Zacusca: A culinary treasure of Romania

Among its many gastronomic Romanian treasures, one stands out for its unique flavor and deep-rooted tradition – zacusca. To gain further insights into this culinary gem, Business Review had the privilege of talking with several artisans who have been producing zacusca for years, each with their own unique take on this beloved Romanian tradition.

Zacusca comes in a wide price range, from RON 7-8 for industrial production to RON 35 for artisanal versions. It’s a product that’s both common and distinct. What sets it apart are the flavours, recipes, ingredients, and stories that make rediscovering that nostalgic taste a bit complex.

Who processes vegetables and fruits in Romania

According to information available from the Termene.ro platform, an online system for verifying companies, there are 1376 active companies with the CAEN code 1039 – Processing and preservation of fruits and vegetables, the field under which companies that make zacusca are registered. However, there is not a very precise differentiation of the processed foods.

Dedicated study on zacusca

In Romania, zacusca is an indispensable food. According to an online survey conducted by Malagrow Romania between August 24 and September 14, 2022, with the participation of 3,242 people, over two-thirds of the population consume zacusca every week. For the majority of respondents (62%), zacusca is part of their daily diet. Due to its plant-based ingredients, one-third of them serve this dish during fasting periods. Only 3.6% of respondents consume zacusca during holidays.

Regarding the varieties of zacusca, eggplant zacusca is the most popular, with nearly three-quarters of Romanians saying it’s their favorite. Mushroom and bean zacusca are also highly appreciated, but only a minority of respondents voted for fish, zucchini, and cauliflower zacusca. Most respondents (80.1%) prefer homemade zacusca, with only 11.3% buying this dish from grocery stores, and 8.6% from local producers or markets.

Artisan producers’ perspective

Andreea Machidon, project manager at De Neagra, a relatively new brand in the market, offers only one zacusca recipe and is in the first year of production for this dish.

“Zacusca is a dish that is understood by everyone, especially in the Romanian market, and at the same time, it is a continuous topic of debate on the shelf or at the table. Although there is a market that offers a wide range of this product, we and many people around us found it difficult to find a recipe in stores comparable to that of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, etc., and at the same time, we were put off by the large amount of oil used in the vast majority of cases,” she explains to Business Review.

This season’s zacusca stock was approximately 3000 jars, using about one ton of vegetables. Most products reach the public through small grocery stores in Bucharest, Brasov, and Sibiu.

Vlad Botca, Co-founder Konservăria, mentions that this is their first year producing zacusca. “We have decided to introduce a single product assortment, the most beloved one – aubergine zacusca. (…) The decision to start producing zacusca was influenced by two factors: customer demand and the desire to expand into an additional market category. Both our current and potential clients had been asking us to introduce zacusca, and we made a promise to start this fall. Direct feedback and customer requests are essential to our growth, so we are taking everything into consideration as long as it is feasible,” adds Vlad.

“To manage our production, we processed the raw materials as they arrived, then vacuum-sealed and froze them. (..) Our initial plan is to produce a minimum of 2,000 jars. It’s not a lot for the next 10-11 months until next fall, but we have to test the market first,” explains Vlad.

Their largest market is their own online store, www.konservaria.ro. “Nevertheless, our retail channel is growing, both through brick-and-mortar stores and grocery-delivery resellers. We are planning to further expand the retail channel soon.”

Denisa Feldiorean, PR & Marketing at Pivnița Bunicii, a brand registered as part of Transylvania Food Company, which is a social enterprise wholly committed to sustainable business development, mentions that their variety offers five types of zacusca: with beans, with mushroom, with aubergine, with aubergine but spicy, and aubergine with olives.

“At Pivnița Bunicii (Grandma’s cellar) we produce all goodies that our proverbial grandmothers would make. Zacusca is an important part of the winter preserves menu, so of course we included it in our offer. Zacusca is very popular here in Romania but also outside of our country, as foreigners easily fall in love with its delicious taste. It is 100% vegan, sugar, gluten and preservative free, and it is very rich in fiber, making it a healthy alternative and a good source of nutrients during the cold months. Finally, slow food is a concept we adhere to, and zacusca falls into this category.”

