Moldovan cuisine

Zeamă (sour chicken noodle soup)

Broth of home-raised chicken with home-made noodles and vegetables, soured with borș and scented with lovage.

Well-cooked hot dish

Zeamă (sour chicken noodle soup) — Moldovan cuisine. Photograph of the dish.

Ingredients

chicken
home-made noodles
carrot
onion
pepper
borș
lovage
dill
salt

How it is prepared

The chicken simmers for 1.5 hours; vegetables and noodles are added and borș is boiled in at the end.

Food safety with low immunity

Chicken and turkey must be fully cooked; keep raw poultry away from other foods and wash hands and boards after handling it.
When there are lots of herbs, wash them well and cook them in the dish; during neutropenia it is wise to skip a raw herb garnish.

How to prepare it during treatment

The chicken must be fully cooked. Cook the herbs in the soup and boil the borș. The sourness may sting mouth sores — use less.

Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →

Storage

Cool quickly (within 2 hours), refrigerate in shallow containers and eat within 1–2 days; with low counts many teams advise 24 hours. You can freeze portions.

Reheating

Reheat only once — bring to the boil, stirring. It should be steaming hot, not just warm.

Symptoms it may suit

Nausea. Mild and not too greasy; can be eaten in small portions, warm or at room temperature.
Mouth sores. Soft and moist; easier to eat without spicy or sour additions.
Diarrhoea. In a low-fat, gentle version it may be better tolerated with diarrhoea.
Low appetite. Gives a lot of energy and protein in a small portion — can help when appetite is low.

These are general observations: what suits you can change from day to day.

Treatment phases

Before treatmentmay suit
During a coursemay suit
Low counts (neutropenia)Freshly cooked and hotmay suit
Between coursesmay suit
After treatmentmay suit

Phase notes are general. During low counts, follow only your care team’s food rules.

If you have other conditions

High blood pressure, Heart disease, Kidney disease. Often salty (stock, salty cheese, sausage, pickles). With high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, discuss salt limits with your team.
Stomach and gut. Can be acidic from tomato, lemon or vinegar; keep this in mind with reflux, gastritis or mouth sores.
Autoimmune disease, Stomach and gut. Contains wheat (gluten). With coeliac disease and some autoimmune conditions, discuss it with your team.

Nutrition (per 100 g)

Nutrition figures from a reliable source have not been added for this dish yet.

More from this cuisine

Moldova: food database → · Country page →

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune Systems
FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS). Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
Food Standards Agency (UK). Chilling
World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food manual
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2019. Neutropenic diets to prevent cancer infections: updated systematic review and meta-analysis
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FoodData Central — Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)

Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

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