In Moldova, mămăligă is not a side dish, it is a whole philosophy of the table. People eat it on weekdays and on holidays, and at Sunday lunch at grandmother's it is often the star. The secret is simple: cornmeal, water, salt and patience. Everything else is detail, and the details are worth talking about.
Which cornmeal to use
Buy cornmeal, which in Moldovan shops is labelled "mălai" or simply "corn flour". For a firm mămăligă a medium grind is best: it turns out crumbly and golden. A grind that is too fine gives a sticky paste, and one that is too coarse takes long to cook and stays gritty.
Look at the package: good meal smells sweetly of corn, with no staleness, and does not clump. If it has sat in a cupboard for a long time it can taste bitter, and the mămăligă will be poor however you cook it.
The pot does half the work
Traditionally mămăligă is cooked in a cast-iron cauldron over a fire, but at home any pot with a thick bottom will do. A thin pot scorches the mămăligă on the bottom and you end up with a burnt layer that will not wash off. Stir with a wooden spoon or paddle: wood does not get hot and does not scratch the pot.
For serving you need a wooden board, wetted so the mămăligă does not stick. And a thick cotton thread. This is how it has always been cut, and it still gives the cleanest slice.
How to avoid lumps and a burnt bottom
The golden rule: the meal goes into boiling water, not the other way round, and in a thin stream. Pour with one hand, stir with the other. If you are afraid of lumps, first mix the meal with a little cold water in a glass and then pour that thin paste into the boiling water: it is slower but safer.
Turn the heat down as soon as all the meal is in. Mămăligă cooks on the lowest heat and likes to be stirred. Do not rush: 25 minutes is the time it takes for the meal to open up its flavour and lose the raw taste. When the mixture turns heavy, like dough, it is ready.
Tip: if it came out too thick and you want it softer, add hot water and stir again. If it is too runny, cook it another 5–10 minutes with the lid off.
What to serve with it
The classic is mămăligă with brânză and sour cream. Sprinkle crumbled cheese over a hot slice and add a spoon of cold sour cream: hot and cold, salty and tangy. That is all.
Other combinations loved in Moldova:
- with tochitură, a meat stew in a tomato and wine sauce;
- with fried eggs and crackling;
- with fried cheese;
- with fried fish or mici;
- baked in the oven with cheese and sour cream, close to balmuș.
Want to know what such a table costs today? Below are the ingredients for mămăligă at the best prices in the current catalogues.
What it costs: Mămăligă and plăcinte: what to buy for less
The whole set at the best prices105.97 leiFound 4 of 4 items
- CornmealBUNETTO Mălai Extra PolentaOcean Fish8.00 lei
- BrynzaBrânză de vacă MIMIMILK 350gLocal21.99 lei
- Sour creamSmantana 15% Florica 500gBonus20.99 lei
- MeatPelimeni porc/pui Nivalli 900gBonus54.99 lei
Where to get the set
- 156.87 lei
Ocean Fish4 of 4 items191.60 lei
Family Market3 of 4 items84.30 leiMissing: Cornmeal
Local3 of 4 items89.97 leiMissing: Cornmeal
Where to buy cheese and sour cream cheaper
Cheese and sour cream are the main expense in this dish: the cornmeal is cheap. Brânză is sold in different packs and under different names, so compare the price per kilo, not per pack. Below is the best cheese offer in each store.
Where it is cheaper: cheese
- Brânză de vacă MIMIMILK 350g350g21.99 lei−35%
33.99 lei62.83 lei/kg - CĂSUȚA MEA Brânză 9% 500g500g
Slavenauntil 20 Oct35.95 lei−31%51.90 lei71.9 lei/kg - Căsuța Mea Brânză 500g500g
Nr1until 31 Oct36.00 lei−28%49.90 lei72 lei/kg - CAMELIA Deliciu de brânză
Kauflanduntil 21 Oct79.50 lei−16%95.00 lei79.5 lei/kg - Branza de vaca 9% JLC 500g500g
Bonusuntil 31 Oct39.99 lei−21%50.75 lei79.98 lei/kg - Savuskin Brânză proaspătă 350 grame350 grameOcean Fishuntil 1 Nov30.60 lei−30%
43.80 lei87.43 lei/kg - Produs alimentar în asortiment “Molocinii Shliah” 300 gr300 grFamily Marketuntil 28 Oct26.90 lei−23%
34.90 lei89.67 lei/kg - Latti Bulgărași de brânză 5% 200g200g
CIP Marketuntil 20 Oct17.95 lei−25%23.95 lei89.75 lei/kg
For more on choosing cheese, see our page on cheese.
How to keep the leftovers
Cold mămăligă sets hard, and that is normal. Wrap it in cling film and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. In the morning cut it into slices and fry them in a pan with a little oil: crisp on the outside, soft in the middle. Possibly the best breakfast from leftovers.
