Mămăliguță cu brânză și smântănă

Mămăliguță cu brânză și smântănă combines traditional Romanian-style cornmeal porridge with cheese and sour cream. To make mămăliguță or mămăligă, cornmeal is gradually added into boiling salted water and cooked until thickened and smooth. The porridge can be more on the softer or thicker side, depending on individual preferences, and it can either be layered with grated cheese, sour cream, and (sometimes) boiled eggs before serving, or simply accompanied by grated cheese and a few dollops of sour cream on the side. Typical types of cheese used in the preparation of this dish include Romanian cheeses such as telemea (similar to Greek feta), brânzá de burduf (sheep’s milk cheese), or brânză de vaci (a type of cottage cheese). This simple dish is a common way to enjoy one of Romania’s staples - cornmeal porridge.