Babic

Babic is a traditional salami, a raw-dried sausage hailing from Buzău County. Although some versions contain mutton, this salami is typically made with a mixture of pork and beef that is seasoned with salt, sweet paprika, and hot paprika, then stuffed into thin beef casings, pressed, smoked, and dried during the cold winter months.

With a spiciness that ranges from mild to intense, depending on the amount of hot paprika used in the preparation, this traditional salami is usually consumed as an appetizer, and it is typically washed down with Romanian plum brandy, red wine, or cold beer.

Babic can also be used in various Romanian dishes such as vegetable soups, omelets, pilafs, or stews. The salami is believed to have Serbian origins, and it was supposedly introduced to Romania by Serbian settlers in the region, which is why this meat product is often dubbed Serbian babic or babic sârbesc.