Goose on Cabbage

“Journey to Roșcani: From Rural Landscapes to Goose with Cabbage”

The entrance to Roșcani is picturesque, and regardless of the season, it makes you feel like you’re entering a fairy tale world. The trees on both sides of the road are a spectacle, whether they are green and freshly painted or dressed in snow. The winding road offers superb views of vineyards, surrounding forests, and ponds filled with geese. And you can’t help but wonder: what do the villagers do with so many geese?

We will find the answer from Aunt Maria, who has opened her home and heart to tell us about this and more. When we crossed her threshold for the first time to chat, we found her in the midst of a major project: making 600 cabbage rolls all by herself to send to her granddaughter in Spain for a special occasion. Therefore, we are delighted to have met the head cook who will prepare delicious recipes in large quantities with great ease. The menu was suggested by Aunt Maria herself: a batch of ring-shaped bread, goose with cabbage, and treats for the children: goose breast patties.

While portioning the goose, Aunt Maria told us that geese were primarily a significant source of food for the residents of Roșcani and the Prut Valley. And not only for that: they were also used to make household items – pillows filled with feathers for the girls’ dowry or simply as a source of income by selling the feathers. She used to have dozens of geese when her children were at home; there were many needs, and there were people to take them to the pond. She slaughtered them during a certain time of the year to make them easier to clean and ready to eat.

The recipe she’s preparing for us today is one she learned from her mother because back then, cooking books were scarce, and the internet was out of the question, so everyone cooked based on what they learned at home.

For the sour cabbage soup, as we call it, you’ll need a goose, freshly fermented cabbage (known as curechi), and a bit of sour brine. The recipe is straightforward and includes what one typically has in their household: the goose is boiled in as much water as it can cover, the freshly shredded cabbage and onions are added together, followed by carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, and, finally, a bit of sour brine.

While the goose is boiling, Aunt Maria kneads a basin with 5 kg of flour, sends the goose breast through the grinder, and makes occasional trips to the outdoor oven to check the fire. Everything is against the clock, and Aunt Maria is always in a hurry, the firewood is insufficient, and her companion – the main helper – doesn’t quite follow the instructions properly.

The hustle and bustle are her domain, but everything goes smoothly according to the plan that only Aunt Maria knows in detail. With enviable ease, she twists 42 ring-shaped breads, placing them on trays dusted with cornmeal for extra flavor. Once the process is complete, everyone enthusiastically participates in putting them in the oven after it has been tested with newspaper and flour.

We return to adding the vegetables to the sour cabbage soup and preparing the goose breast patties. As quickly as you can say “There they chased the goose whose eggs were taken by young Leonora,” all the bread rings are taken out of the oven, and the patties sizzle on the stovetop. A little more time, and the sour cabbage soup is ready, and we sit down at the table.

And when your journey takes you through Roșcani, ask for Aunt Maria; you’ll surely have a unique experience. If you don’t leave with a bread ring, you’ll definitely leave with a story from the banks of the Prut River.