Zacuscă () is a vegetable spread popular in Romania, Moldova and Hungary (zakuszka), which originated from Romania. Similar spreads are found in other countries in the Balkan region.
Ingredients
The main ingredients are roasted eggplant, sauteed onions, tomato paste, and roasted (a Romanian cultivar of red bell pepper).Basic zacuscă recipe. Some add mushrooms, carrots, or celery. Bay leaves are added as spice, as well as other ingredients (oil, salt, and pepper). Traditionally, a family will cook a large quantity of it after the fall harvest and preserve it through canning.
Use Zacuscă can be eaten as a relish or spread, typically on bread. It is said to improve in taste after some months of maturing but must be used within days of opening. Although traditionally prepared at home, it is also commercially available. Some Bulgarian and Middle Eastern brands are available in the United States. In the Orthodox Christian majority countries, it is sometimes eaten during fasting seasons due to the absence of meat, eggs or dairy products.
Etymology The word zacuscă is of Slavic origin which means simply "appetizer", "breakfast" or "snack",Zacusca on DEX Online Dictionary and appears in Russian as "Zakuski".
See also Ajvar, pindjur and ljutenica, similar spreads in Balkan cuisine Biber salçası, a Turkish paste made from red peppers alone Kyopolou, a similar Bulgarian dish List of eggplant dishes List of spreads
References
External links Zacusca (recipe)