Moldova was a really good country to learn about, as none of us (parents included) were familiar with it. It also opened up some good conversations about the history of the region, as well as terms like the Cold War and the EU. Located between Romania and Ukraine, it has strong ties to Romania and a lot of Russian influence. Home to the largest wine cellar in the world, it seems like a country still trying to get its footing in the post-Cold War era.
Transnistria is recognized internationally as part of Moldova but is an autonomous region located on the eastern edge of Moldova between the Dniester River and Ukraine. It has its own capital, currency, passport, etc.
Video Links
- Geography Now! Moldova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cARe_1cRj6E
- Geography Now! Flag/Fan Friday Moldova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxXoMs30kZg
- 15 Things You Didn't Know About Moldova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhnDi0VTl0 - the narrator is a little over-the-top with her inflections, and we usually watch it sped up as it is a little slow, but there are some interesting facts that made it worth watching
- The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall: Moldova's history is close connected to Russia (USSR) and the Cold War, and our children were not fully aware of what the Cold War was and what it meant. We discussed
- Why Does Moldova Exist? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiapMuyQ3w - great brief history of the occupations and influences of the Moldovan region that led to its current state (my kiddos didn't have the attention span for this one, but I watched it later)
Food Links
- 14 Best Traditional Moldovan Dishes: https://nomadparadise.com/moldovan-food/ - great link to see some traditional foods
- Mamaliga Recipe: https://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/Moldovan-Polenta-~Mamaliga~/64092/ - this is the recipe I tried out below
our homemade mamaliga
I thought the recipe for mamaliga looked pretty easy and we had most of the ingredients on hand, so I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, I think I made two major mistakes: the corn meal I used was a little old, and I didn't boil it for long enough. While the corn meal we have on hand was fine for corn bread, mamaliga is pretty much nothing BUT cornmeal, so the past-prime flavor of the corn meal had nothing to hide behind. Also, the texture of the mamaliga ended up being more creamy and cheesecake-like instead of bread-like, which I ascribe to not boiling it for long enough. It said to boil until thickened, but I must have jumped the gun and moved on as soon as it had thickened instead of giving it the full recommended time on the stove.
With all of that in mind, it is no surprise that it wasn't a hit with the kiddos. I served it with sour cream and feta as recommended (and forgot to take a picture of the slices, which actually looked kind of pretty) so we managed to all try some, but we aren't going to make it through this whole loaf, that's for sure!
