Ciorbă de pește "ca-n Deltă"

Ciorbă de pește "ca-n Deltă," or fish soup in the fashion of the Danube Delta, is a traditional sour soup that is made with a combination of fish stock, fresh fish (both saltwater and freshwater fish can be used), vegetables, herbs, and borş. The fish are either left whole or cut into large chunks before they are cooked in a rich fish stock alongside vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, parsnips, and peppers.

The soup is seasoned with borş and aromatic herbs such as lovage, parsley, and chives, and it is typically enjoyed while still hot. What makes this fish soup unique is the way it is traditionally consumed; the fish soup and the fish chunks are eaten separately as a first and second course.

After the soup’s preparation, the pieces of fish are transferred to a serving platter and served with accompaniments such as mujdei de usturoi (a spicy garlic sauce) and fresh or pickled hot peppers. The fish soup, on the other hand, is poured into a serving bowl and consumed with garlic sauce, hot peppers, and warm, rustic bread or even more traditionally - with freshly prepared mămăligă (Romanian-style cornmeal mush).