The Republic of Moldova’s Zeama is the third best chicken soup in the world, with a score of 4.6 out of 5, according to a ranking by tasteatlas.com.
The best chicken soup in the world is Tom kha gai, a Thai national speciality made with chicken and coconut milk. Thai soup scored 4.7 out of 5.

Zeama may be considered the “big guns ” of Moldovan traditional gastronomy. This sour chicken soup represents the masterpiece dish every Moldovan home cook strives to achieve. It is not a simple dish; you may nail it and boast, or fail and be embarrassed. This traditional soup is the best remedy for a post–wedding hangover. We look for a good Zeama after a long white night, or when feeling homesick. Our mothers, however, make the tastiest Zeama.

Fortunately, there are many places in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova, where you can get a good traditional chicken soup, one of them being “Chateaux terrace, open 24/7. Actually, I propose to declare this soup “the signature dish of Moldovan gastronomy”. Especially after discovering that many other countries boast their soups. Our traditional sour chicken soup is a salvation for your stomach and soul; its recipe should be learned and passed on from generation to generation.

Four ingredients make this soup so special: whole farm hen, homemade noodles, sour borș, and fresh lovage leaves. The soup will taste differently if you don ́t use one of these ingredients.

Would you like to try making our Moldovan zeama? Find my mother’s recipe in my cooking book.
You will surely succeed!