Zacusca
Zacusca is a Romanian and Moldovan spread of roasted eggplant and sweet peppers cooked down with onion, tomato and oil, made in quantity in autumn and kept in jars for winter.
Traditional method
Kislyi arbuz (fermented watermelon)
Кислый арбуз (transliterated as Kislyi arbuz)
Watermelon pieces with rind ferment in a dill, garlic and pepper brine in a family preparation linked to Kishinev, Moldova.
History
The Jewish Food Society records a family recipe journey from Kishinev, Moldova to Nashville and New York and presents Sasha Shor’s preparation. It does not claim this formula represents all Moldovan or Jewish watermelon ferments.
Ingredients
Yield 12 servings · Scaling: source batch only
WaterUse 2 cups to dissolve the salt; add the remaining 10 cups after cooling.
2.84 L12 cup as recorded
Kosher salt
89 mL6 tbsp as recorded
WatermelonCut into roughly 1½-inch-thick chunks with rind attached.
½ medium watermelon
GarlicPeel and smash, leaving whole.
8 large cloves
Peppercorns
15 whole peppercorns
CeleryCut into 2–3 inch pieces.
4 ribs
Fresh dillChoose thick stems.
5 stems
Method
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Contamination or uncontrolled fermentation
Contaminated equipment or uncontrolled fermentation can compromise a batch; this recipe has not been professionally validated.
Hazard sourceUse clean food-grade equipment and follow the cited method. General guidance is not recipe-specific validation; taste or appearance alone is not proof of safety.
Control source- Heat 2 cups water until simmering, remove from heat and dissolve the salt. Cool completely, then stir in the remaining 10 cups water.
- Cut watermelon into small triangles or chunks about 1½ inches thick, keeping rind and outer skin attached.
- Layer watermelon with garlic, peppercorns, celery and dill in a 6-quart nonreactive crock, leaving about 1 inch headspace. Cover with brine and use a small plate to keep fruit submerged.
- Cover the crock with doubled cheesecloth secured at the rim. Set in a dark, undisturbed place that is not too cold. The source says fermentation starts after about 24 hours and advises tasting after 2–3 days.
- When the desired sourness is reached, transfer to glass jars and refrigerate. The source says to keep refrigerated and gives up to 1 month storage.
Conditions
Yield12 servings
Active time30 min
Fermentation2–3 days
Temperature controlAmbient, monitored
Places
Kishinev, Moldova
Historical attestation · Locality evidenceThe family recipe journey names Kishinev, Moldova; the published method is shared by Sasha Shor and is not asserted as a city-wide formula.
Related
More from Moldova
Related in the family
Furo (Kosraean preserved breadfruit)
Kosraean preserved breadfruit called furo in a 1919 ethnographic monograph. Two historical pit methods are recorded; the sources give no validated household process.
Ma-kork-nam-dorng (Thai pickled Spanish plum)
Mature Spanish plums are covered with a 20% volume salt solution and fermented under shade for ten days.
Mandai (fermented cempedak rind)
Cempedak inner rind is cut, salted and submerged in water for a short spontaneous fermentation used in Kalimantan home cooking.
Mочёные яблоки
Mochenye yabloki are whole apples held under prepared liquid for several weeks. Russian sources from 1892 and 1959 describe the method. It is not the same as vinegar pickling.
Salt-fermented plums
Pitted ripe plums release their own juice under a 2% salt cure, then ferment while weighted below the liquid.
Tempoyak (fermented durian paste)
Durian flesh is mashed with salt and fermented in a covered container as a Malay condiment or cooking ingredient.
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Sources
Jewish Food Society; shared by Sasha ShorInspiration · Geography
Kislyi Arbuz (Fermented Pickled Watermelon)Family recipe journey, measured ingredients, 6-quart vessel, staged brine, 2–3 day fermentation and refrigeration.
University of Minnesota ExtensionSafety
Preserving food at home: FermentationGeneral fermentation guidance; it does not validate this particular recipe.