Brașov County- 4 Seasons on a plate

The Brașov gastronomic route is four times tastier, because you arrive in the heart of Romania, divided into four micro-regions, and find out how you can live in rhythm with nature, without rushing. The four micro-regions - Țara Bârsei (Burzenland), Țara Făgăraşului, Colinele Transilvaniei and Buzăul Ardelean - have the most local producers and a lot of traditional products that are worth tasting at your leisure. Culinary refinement, diversity, cultural and ethnic influences - all are part of the ingredients of this magical place, Brașov.

We suggest the city of Brașov as a starting point, where you can find the most local restaurants, countless cultural sights, cafes and places to stay. Here is the heart of the area where all the flavors, stories, innovation and tradition have been concentrated. A good starting point, because from Brașov, if you follow the sides of a star, you can go to all the lands that make up the county, to discover the specifics of each one.

The next destination is Țara Bârsei (Burzenland), which stands under the sign of pastoral traditions and Saxon influences. This historical and ethnographic region in southeastern Transylvania is called the Curvature Carpathian Depression or the Brașov Depression and includes the wonderful Bran-Moieciu-Fundata area, rich in traditional products. Find out that 14% of all certified traditional products in all of Romania are made here. Another key region is the well-known area of old Saxon villages - Harman, Prejmer and Feldioara.

The richness of the hilly soil met in Țara Bârsei with the hardworking people, leading to this abundance of authentic products, among which one is protected at European level - Smoked Bighead Carp from Țara Bârsei. Welcoming, the residents here will invite you to taste the cheese in fir bark, which they prepare according to an old recipe of almost 300 years. They will also tell you its history and will conquer you with the joy of bringing out the best of the area, such as Transylvanian caltabos, greaves, Transylvanian ham, canned spareribs or sausages.

Depending on the place where you stop to taste the traditional recipes, you will be greeted with cheese pies, uscătele, Brașov pancakes, shepard’s pie with refrec, macinici, cheese salt sticks with caraway seeds, beef soup with saffron or rice with milk and cherries.

Now, let's tell you the secrets of preparing the famous pancakes from Brasov:

Take the minced meat, a delicious pork-beef mix, sauté it with onions and oil, then deglaze it with white wine. It is just the filling of the famous Brasov pancakes, which surprise you with their special texture. Because then the pancakes made of egg, milk and flour, filled with that delicious mix, are rolled on each side with beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in oil to get an irresistible golden coating. Each portion is topped with a tomato sauce that leaves your mouth watering and invites you to moments of joy and celebration.

As you climb further up the mountain, where the air is stronger, you will discover recipes specific to pastoral life, such as bulz as in Bran, polenta with cheese in various ways of preparation, lamb stew, veal stew, sour soups and soups. There are many restaurants or gastronomic points where you can learn about the wealth of Bârsa flavors. It is important to stop at a few craftsmen, because it is known that here people have carefully preserved the crafts of the past - be it woodworking, leatherwork, tanning, pottery, milling and many others.

If you are lucky enough to arrive during their period, you can enjoy many gastronomic events near Bran, such as the Cheese and Pastrami Festival - Răvășitul Oilor, the May Flower Gastronomic Festival, the Christmas Fair, the Archangel Fair - Astrakhan Hat Fair or Pantelimon Fair. And don't forget the Carnival and the Pancake Festival at the Prejmer Fortified Church. Here, a place full of history and a wealth of types of pancakes with the most special jams meet, in an event that recalls the old custom of the Saxons to chase away winter.

There are many other ecotourism offers in the mountainous area of Țara Bârsa, so if you like active tourism in nature, with hiking, dining and picnics, you will find many good ideas here.

And we remain in the mountain area, passing to Țara Făgărașului for a taste itinerary given by the mountains, waters and hills that offer the place a unique character. The diversity of recipes and methods of preparation due to the special ethnic mélange conquer the traveler looking for the original. Romanians, Saxons, Hungarians, Jews or Armenians, they all changed the gastronomic specificity a little bit and added subtle notes. Here, man and food, history and the modern, are all connected in an unforgettable story. Those looking for special culinary experiences will find many interesting options in the land of Făgăraş.

From visiting the largest market of the place, Piața Făgăraș, to organized experiences, there are options worth trying:

● Visit to the trout farms in the Făgăraș Mountains -  Asociația Păstrăvarii Făgărașului

● Visit to the dairy preparation workshop Formaggeria Di Giuseppe Făgăraș

● Seasonal menus with local ingredients, tasting menus, culinary events, all true culinary journeys accompanied by local stories presented by the hosts themselves at Casa Terra Făgăraș, Casa de Oaspeți Cincșor and Gospodăria Cobor

● Farm visit, educational workshops, culinary events and workshops related to sustainable agriculture – Biodiversity Farm Carpathia Cobor

● Pilgrimage to the Brâncoveanu Monastery in Sâmbăta de Sus and a meal with monastery recipes at the Orthodox Academy

● Horse riding and gourmet hiking at Șinca Nouă 

● Culinary events and visit to the barn in the  Rucăr village 

● Făgăraș Fest – itinerant festival in the villages of the Făgăraș region with an important gastronomic component

Colinele Transilvaniei, i.e. the Rupea – Cohalm area in the north of Brașov county, is a unique place in Europe with a preserved and priceless natural and cultural heritage. Here we find the Oat Country, which overlaps with the ecotourism destination Colinele Transilvaniei and the area of the city of Rupea.

The varied landscape, with hills, valleys, meadows and traditional Saxon villages, where there are fortresses and fortified evangelical churches, some part of the UNESCO heritage, conquers you immediately. High Nature Value (HNV) pastures, multi-plant meadows and wildflower hayfields all offer culinary well-being.

How else can we define the place? As a gastronomic puzzle, because it is the area of rhubarb, jams, cheeses and countless lichiu recipes. Here you can find medicinal plants that spice up the dishes, garden or orchard fruits, jams, syrups, honey, various Saxon lichiu, hencleș or other bakery products.

Here are some dining experiences we recommend:

● Visit and tasting at the  Meșendorf 65 cheese workshop with seasonal menus

● Tasting visit to the producer at  Rozi in Criț 

● gastronomic component at the Haferland festival

● Tasting menus, culinary events also at Șura Viscri 32

● Hiking, cycling, and other packages that include tastings and picnics at certified operators in the ecotourism area

● Lichiu Festival in Rupea 

The last stop is Buzăul Ardelean, in the southeast of Brașov county, between the Siriu Mountains and Ciucaş, customs point between Transylvania and Wallachia. It is not for nothing that it is known as a resting place for travelers, because here you can find many agritourism guesthouses, local gastronomic points and a network, called Gastro Local, for authentic experiences in traditional households. Buzăul Ardelean is the ideal place for anyone looking for a taste of life in the country, according to the principles of rural and gastronomic tourism.

The gastronomic route in the heart of Romania, the plate with 4 seasons, is waiting for you to discover it at your leisure, in harmony with the spectacular nature of Brașov County.