“I'm afraid of this food / Is it cats?”


Article by Maria Olteanu – Published Friday, 09 January 2026, 09:08 / Updated Friday, 09 January 2026 09:11
Three of the foreigners from the University of Craiova, the current leader in the Superliga, the Palestinian Assad Al-Hamlawi (25 years old), the Ukrainian Oleksandr Romanchuk (26) and the Portuguese Samuel Teles (28) were challenged to taste sweets from Romania, and the climax was… tasting the cage.
The three responded to the challenge initiated by the representatives of the YouTube channel of the Superliga and, with greater or lesser emotions, with reluctance, confusion and even curiosity, they tasted the poories, puffs or chocolate with rum. Opinions were mixed, with striker Assad the least enthusiastic about the challenge, while the timing of the cage test created uncertainty and suspense until they found out what it really meant.
When asked to guess when exactly Romanians eat coliva, no one could guess the answer, in fact they deviated a lot from the correct version, among the alternatives being the celebration of a new year, as a dessert eaten on New Year's Eve 🙂
VIDEO with the moment when the foreigners of Craiova taste the hut
Below, the full discussion:
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Assad: That's what I'm afraid of. To be honest, it looks like… cat food
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Romanchuk: Cat food?
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Reporter: It's called a cage.
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Assad: You see, almost cat food
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Reporter: We will tell them after they taste when the people eat the cage
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Assad: I don't eat
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Reporter: It is very good, but I will tell you its meaning afterwards. When it is done.
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Assad: After you feel sick?
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Reporter: It's like a dessert. She is sweet, she is good
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Assad: I believe you… It looks like cat food. You try it first
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Romanchuk: No, you first. Rock, scissors, paper. 1, 2, 3
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Assad: Yes (winner)
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Romanchuk: I know (after the taste). You eat it on New Year's when you celebrate
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Reporter: No, no. You're not even close.
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Assad: But what is it for?
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Reporter: I'll tell you after you try
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Assad: I smelled it. I know I won't like it. I'm sorry, but I'll try it for you. Neah (after taste)
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Reporter: This is served at funerals (Assad, shocked, widens his eyes and looks at Romanchuk)
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Assad: Does it contain oats?
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Reporter: No, wheat. It boils, it also has nuts. When someone dies, we make a cage
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Assad: Who died today? Is it a tradition?
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Romanchuk: I was thinking about it, but I said maybe it's not about that
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Assad: Very depressing!
Subsequent, Samuel Teles he went through the same test himself. This time, totally different reaction!
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Reporter: This is a dessert, a Romanian dessert. I'll tell you afterwards what it's made for.
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Teles: (tastes, doesn't look too disappointed)
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Reporter: It's called a cage
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Teles: I think it's the best of everything I've tried. What is it made of? Oat?
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Reporter: No, it's made of boiled wheat, with nuts
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Teles: This is the crunchy part
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Reporter: And it's only done at funerals
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Teles: … ok! You do this at funerals and I loved it the most Ok…hope I don't eat that again anytime soon




