusca with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
2 kg mushrooms
5 kg peppers
5 kg red peppers
3 kg onions
1 l oil
300 g tomato sauce
Salt
Zacusca with carrots and bell peppers
Ingredients:
25 bell peppers
25 red peppers
1 kg onions
10 large eggplants
1 kg carrots
2kg tomatoes
1l oil
3-4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
Did you know that...
• The bell pepper is one of the healthiest September vegetables.
• The eggplant is one of the few vegetables that keeps its qualities even cooked.
• Raw eggplants should not be eaten. They contain solanine, a poisonous glicoalcoid which can cause both gastrointestinal and neurological problems, if eaten in big quantities. The solanine molecule is destroyed in cooking or baking.