Zacusca is a delicious traditional preserve from Romanian cuisine, prepared from roasted vegetables and spices. In addition to its unmistakable taste, zacusca brings numerous health benefits due to its natural ingredients and specific preparation process.
Zacusca is an extremely popular vegetable paste in Romania, but also in the Republic of Moldova. The name zacusca comes from the Slavic language and means appetizer or breakfast or snack.
Similar vegetable pastes can also be found in the Balkans: ajvar, pindjur, ljutenica, kyopolou, biber salçası, etc. Where does zacusca come from? We don’t know for sure, its origin seems to be in Armenia or Georgia.
The history of this traditional Romanian dish begins somewhere in the 13th century, when Romania was under Ottoman occupation. Zacusca was first cooked in Moldova. Ottoman influences in Romanian gastronomy made their presence felt through the adoption of new dishes (pilaf, ciulama, moussaka, zacusca).
The main ingredients for zacusca are roasted eggplants, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers (capia or gogoșar). In some areas, mushrooms, carrots or celery are added. Traditional zacusca is seasoned with bay leaves, salt, pepper, paprika, oil, etc. The secret to a traditional zacusca is roasting the vegetables on the stove, not in the oven.
Traditional zacusca is consumed on fresh bread.
Zacusca țărănească tradițională – Ingredients
1,5 kg red bell peppers 1 kg eggplants 1 kg ripe tomatoes 500 g onions 200 ml sunflower oil 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon sugar 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika (optional) 3-4 cloves of garlic
Traditional zacusca – Preparation method
1. Wash the bell peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and onions. Peel and chop the onions into small pieces.
2. Roast the bell peppers over an open flame until the skin turns black. Put them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for a few minutes, then peel them, remove the seeds, and cut them into small pieces.
3. Place the eggplants directly on the flame to roast them. When they are cooked, cut them into small pieces and let them drain in a colander to remove excess liquid.
4. In a large pot, heat the sunflower oil and sauté the onions until they become transparent.
5. Add the tomato paste and mix well with the onions.
6. Add the roasted bell peppers and eggplants to the pan, mix and let them simmer with the onions and tomato paste for a few minutes.
7. Add the chopped ripe tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, sweet paprika, and if you like, hot paprika for a more intense flavor.
8. Add the bay leaves and let the mixture simmer over low heat until it reduces and thickens. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
9. In the last step, add the crushed garlic cloves and mix well.
10. When the zacusca has thickened enough and has a homogeneous consistency, turn off the heat and let it cool.
11. Put the zacusca in clean and dry jars, then sterilize them for 20-30 minutes to ensure proper preservation.
Source: unica.ro
