So, during our time in Romania my squad noticed that there are some foods and snacks that are very familiar like Lays chips and Coke being everywhere. However, there are some things that are VERY different. For example, we thought seeing places like McDonalds and KFC would be more familiar to us but, we realized how different the selection is and it only expanded once we all exited quarantine. 

     One thing that most of the squad agrees on is that the McDonalds menu in Romania is WAY better than back home. We found the most delicious and delectable thing called “Gouda Pillows” and they are like a mozzarella stick but better! I can’t even remember how many times we ordered those. They were so good!

(This is a stock photo but, here are the glorious gouda pillows! They were amazing!)

     Another thing we learned about Romania (more like Craiova specifically) is that there are so many coffee shops and bakeries! Our squad usually went to a coffee shop close to our ministry location named Ponton. The staff there was beyond amazing but their coffee was really top notch. They also had sandwiches and other baked goods. They even had options for our friends that didn’t like coffee! They treated us so well there and I would recommend it to anyone in the Craiova area. Another coffee place that a lot of the squad loved was Smart Cup! The owner Vlad was amazing and loved to talk with us and got to know a number of us in our limited time here. 

(This is Ponton. Not only was the coffee great but, it was also a beautiful place to spend the morning.)

Photo taken by: Isaak Goodmanson

(This is Smart Cup. It has a math and science theme and it even has jars filled with math and science questions that students can try to answer to get a free coffee!)

     Another place that the squad agrees was a definite favorite for everyone is Maestro! They made these pita sandwiches that were to die for! My favorite was a pita stuffed with chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and garlic sauce. The staff there were amazing and patient with us and they really enjoyed it when we tried to order in Romanian. They also sold soft pretzels that were filled with anything you could imagine. There were some that were savory (meat, cheese, etc.) they also had a very large selection of sweet pretzels (chocolate, vanilla, fruit, etc.). My very favorite pretzel was filled with chocolate! 

(This is just one of the MANY chocolate filled pretzels I enjoyed)

(I am sorry for the stock photo but believe me when I say it was way better than this photo shows!)

     I did have the opportunity to try a little bit of traditional Romanian/German food. I cannot remember the names of them (Sorry!) but it was really delicious!

(This was some chicken schnitzel I enjoyed on an adventure day to the castle)

     Here are some photos (not taken by me) of some snack foods that I found to be some of my personal favorites!

(From left to right: Paprika flavored chips, Salted Pufulets, Sour Cream flavored bake rolls)

(From left to right: Star salted popcorn, Toortitz chips with mixed seeds, and Croco pretzel sticks with sesame seeds)