Romania has some wonderful seasonal products. In most developed countries where the supermarkets reign supreme, the consumer has lost touch with when local fruit and vegetables are at their best. Although Romania is quickly catching up with the west in this regard, it's still possible to find local produce being sold in farmer's markets, on street corners, or along the roadside, mostly farmed by smallholders in their back gardens or in their field.
On this page I will start to list some of the more commonly encountered produce, giving its Romanian name, and indicating when it is in season, and some of its uses in Romanian cusine. It's still very much a work in progress, so check back from time to time. I'll add to the list as the year passes and I try dishes with the various seasonal fruit and veg.
Early Spring (March/April)
Nettles - 'urzici' /uor-zee-ch/ - neetle soup, salads, teas, with rice
Patience dock - 'stevie' /sh-te-ve-ey/ - stuffed dock leaves, with rice, with onion
Dandelion - 'papadie' /p-pu-dee-ye/ - salads
Wild garlic - 'leurda' /lay-or-da/ - borsch, salads, with cheese
Red orach - 'loboda' /lo-bo-da/ - salads, soup
Romania spinach - 'spanac romanesc' /spa-nack ro-man-esque/ - salads, soup, pie
Early Summer (May/June)
Strawberries - 'capsuni' /cap-shooni/ - jams and tarts
Sweet cherries - 'cirese' /chi-re-sh/ - jams
Green peas - 'mazare' /ma-za-re/ - with pork, with chicken, country style, with soup
Spring cabbage - 'varza noua' /var-za no-ah/ - stewed, shredded salad
Mid Summer (June/July)
Sour cherries - 'visine' /vi-shin-e/ - jams, cherry liquor
Redcurrents - 'coacaze rosii' /qua-ca-ze ro-she/ - jam
Blackcurrents - 'coacaze negre' /qua-ca-ze ne-gre/ -
Raspberries - 'zmeure' /zme-oo-re/ -
Wild Strawberries - 'fragi' /fra-gee/ -
Late Summer (July/August)
Mulberries - 'dude' /doo-day/ -
Blackberries - 'mure' /moo-re/ -
Bilberries - 'afine' /a-fee-ne/ -
Aubergine - 'vinete' /vi-ne-te/ - aubergine salad
Autumn
Plums - 'prune' /proo-ne/ - tuica, palinca, jam
Grapes - 'struguri' /strew-goo-re/ - wine, must
Pears - 'pere' /pe-re/ -
Apples - 'mere' /me-re/ - apple pie
Late Autumn
Quince - 'gutui' /goo-toy/ -
Elderberry - 'soc' /sock/ -
Pumpkin - 'dovleac' /dov-lak/ -
