Mititei

Invented at the Iordachi Inn in Bucharest in the 1860s when the cook ran out of sausage casings and shaped the seasoned meat by hand directly onto the grill. The customers loved them; the recipe spread across the country within decades. The Bucharest old town's grilled-meat tradition became national: today every Romanian summer terrace, every football match, every Mărțișor (March 1) celebration features mici. Beware imitators: real mici always have summer savory (cimbrișor de munte).

Pinch breaks the charred skin and the inside is springy, almost sausage-like in bounce, juicy with rendered fat. The garlic-savory-allspice hits before the meat — Romanian summer-savory (cimbrișor) gives a distinctive note that distinguishes mici from kebapche or ćevapi. Swab through mustard, tear off bread, sip beer, repeat. Eaten with hands; cutlery is for tourists.

Double-grinding the meat creates a paste-like texture that holds shape on the grill without casings. The pinch of baking soda raises the meat's pH, which prevents the proteins from over-coagulating during the high-heat grill — this is what gives mici their signature spring. The cold broth keeps the mixture moist; overnight rest distributes seasoning and lets the baking-soda alkalinity penetrate.