Anca Vlad is a powerhouse, moving about her Gastro Local homestead in Transylvania, located in a small village where the houses stand shoulder to shoulder but extend into deep backyards in which most folks grow their own herbs and vegetables. Across the street, two loggers drag shorn trees downhill using a horse and chains, while a horse-drawn wagon rolls by on the street. Not a tractor in sight. And Anca’s root cellar is as vast as if she were preparing for the end of times.

Dressed in a brightly embroidered peasant blouse and a black apron, with short jet-black hair and red-rimmed glasses, Anca explains the concept of ciorbă. It’s the national soup and includes a slightly sour element, borș, which is fermented wheat bran. (Vinegar or lemon juice are fine substitutes in a pinch.) You add a touch at the end of cooking to brighten flavors, or it can be the basis of a lemonade, slightly sweetened, offering a refreshing hot weather drink. I had three glasses.

Today, it’s meatball ciorbă. Cooked rice is the binder and pork is the meat of choice. The recipe starts with building the broth; Anca used parsnip and celery root for the base. We opted for onions, celery and dill stems, then added beef stock and water plus a small can of tomato purée, which gives the soup its signature red color. The meatballs are shaped by hand and include minced dill fronds, egg, paprika and onion. These are small meatballs, around 2 tablespoons each, and they are cooked in the broth for 15 to 20 minutes. Off heat, we add more dill and a bit of vinegar to mimic the Romanian use of borș. A sprinkle of dill and/or sour cream to finish is optional.

After just a week in Transylvania, I began to think of this region as a lost culinary world: root cellars, home-grown vegetables, local meats and eggs, and plain kitchens with not much in the way of appliances or fancy cookware. The cooking gathers its strength from the land, from tradition, and from a deep familiarity with the process. After all, these Saxon villages date back to the 14th century and most of the homes are still occupied today. That continuity of land, of people and of recipes is a pleasant counterpoint to the world of digital food that travels somewhere near the speed of light.

Meatball ciorbă is simple but delicious—a welcome reminder that history is often a meal worth enjoying.

Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."