Shop and Cook like a local in Bucharest – 6 hours

The Culinary Tour of Bucharest starts at 9:00 AM in University Square, right by the Mihai Viteazu statue (the man riding the horse). You’ll meet your tour guide, be presented with details about the tour, and head off to the metro. 

You will travel via the local underground to a typical communist neighborhood and visit a farmers’ market. This experience offers insight into Romanian eating habits and common ingredients, as you observe how locals purchase fresh vegetables, dairy, and meat products. 

You will also observe the numerous pastry shops and bakeries where Romanians like to purchase warm bread and the extremely affordable pretzel called “covrig”. This is a popular snack food in urban areas of Romania and also as a gift in rural areas.

This neighborhood will be the perfect place for you to see typical apartment buildings and learn some interesting facts about day to day life of Romanians during the communist times. These are aspects that are not usually presented during standard cultural tours. 

Soon, you will arrive at the apartment where you will have the opportunity to test your cooking skills and taste local flavors. 

Despite the global accessibility of international ingredients and recipes, Romanian culinary preferences remain notably conservative.

There is no happiness in the plate if there’s no meat or a shot of plum brandy on the side. Romanian cuisine has many common things with the neighboring countries, but there are also some regional variations.

You will learn how to prepare “ciorba,” a traditional and nutritious soup that is a staple of the Romanian daily meal. This dish was adopted by most of the people dominated by the Ottomans: the Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, or Albanians. Romanians became big fans of the broths as it was affordable to cook them.

Furthermore, you will try the famous “mici”, the skinless sausages the Romanians love so much. Beer and the plum brandy will join in and make the conversation flow easily. 

Dessert will not be overlooked, and you will get to prepare and enjoy eating the famous “papanasi”. 

After enjoying the Romanian feast, prepare to "roll over" to the nearby metro station for a convenient trip back to the city center.