~590 cal · 20g protein · 44g carbs · 39g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Golden cornmeal topped with crumbled white cheese and sour cream
🇲🇩 Chișinău
Mămăligă was once the daily bread of Moldova and Romania, a golden cornmeal porridge cut with a thread rather than a knife. Layered with tangy brânză de oi (sheep's cheese) and a spoon of sour cream, it turns humble cornmeal into a dish that carries the whole memory of a rural Moldovan kitchen.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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1.5 cups coarse cornmeal (polenta)
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5 cups water
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1 cup brânză (salty sheep's or feta cheese), crumbled
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1/2 cup sour cream (smântână)
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2 tbsp + 1 tsp butter and salt
Instructions
1
Bring the salted water to a boil and rain in the cornmeal while whisking hard to avoid lumps.
2
Lower the heat and cook 25–30 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very thick and pulling from the pan.
3
Beat in the butter (or oil) at the end for a glossy finish.
4
Spoon into bowls in layers with the crumbled cheese so it softens into the hot cornmeal.
5
Top each with a spoon of sour cream and serve at once.
Chișinău tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
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Chișinău. A wine-country capital raised on cornmeal and sheep cheese.
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Moldova. Wine country living on cornmeal mămăligă and cheese.
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Europe. Village recipes guarded for generations.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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