MICI

The History of Mititei

Mititei (mici) both Romanian words meaning "small things" is a traditional Romanian dish of grilled ground meat rolls made from a mixture of beef, lamb and pork and spices such as garlic, black pepper, thyme, coriander, anise, savory and sometimes a touch of paprika.

Sodium bicarbonate and broth or water are also added to the mixture. It is best served accompanied by mustard and beer. Ideally the mustard should not be overly tart, lest it interferes with the taste of the mititei. The dish is very popular in Romania.

The journalist Constantin Bacalbașa wrote in his book ,”Dictatura gastronomică” that mititei were invented one night at an inn called Iordache on Covaci's street in the old Buchares, who was famous for his sausages. One evening while he was missing sausage casings, he laid the rolls of meat directly onto the grill.

Another source reports the Bosnian origin of the national dish mititei, with the Bosnian Cevapcici. Many Bosnian dishes are similar to those of Romania, such as some sausages. However, most recipes for the former Yugoslavia are reminiscent of Turkish cuisine, hence it is not surprising, given that both countries were under Ottoman influence, that their two national dishes, the mici and the adana kebab are like cevapcici.

1. Mititei (mici), the name of one traditional dish,  means:

a. pig

c. cat

d. small things

e. hat

 

2. Mititei are:

a. grilled meat rolls

b. sea food

c. a vegan dish

d. a sort of soup

 

3. Constantin Bacalbașa wrote in his book ,”Dictatura gastronomică” that mititei were invented one night in:

a. Paris

b. Bucharest

c. Budapest

d. Bratislava

 

 

 

 

By Prof. Valentina Panzaru