The Christmas Market, also known as “Târgul de Crăciun” by Romanian speakers, is a festival organized in Bucharest’s University Square between the 26th of November and the 26th of December, which hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The Bite’s news anchors Carla and Carmen recently visited this market and asked me to tag along to film and write this intro to their video.
Arriving to Piața Universității
The mood was obviously very Christmas-themed at first sight, with few people in queue and the COVID-19 restrictions being respected, which was a pro from the very beginning.
Tickets were available for sale both online and at the cashier next to the entrance, costing only 5 lei per person. Then, after moving through the snake-pattern alley, two security people requested the ticket and green certificate (proof of vaccination or recovery) from each person.
After passing the big panels entitled “Entrance: Bucharest Christmas Market,” many things got our attention. There was a tall Christmas Tree completely lit up, right in the middle of the square; a carousel, food trucks and kiosks, and numerous tables equipped with gas warmers.
Testing out the food options
There are plenty of eye-catching options to choose from, ranging from beverages like hot chocolate and vin fiert, to delicious snacks like waffles and home-made cookies. The stalls line the margins of the square, organized in categories depending on what they’re selling.
Carla and Carmen chose to review the three products people would most likely choose in the cold weather: bubble waffles, mashed chorizo potatoes, and flavored hot chocolate. The shopkeepers for all three stands were very kind, and they also didn’t mind appearing in some of the video sequences recorded by us.
The waffles were their favorite; and as Carmen says, they “were extremely soft with a little bit of sweet and a little bit of salty, tasting like heaven.”
They also liked their potato dish, which could serve as a great dinner and keep hunger at bay. As Carla says, “It was very fitting for the outdoor temperature, with the flavors combined in a tasty manner, something like an elevated street food style.”
And finally, the hot chocolate: something that was completely necessary to keep us all warm and satisfy our desire for something sweet. Carla loved her choice, but Carmen said the white chocolate option was “way too sweet.”
The verdict
While this year’s market wasn’t as grand as years past, due to Covid, it was still a nice experience. But if you’re going for a social atmosphere, we really recommend you choose to visit on a weekend instead of a weekday (we went on a Thursday and it was pretty dead).
Overall, we’d go again, and recommend you do too. Just come hungry!
And, finally, the video:
Tell us: Have you been to the Christmas Market? If so, comment below with your favorite foods and recommendations!