Compot

Origins and history

The word comes via the French compote from the Latin compositus, put together. In Western Europe compote is mainly stewed fruit eaten with a spoon. In Eastern Europe the emphasis shifted to the liquid: there, kompot is first and foremost a drink, and in winter it is often made from dried fruit. Moldova, with its vast orchards, fits into that tradition. According to the overview of Moldovan cuisine, compot is one of the country's traditional non-alcoholic drinks, in a cuisine where wine is otherwise the main drink on the table.

How it is made

For a fresh compot, seasonal fruit, whole or halved, goes into water with sugar to taste. The mixture boils for a few minutes, carries on infusing as it cools and is drunk cold, with or without the fruit in the glass. To preserve it, glass jars are filled with fruit, topped up with hot sugar syrup and sealed airtight. That is why many cellars hold rows of jars of cherries, apricots or plums for the winter. The fruit from those jars still comes in handy in the kitchen: a recipe for sour cherry colțunași, for example, recommends drained cherries from compot. In winter compot is also made from dried apples, pears and plums.

Where and how to try it

At home compot stands on the table in a large jug, for children and for anyone who does not drink wine. In restaurants and eateries serving traditional food you will often find home-made compot on the drinks list, by the glass or by the jug. The taste depends on the fruit and the maker's hand: light and fresh in summer, deeper and fuller when made from dried fruit.