Moldova is rich in productive soil (mostly chernozem/black soil) and in hardworking and gentle people. Nature is very generous in Moldova, offering plenty of grapes, fruits, vegetables, meat, milk products and cereals, all of which have found their uses in the national food. The rich soil and the agricultural methods make possible the cultivation of a diverse range of ecologically pure products.

Moldovan food has had a great influence on the traditional food of the other nationalities that live on this territory. At the same time some elements have been integrated from Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian and Russian cuisine, as well as elements taken some centuries ago from Greek and Turkish food.

The ingredients used in the traditional meals are: a variety of vegetables like tomatoes, green peppers, white cabbage, beans, onions, garlic, etc. The vegetables are used for salads and sauces; they are baked, pickled, salted, and canned thus becoming a real food art. The maize and maize flour give a specific color to the traditional meals, like soups, biscuits, flakes, alcohol free drinks, etc. The most traditional dishes are “mamaliga” – a mash from corn flour/grits with a delicate and luscious taste; "Mamaliga" is served together with fried meat, greaves, roasts, cottage cheese, sour cream etc., chicken soup called “zama” (poultry soup with noodles), ragout (either meat or vegetable) and of course, “sarmale” which is the main dish of a holiday: small portions of rice and meat stuffing in vine, cabbage or coltsfoot leaves. Traditional Moldavian batch is, first of all, “placinte”: thin unleavened pies filled with curds, eggs and green, potatoes, cabbage, apples or pumpkins. Many dishes from meat and fish are grilled, being prior kept in marinade for a while.

In different zones the local cuisine is predominant: in the East zones the Ukrainians prefer the famous Ukrainian borsch; in the South the Bulgarians will offer you a traditional mangea: sauce with chicken; while the Gagauz people will offer sorpa: soup made with lamb and a lot of seasonings, in Russian communities people prefer pelmeni.

No Moldovan meal can go without wines. Usually, domestic wine from local vine species is served to a regular home meal, and wines from European species accompany holiday meal. Northern and Central regions of Moldova supply excellent dry wines, both red and white, cognacs and brandy; Southern areas supply fine dessert wines.