Chiftele are flat and round meatballs from traditional Romanian cuisine. Chiftele are usually deep-fried minced pork, mixed with mashed potatoes and spices. Chiftele is traditionally served with pilaf or mashed potatoes. A variant of chiftele has rice mixed inside the meatball, and is called perişoare. Perişoare are usually added to sour soup to make another dish called ciorbă de perişoare. Another variant of chiftele is called chiftele de peşte (fish chiftele) and is a fishcake made from carp.
Etymology
The word chiftea comes from köfte, which is the Turkish word for kofta.1
History
Centuries of Ottoman presence in Romania has left some variations from the Turkish culinary arts. Chiftele is the Romanian version of Turkish köfte.2
Notes and references
- "CHIFTEA - Translation in English - bab.la". bab.la.
- Marks, Gil (17 November 2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. ISBN 978-0-544-18631-6.