In Moldova, an invitation for coffee doesn't always mean just coffee.
Before you know it, someone has brought out bread, cheese, something homemade, and perhaps a bottle of wine.
You might have stopped by for a short visit, but your hosts may have other plans and you don't need to be an old friend or a relative to receive a warm welcome.
Sometimes people you've only just met will invite you to sit down and join them.
Even when you don't speak much Romanian or Russian, a few words, gestures and laughter can take a conversation surprisingly far.
And... Before you know of it, you have been a guest in their home for sevarel hours and you now, have made new friends.
Generosity & Care
You might visit someone who has very little, yet they will still want to offer
you something.
Perhaps a few apples from the garden, a jar of homemade jam or a plate of food they insist you try.
Don't be surprised if you leave with something in your hands.
A bag of walnuts, some fruit or a bottle of homemade wine can suddenly appear just as you're saying goodbye.
For many Moldovans, offering something they've grown or made themselves is a pride and pleasure and they are often curious to know whether you liked it.
The Table as the Heart
Time Shared Together
One thing worth remembering when visiting people in Moldova is not to make your schedule too tight.
A short visit can easily become a long afternoon, where someone remembers a story, another person joins the conversation, and perhaps another pot or cup of coffee are prepared and made.
In villages, neighbours or relatives might drop by while you're there and... Suddenly there are more people around the table than when you arrived.
Eventually, you get up to leave...
Then comes another conversation at the door, perhaps followed by one more outside and when you finally continue your journey, you may find that the visit has become one of the things you remember most about that day or maybe even from your entire journey to Moldova.
A table can be quite a sight, especially when guests are expected.
There may be plăcinte, sarmale, homemade bread, pickled vegetables, salads and whatever else the family has prepared and in the countryside, some of it may have come straight from the garden.
You take a little of one dish, then another and just when you think you've
finished, someone notices your plate is empty.
Even when you insist you've had enough, your host may still encourage you to try just one more thing. 🙂
The food is important, of course, but so is everything else happening around it and people talk, disagree, laugh, interrupt each other and carry on eating.
Se spune că un oaspete nu pleacă niciodată cu mâinile goale - dacă nu cu
mâncare, atunci cu o parte din sufletul casei.
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It is said that a guest never leaves empty-handed - if not with
food, then with a part of the home’s soul.
