Editing Moldova (section)

===Cuisine===
{{main|Moldovan cuisine}}
Moldova's fertile soil (''[[chernozem]]'') produces plentiful [[grapes]], [[fruits]], vegetables, [[Food grain|grains]], meat, and milk products, all of which have found their uses in the national cuisine. The fertile black soil combined with the use of traditional agricultural methods permits the growth of a wide range of foods in Moldova. Moldovan cuisine is similar to neighbouring [[Romanian cuisine|Romania]], [[Ukraine]], and [[Poland]], and the regions share many traditional dishes, often with regional variations. Moldovan cuisine has historically been particularly influenced by elements of [[Russian cuisine|Russian]], [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]], and [[Ukrainian cuisine]]. Main dishes often include beef, pork, [[potatoes]], [[cabbage]], and a variety of [[cereals]]. Popular alcoholic beverages are ''[[Moldovan wine#Divin|divin]]'' (Moldovan [[brandy]]), beer, and [[Moldovan wine|wine]]—for which the country is known due to its high-quality offerings.<ref>[https://www.sommeliers-international.com/en/breakaways-in-the-vineyards/wine-of-moldova Wine of Moldova] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912140913/https://www.sommeliers-international.com/en/breakaways-in-the-vineyards/wine-of-moldova|date=12 September 2022}} – Sommeliers International</ref><ref>[https://vidawines.co.uk/moldovan-red-wines-the-best-red-wine-on-the-planet-you-have-never-heard-of/ Moldovan Red Wines: The Best Red Wine on the Planet You Have Never Heard Of] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912140908/https://vidawines.co.uk/moldovan-red-wines-the-best-red-wine-on-the-planet-you-have-never-heard-of/|date=12 September 2022}} – Vida Wines & Spirits</ref>
[[File:Mămăligă2020-02-12.jpg|alt=Mămăligă|thumb|300x300px|[[Mămăligă]]]]
There are several traditional Moldovan dishes. [[Plăcintă|Plăcinte]] are stuffed and deep-fried pastries with fillings such as soft cheese (often [[Urdă]]), cabbage, potatoes, apples, sour cherries and others, both sweet and savoury.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kieff |first=Leah |date=10 December 2015 |title=4 foods you must try in Moldova |url=https://www.peacecorps.gov/stories/4-foods-you-must-try-in-moldova/ |access-date=7 July 2023 |website=[[Peace Corps]] |language=en |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707163013/https://www.peacecorps.gov/stories/4-foods-you-must-try-in-moldova/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sarma (food)|Sarmale]] is a typical Moldovan dish usually consisting of cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, peppers, carrots, meat, and baked in oil. Regional variations can also be found in other former parts of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. [[Mămăligă]], a kind of [[porridge]] made from yellow maize flour, is another staple.  It is popular in other countries as [[polenta]] and is often served with [[Sheep milk cheese|sheep's cheese]] and [[sour cream]]. Another traditional dish, plachyndy, is a kind of flatbread often made with [[kefir]] or [[buttermilk]], wrapped around herbs, and pan-fried in oil.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Steafel |first=Eleanor |date=2 July 2021 |title=You need this easy flatbread recipe in your culinary arsenal |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/need-easy-flatbread-recipe-culinary-arsenal/ |access-date=7 July 2023 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162852/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/need-easy-flatbread-recipe-culinary-arsenal/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Zeamă is a thin chicken soup, typically consisting of homemade chicken broth prepared with a smaller whole chicken, water, thin homemade egg noodles (tăiței de casă), and a variety of finely chopped vegetables and herbs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zeama {{!}} Traditional Chicken Soup From Moldova {{!}} TasteAtlas |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/zeama |access-date=7 July 2023 |website=www.tasteatlas.com |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162846/https://www.tasteatlas.com/zeama |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bryndza|Brynza]] is a [[Soft cheese|soft]] [[Sheep milk cheese|sheep]]/[[goat cheese]] with a crumbly texture and tangy taste, mostly produced and popular in [[Slovakia]], Romania, and Moldova, and often used in salads, pies, and dumplings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sikorsky |first=Dmytro |date=30 May 2016 |title=The Secret Of Bessarabia's Cuisine |url=http://odessareview.com/secret-bessarabias-cuisine/ |access-date=7 July 2023 |website=Odessa Review |language=en-US |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707163012/http://odessareview.com/secret-bessarabias-cuisine/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Borscht]], a sour Eastern European soup made from beetroots, meat stock, and vegetables, is also popular and commonly served in Moldova. As with other parts of the region, [[pierogi]] (known as ''chiroște'' in Moldova) are another traditional staple and are often stuffed with a soft cheese in Moldova. The dough is made with [[wheat flour]] and is boiled in salted water, pan-fried in oil, or baked in the oven.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Doina |date=13 November 2019 |title=Moldovan Food – 14 Best Traditional Dishes as Recommended by a Local (with Recipes) – Nomad Paradise |url=https://nomadparadise.com/moldovan-food/ |access-date=7 July 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=26 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926041831/https://nomadparadise.com/moldovan-food/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=7 October 2009 |title=Hai la masa!: Coltunasi |url=https://kathrynannew.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/hai-la-masa-coltunasi/ |access-date=24 August 2016 |archive-date=16 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316065912/https://kathrynannew.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/hai-la-masa-coltunasi/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Medovik]], a cake of Russian origin (and called Tort Smetanik in Moldova) is a popular layered cake with [[honey]] and [[Smetana (dairy product)|smetana]] (sour cream) or [[condensed milk]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goldstein |first1=Darra |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

Total recorded adult alcohol consumption is approximately evenly split between spirits, beer, and wine. Notably, Moldova has among the highest alcohol consumption per capita in world, at {{convert|15.2|L|gal}} of pure alcohol imbibed in 2016.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=How This Tiny European Country Got the World's Worst Drinking Problem |url=https://time.com/5654052/moldova-drinking-problem/ |url-status=live |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221152612/https://time.com/5654052/moldova-drinking-problem/ |archive-date=21 December 2021 |access-date=21 December 2021}}</ref> This has fallen somewhat in recent years, but it remains a serious ongoing health concern.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2023 |title=Europeans are the world's heaviest drinkers: How do countries compare? |url=https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/06/30/so-long-dry-january-which-country-drinks-the-most-alcohol-in-europe |access-date=7 July 2023 |website=euronews |language=en |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162956/https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/06/30/so-long-dry-january-which-country-drinks-the-most-alcohol-in-europe |url-status=live }}</ref>