Carpathian Cuisine – Mamalyga

A filling porridge from the Carpathian locals made with corn flour. It’s not only a meal for the mountainous people but also a chance to get together and talk.

Preparation (tocan and mamalyga):

• Two glasses corn flour
• Six glasses water
• bryndza
• 100 g smoked pork fat, crisps
• salt
• hard-pressed cheese
• fried onions

Use cornmeal to make tocan. First, fry the cornmeal on a dry pan until golden to achieve a pleasant fried corn aroma.

Next, pour some water into a cauldron. Yes, a cauldron, as it’s the only type of container suitable for making mamalyga. There is nothing you can do about it, no cauldron – no mamalyga. It’s easy to calculate the amount of water needed: the ratio is 1 to 3, six glasses of water to two cups of flour. Add some salt and four spoons of flour, bring to a boil. Add the remaining flour in a small stream (you can use a sieve) into the boiling water. Stir to avoid clumps. Use a wooden spoon, spatula, or rolling pin to stir the contents, pressing them to the cauldron walls. Cook the flour for 25-30 minutes.

Lower the heat, and, constantly stirring, cook for another 10-15 minutes until the contents thicken. To check if mamalyga is ready, put a rolling pin vertically into the cauldron and rotate. If nothing sticks to the rolling pin, it’s done.

Wet a spoon and a spatula and use them to separate mamalyga from the cauldron walls. Turn out onto a wooden plank or a clean towel (not a plate as mamalyga will get sweaty, then dry and lose its taste). A well-made mamalyga will hold its shape and will turn out of the cauldron easily. Cut mamalyga with a thick thread.

Prepare the side dishes: sheep bryndza, sour cream, crispy pork fat, and fried onions, for a more festive dish: Everything is served separately, and everybody adds what they want.