Flavors of Bihor

The flavors of Bihor help any tourist discover the soul of the people at the foothills of the Apuseni Mountains, the blend of cultures, and the diverse landscape.

Those who arrive in the Country of Beiuș, the depression nestled between the Codru Moma Mountains and the Pădurea Craiului Mountains, an area of ​​caves and valleys, must embark on the gastronomic route drawn like an ear of wheat that connects several localities where ethnic influences of Hungarians, Slovaks, or Jews meet.

Here's just one of the specific recipes from these extraordinary places:

Take fresh seasonal greens, green onions, dill, spinach, maybe Swiss chard, chop finely, and mix leisurely with crumbled cheese. Boil the potatoes in water and salt and mash them, adding salty cheese. For the dough preparation, sift a cup of wheat flour and knead it together with slowly poured warm water until it becomes elastic. Roll it out on the table into equal strips, grease them with pork lard, and let them rest for a quarter of an hour. Then each strip is stretched until it becomes thin and almost transparent. The dough sheets are filled with mixtures of greens, potatoes, and cheese on a linen, hemp, or cotton tablecloth. The edges of the fabric are tied, one part is lifted so that the dough rolls almost by itself. When all the sticks are ready, they are placed in a tray, and the pie is brushed with beaten eggs mixed with oil. Leave it for 40 minutes in the oven heated to 200 degrees and take it out steaming to the delight and joy of those curious to discover what the famous pie is like in Beiuș.

In Vașcău, there is a bakery where Vașcău black bread is made from rye flour, but also a butcher's shop where you can find traditional smoked meat products; in Colești, there is a restaurant with traditional recipes; in Briheni, the Pie Festival with Briheni-style pie as a star takes place; in Săliște de Vașcău, there are jams, zacusca, and syrups from "Grandma's Bundle"; in Spinuș de Pomezeu, Popa Tudor Ionuț makes a special honey; in Beiuș, there are some craftsmen, such as the violin maker Cornel Palladi; in Roșia, the "Straița Full" Festival takes place in October, and in Poienii de Jos, famous herbal teas and tinctures are made. Some of the producers are Albut Remus - medicinal plants and Tirban Marius Gheorghe.

There is even a culinary guide „Retete tradiționale de Bihor”- a special project of the Bihor County Council for preserving the uniqueness of Bihor flavors. We recommend trying Bihor stew, pork nail stew, Babgulyas (bean goulash), pie on a shovel, essential dishes to discover everything this county has to offer gastronomically.

Also, follow the 4 food trucks ("Bihor Drinks", "Bihor Dough", and two "Bihor Traditional") that are at festivals in Oradea or roadshow events in other localities. The concept is about innovation and gastronomic tradition.

1. Muma Codrului Colești stands out with a bison burger that you won't soon forget and organizes various special experiences including:

- picnic in the Aronia plantation in Vașcău

- hikes with a picnic with the Bivolii din Țara de Piatră

- bike tours with brunch

- pie or sweetbread workshops

- forest walks with truffle hunting and brunch

2. Punct Gastronomic Local – Păstrăvăria Briheni Local Gastronomic Point - Briheni Trout Farm has grilled trout and a trout burger on its menu according to its own recipe, but also some special experiences:

3. Aventura Trekking organizes via ferrata routes that can be completed with traditional brunches.

Don't forget that in Bihor there are many attractions, wooden churches, customs, and traditional crafts worth discovering. Here, shepherding is preserved in the villages at the foot of the mountains, pottery (red ceramic from Leheceni), artistic wood processing (dowry chest from Budureasa), weaving from straw, reed, rushes, and willows, bead ornaments (necklaces with red, white, black and green beads, with geometric motifs, from Drăgoteni, Giulești, and Beiuș), egg painting (Drăgoteni, Lazuri de Beiuș, Budureasa, etc.), icon painting on glass and wood (Beiuș, Roșia, Budureasa), violin making (the horned violin from Budureasa, Finiș, Lazuri de Roșia), and more. 

Here is a list of craftsmen in the area, look for them with confidence when you are in the Bihor area as they complement the gastronomic experience wonderfully!