Their production is only in small batches at a time, with a limited number of jars. “The zacusca is being cooked in line with customer demand, so that we do not make any waste. Every batch has around 180 jars, resulting from approximately 45 kg of vegetables. Currently we are approaching 12,000 jars, each jar weighing 190 gr. So for this quantity we have used 2.250 kg of vegetables,” adds Denisa.

They sell zacusca as well as all other products online on their website, in other online shops, in their physical shop in Saschiz, in smaller shops around the county but also in some supermarkets such as Mega Image or Auchan.

Gica Neamtu, the founder of Pofta Focului, mentions that they have 7 types of zacusca in their portfolio, all under the name “Zacusca Patimasa,” with the only difference being the main vegetable. “Among these, the best-selling product is the zacusca with eggplant and bell peppers, closely followed by the ones with mushrooms and chanterelles, which are nearly equal,” explains Gica Neamtu.

For this year, Pofta Focului is preparing approximately 10,000 jars, using about 9 tons of vegetables in production so far. “The distribution is somewhat balanced, both in local grocery stores and in our own online store. Currently, we do not have retail distribution,” explains the founder.

“In the restaurant’s workshop and kitchen, we prepare 5 types of zacusca: classic eggplant zacusca, zacusca with a mix of mushrooms, truffle zacusca, spicy red bean zacusca, and smoked trout zacusca. Some of the recipes are old, while others are new compositions created by us,” explains Daniela Graură, founder of Casa Terra in Făgăraș.

“We chose to produce zacusca for at least three reasons: zacusca is a way of preserving vegetables as a finished product; it is a well-loved dish associated with our culinary culture and is part of our collective memory being perfect for young people’s food packages, and has become a flavorful souvenir with the signature of each person and each home that prepares it”, adds Daniela Graură.

As for sales, the best-selling zacusca is the one with truffles, followed closely by the mushroom and equally by the spicy red bean varieties. In previous years, Casa Terra sold 6,500-7,000 jars (250-320g), with individual customers and companies as buyers, and very little in local grocery stores.

Online shopping perspective

BioShop Romania is one of the largest online stores with national and international distribution, from Australia to the USA. They offer a wide variety of zacusca for sale, with currently 9 types available online – eggplant, mixed vegetables, yellow boletes, mushrooms, chanterelles, black trumpet (another type of mushroom), beans, zucchini, and bell peppers, each with variations that total up to 40 varieties.

“When it comes to local products, we are not talking about brands in the sense of marketing but about stories. Customers prefer producers with interesting stories behind the labels (family traditions, local history, preparation methods, etc.). Some customers prefer zacusca made in the area where they were born because they find that it matches their taste,” explains Ciprian Dincă, co-founder of BioShop Romania.

As for the consumption habits of buyers, zacusca is found in the overall shopping basket throughout the year but also individually during dedicated periods: major holidays (Easter, Christmas) and fasting periods.

Freshful, the online supermarket serving Bucharest and its surrounding areas, has a portfolio of 61 products in the zacusca category, divided into five types of needs, namely zacusca with mushrooms, bean zacusca, spicy zacusca, plain zacusca, and other types of zacusca, including varieties such as carp zacusca, Bulgarian zacusca, Macedonian zacusca, Romanian zacusca, and spicy red pepper zacusca.

“Among all the varieties of zacusca we offer, the best-selling one is the eggplant zacusca (from the producer Răzvan Idicel), an artisanal zacusca made in a cauldron,” explains Veaceslav Usturoi, Sr. Business Unit Manager – Beverages, Tobacco, Grocery, Sweets, Diets & Pet Shop at Freshful.

Regarding the shopping behavior of consumers who choose to shop on Freshful.ro, statistics show that people are first attracted to the variety of products and then to their brands. “Unlike traditional retail, online customers are more oriented towards brands that offer artisanal products, as opposed to mass-produced ones. That’s why we’ve seen increased sales for products marketed by brands that produce artisanal goods, with the most sought-after ones being those from the Răzvan Idicel and Râureni brands, which are well-known in this category,” adds Veaceslav Usturoi.

At the same time, Freshful mentions that “the products in the shopping cart vary and come from several categories, so we don’t exclusively see orders for zacusca. However, this year, we’ve noticed that more than 12,000 orders included at least one jar of zacusca.”

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