Griddle cakes

“In childhood, griddle cakes were a commonly prepared food. They were made frequently, almost daily. Even though the houses were full of children, women found time for work, for the household, for cooking. Griddle cakes served as a substitute for bread, and nearly everyone ate them. I was a child when I made them too. Since then, over seventy years have passed, and I still make them today. Maybe I’ve made thousands, maybe more.

Children were taken to school and to work in the fields. Each would taste each other’s to see which one was better. I don’t want to boast, but the women knew how to cook. The food was so good that no one ever got tired of it and wanted more. And various dishes were periodically repeated. I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t want griddle cakes anymore, that they were fed up. That’s why many people come to the village to eat, to see how we cook. Stoves and ovens have appeared, but the griddle is sacred,” says Elena Gogu from Ciurbești. Along with her fellow villager, Valerica Slăbuțu, she prepared traditional griddle cakes on the stovetop.

Ingredients:

– 1 kg wheat flour,
– Yeast the size of a walnut,
– 1 glass of fresh borș (sour liquid made from fermented bran),
– Salt, 1 teaspoon.

Preparation:

Soak the yeast in lukewarm borș. Let it rise. This is the starter, the yeast mixture. After it has risen, add the rest of the ingredients in lukewarm water and knead. Let it rise well to make it fluffy. Shape the dough into balls, place them on the bottom, and roll them out with a rolling pin. Bake them on the griddle over a moderate fire without a flame to prevent burning.”