About
“Good food brings joy to the soul and fulfillment to the heart.” – Nicolae Iorga
Some desserts whisper. Papanasi doesn’t. It walks straight up, grabs you by the collar, and reminds you why people bother gathering around tables in the first place.
In Romania, papanasi isn’t just a sweet — it’s a small act of joy. A fat, golden dumpling pulled from hot oil or lifted gently from boiling water, split open, and drenched in cold sour cream and a ruby-red spoonful of jam that drips down the sides like stained glass melting in the sun. It’s rustic, loud, indulgent, messy — the kind of dessert that makes you abandon manners and just live a little.
Its origins are hazy, buried somewhere in the long stretch of Romanian kitchens that existed before cookbooks bothered to write anything down. Slavic roots in the name, Balkan fingerprints in the technique, but the soul of it — that’s unmistakably Romanian. Cottage cheese, eggs, flour, sugar: peasant ingredients, cheap and honest, transformed into something that feels like a celebration even on an ordinary Tuesday.
Papanasi were born in farmhouse kitchens and holiday feasts, the kind of dessert grandmothers made when they wanted to spoil someone — a visiting cousin, a homesick student, a family returning from church on Easter morning. Over time, each region bent the recipe to its own tastes. Some doughs are lighter, some denser. Some jams are tart and sharp; others are syrup-thick and sweet enough to make your teeth ache. But the spirit stays the same: a dessert meant to warm you from the inside out.
Today, papanasi are Romania’s unofficial ambassador — the dish tourists order, photograph, and then immediately stop talking because the first bite hits like a revelation. Walk into a place like Caru’ cu Bere in Bucharest, a cathedral of dark wood and stained glass, and you’ll see them flying out of the kitchen on heavy plates, landing in front of diners who have no idea what they’re in for. And then, suddenly, they do.
Because papanasi is comfort disguised as decadence. A reminder that sometimes the best things are simple, indulgent, and unapologetically sincere. Good food brings joy to the soul, Iorga said — and in Romania, that joy often comes shaped like a dumpling, crowned with cream and jam, and eaten warm before the sweetness has time to cool.
A dessert that doesn’t pretend to be refined. It just wants to make you happy.
And it does. Every single time.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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INGREDIENTS
For the dumplings:
250g cottage cheese (drained) - Romanian Brynza Cheese is best
1 egg
2 tablespoons semolina
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
Zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For frying:
Vegetable oil
For serving:
Sour cream
Fruit jam (cherry or raspberry is traditional) - the jam should be a bit runny, so if its too thick, add it to a hot pan with a bit of water to loosen it up.
Powdered sugar
Fresh berries (optional)
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Instructions
A fluffy cheese donut served up with fresh Transylvanian berry jam.
Click here for video recipe and story on Instagram
Prepare the Dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, semolina, flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and a dough forms.
The dough will be incredibly stick, but this is what you're looking for.
Shape the Dumplings:
For papanasi, you'll make a traditional circle donut, as well as donut holes. In serving the donut sits at the bottom and the hole on top, so make sure that the hole is big enough to sit on the donut.
In short, we need donuts and their holes seperated
Fry the Dumplings:
Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or frying pan over medium heat.
Carefully place the dumplings in the hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes per side.
Once cooked, remove the dumplings from the oil and place them on paper towels or a wire rack to drain any excess oil.
Serve:
To serve, place the bigger fried donut on a serving plate.
Spoon a dollop of sour cream on top of each dumpling.
Add a spoon of fruit jam in the center of each dumpling, allowing it to spread slightly.
Next put the smaller donut hole on top, cover with sour cream and jam again
Optionally, you can sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and garnish with fresh berries.
