Zacuscă

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Zacuscă spread on a slice of bread

Zacuscă (IPA: [za.'kus.kə]) is a vegetable spread very popular in Romania. Similar spreads are found in other countries throughout, or bordering, the Balkans.

1 Recipe
2 Etymology
3 Typical Ingredients
4 See Also
5 External links

[edit] Recipe

The main ingredients are roasted eggplant or cooked beans, roasted red peppers (belonging to a local cultivar called "gogoşari") and chopped onion. Some add tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, beans, or celery. Other ingredients are also added according to taste, including spices. Every cook seems to have his/her own recipe. Traditionally, a family will cook a large quantity of it after the fall harvest and preserve it in sterilized jars.

It used to be a popular winter backup, when food was scarce before 1989. To this day, it is considered very tasty and it 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 brand-names are available in the United States.

[edit] Etymology

The word zacuscă is of Slavic origin (закуска, zakuska) and originally means simply snack or appetizer. The Slavic root of the word (кус, kus) indicates tasty, delicious, or to bite.