A Guide for Tourists

coming to Moldova

By Noroc Sorin
Contents

1. Food
2. Economy
3. Commertial activities
4. General stereotypes
Foods

Mamaliga , a hard corn porridge, is regarded as the national dish. It is poured

onto a flat surface in the shape of a big cake and is served mainly with cheese,
sour cream, or milk. Non-Moldovan inhabitants joke that Moldovans would be
unhappy if they could not eat mamaliga once a week. The main foods in daily life
are a mixture of vegetables and meat (chicken, goose, duck, pork, and lamb),
but the availability of vegetables depends on the season. Filled cabbage and
grape leaves as well as soups such as zama and the Russian borsch also form
part of daily meals. Plăcintă is a pastry filled mainly with cheese, potatoes, or
cabbage that often is sold on the streets.
Image of Mamaliga
Economy

The national currency is the ,,leu” (100 bani ). Besides gypsum and very
small gas and oil reserves, the country has no natural resources and is
totally dependent on energy imports, mainly from Russia. Moldova has
experienced a sharp downturn in its economy in the last ten years. In 1998,
the gross domestic product (GDP) was 35 percent of the 1989 level, and the
state is unable to pay pensions and salaries on time. As a result, more
people produce food and other necessities for themselves now than in the
1980s. This includes virtually the entire rural population and many city
dwellers who own small gardens in the countryside.
Commercial activities
Moldova in general, and Chişinău in particular have many traditional
Balkan-style markets. There are mixed as well as specialized
markets for food, flowers, spare parts, and construction materials.
This "market economy" clearly outsells the regular shops. Besides
food products, which are partially home-grown, all products are
imported. These types of commercial activities are flourishing
because of market liberalization and the economic downturn. Many
educated specialists find it easier to earn money through
commercial activities than by practicing their professions.
General Stereotypes

● Women in both urban and rural areas carry the burden of domestic duties
and child care in addition to working outside the home. As a result of
tradition and economic necessity, women engage in domestic food-
processing activities in the summer to provide home-canned food for the
winter months.
● Although men seemingly have more decision-making power in the public
and private spheres, women act as the organizers of daily and ritual life.
They organize social gatherings, gift-giving relations, and the infrastructure
of numerous official and semi-official events. There are no moral
restrictions on women's participation in public life, although many women
choose not to have executive positions and give priority to their domestic
duties.
The End…
Thanks for attention.