The Romanian BBQ

One thing that people nation-wide seem to enjoy here is a warm Saturday afternoon spent grilling and picnicking in the forest. It's called gritar, which I'm guessing translates to grill. Although many aspects of the average gritar remind me of the typical American BBQ, there are subtle differences that took me by surprise at first. Because I like lists, here's a list of differences.

1. One of the first things that struck me last year was the sheer number of people who do this on the warm weekends. As you drive along any forest-lined stretch of road, every few meters there's a car parked with a family out with their gritar smoking and their beer pouring. Everybody does this at the very least once a summer. At least around here.

2. What they're grilling. Pork is by far the most popular meat here and it's what's for dinner when you go to a gritar, instead of the typical hamburger/hotdog American fare. Mici is also common...little tasty sausages of cholesterol doom. Delicious sauces are often prepared on the spot to accompany the meat.

3. The equipment. Gritars seem to happen with a minimalistic approach - people tend to bring only the meat, the beverages, a few plates and a wire wrack for a grill with them, everything else they collect from the forest. The wood for the fire and the stones to build up the grill and make the circle are gathered. No fancy shmancy outdoor cookers here. I kinda like that.

4. Attire. When it's sunny and warm, people strip down to the bare minimum. Yes, speedos do exist in abundance. As well as thongs.

5. Duration. If it's a nice day out, chances are you'll be there all day, so just relax and enjoy it.

6. Alternative activities. Before or after the main activity of grilling, in addition to taking walks or just sitting around and chatting, people will fill the time by hunting down edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms and herbs from the forest. I love how much the average person here knows about the edible bits of wilderness. Makes me wish I knew more.

7. Clean up. Unfortunately, many people leave their trash behind. Some people are kind enough to pile it into the fire pit, but many just leave it scattered around. It's definitely an eye sore in an otherwise beautiful forest, but I sense that things are changing. The last two groups I went with did a thorough clean up and I enthusiastically helped out.

Last weekend I went to a gritar with my new landlord and her family and I had an excellent time sharing the joy of roasting marshmallows with them. You can't find marshmallows here, so it kinda blew me away that I had to show the adults how to pick out a good stick, sharpen the end, jab it through the marshmallow and get that just-right crispy brown exterior with the gooey white interior. Surprisingly rewarding. I did, however, leave the bar of Hershey's chocolate at home...to be devoured at a later date and time.