Forty Martyrs of March

Or how to drink 40 glasses of wine with your 'skylark' buns. A piece for those who like history and food.

Mar 07, 2025

March is a particularly busy month, brimming with traditions and culinary customs all over the world, from the celebration of the last days of feasting before Lent begins to the more pagan, agricultural traditions marking the arrival of Spring.

On March 9th, several Orthodox countries and communities in Eastern Europe and the Balkans observe a unique religious tradition.

This day commemorates 40 martyrs, known as Mucenici, who were Roman soldiers converted to Christianity and, as a result, sentenced to death by Emperor Licinius. As the drowning of the soldiers occurred in present-day Turkey, in northeastern Siva, the celebration of the martyrs can be observed from there all the way west to Romania. There is a famous monastery in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, another in Bitola, North Macedonia, and even a bas-relief in Istanbul dedicated to them.

Mucenici means martyrs. It’s common in the genesis of religions that the beginnings were marked by martyrdom, not only as a way to make a statement but also as a way to build a past and legitimacy, and make history—a history to be remembered every year in perpetuity.

A dish for Mucenici

Most religious moments in a year’s calendar are celebrated with ritual food. On March 9th, in Romania, we prepare a sweet dish with flour, walnuts, and honey to remember the 40 martyrs. But the country is divided…

The East and the South

Just like in the UK, where the country is divided by how it serves scones—cream first, then jam, or jam first, then cream—Romania is divided by how it prepares this dish for Mucenici.

In Moldavia, located in the East, flour is combined with eggs, butter, and milk to make a delicious brioche dough. Once baked, the buns are immersed in honey syrup, allowing them to absorb the sweetness and meadow flavour of honey until soft and oozy —like a rum baba. They are then generously topped with chopped walnuts and more honey and are known as Mucenici Moldovenești.

Moldavian Mucenici. Recipe in ‘Tava, Eastern European Baking’ Photo credit Matt Russell

In the South, in Muntenia, flour is mixed with water to form a simple dough for noodles. After being simmered in water, a generous amount of chopped walnuts is added to thicken the liquid to the consistency of a creamed soup. The soup is sweetened with honey and vanilla and flavoured with rum. It is served in bowls, topped with cinnamon, lemon zest, and more walnuts, and is known as Mucenici Muntenești.

Muntenian Mucenici. Photo credit Matt Russell for the book ‘Tava, Eastern European Baking’

I’m from the south and bound to love the Muntenian mucenici dish. I also think it is in the true spirit of the tradition, especially since the day falls within the Lent period. The noodle dish is basically vegan and aligns with Lent's requirements.

The Skylarks of Eternity

One thing that doesn’t divide the country is the shape of the buns and noodles; they need to resemble the number 8. Some believe it is an abstract representation of a bird flying with its wings spread—a skylark. Others think it symbolises eternity, a perpetual cycle of life and death. Skylarks were known to represent the divine nature of bliss or ecstasy, which is what we all hope happened to the Martyrs after all that suffering.

40 glasses of wine…or eat 40 stuffed peppers

In a more terrestrial world, this bliss was attained through ritual drinking. On March 9th, it is said that people drink 40 small glasses of wine or whatever traditional drink is served. I think these are more like shot glasses than proper glasses, but do.not.try.this.at.home. I don’t know many people who do this.

Looking back to a time when I thought I could really handle my drinks, I decided to follow the tradition. I set out to drink 40 tiny glasses of Romanian sour cherry liqueur, vișinată, which was wonderfully sweet with just a hint of tang. It went so nicely with the rich brioche buns and noodles that I figured alternating between bites and sips would get me to the finish line. Even though the glasses were only the size of my thumb, I didn’t quite make it to 40 before I found myself falling off the chair. So don’t even think of trying it…instead, you can eat 40 stuffed peppers. It is more sensible, although with possibly the same result.

In Bulgaria, it is believed that every home should cook 40 stuffed peppers, and everyone should try to eat 40 different things to protect against bad luck and a poor harvest.

There is a recipe for stuffed peppers with lentils in my latest book, ‘Danube’ here.

All myths aside, this Mucenici tradition is more about the 40 days of Lent before Easter and the beginning of the agricultural year, which are usually celebrated with grains (flour), walnuts, and honey. You can see both examples in this short video:

Muntenian mucenici. The recipe

For the dough

90ml hot water

150 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 pinch of salt

For the soup

700 ml water

50 g caster sugar

2 tablespoons honey or more to taste

125 g walnuts, coarsely crushed, plus extra to serve
zest of 2 lemons, plus extra to serve
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon plus extra to serve
3 tablespoons rum (optional)

Method:

Start one day ahead. Mix all the ingredients for the dough in a bowl and knead for a few minutes. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes, then knead again and rest for a further 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 7–8 g balls, roll each into an 8 cm rope, bring the ends together into a circle, and twist in the middle to form the shape of the number 8. Place the ropes on a generously floured baking sheet. When you finish them all, toss them in more flour and allow to dry at room temperature overnight.

The next day, bring the water, sugar, and honey to a boil. Add the mucenici noodles and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the crushed walnuts and lemon zest and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, cinnamon, and rum, if using.

Serve warm with more chopped walnuts, lemon zest and cinnamon on the side for people to adjust the flavours to their preference.

‘Danube’ the Cookbook

It’s been a few weeks full of excitement since the publication of ‘Danube, Recipes and Stories from Eastern Europe’. The response in the media has been fantastic, and a few days ago, I had time to sit down and look through the reviews properly…and I fell in love with the creativity of the headlines:

The Vegetarian Heart of the Danube, says The Independent. See the book here.