Poékaleves, a traditional soup from Transylvania, particularly popular in the Gyergyó region, is a delicious variation of “becsinált” soup. Each village in the area – such as Alfalva, Ditró, and Csomafalva – prepares this hearty dish differently, reflecting the local culinary traditions. This soup also showcases the resourcefulness of the Székely people, who historically made it using whatever meat was available – ranging from veal, (smoked) pork, or poultry, to lamb, rabbit, or even game.

Poékaleves always contains some kind of meat, varying amounts of soup vegetables, and prunes. It is typically thickened with roux and flavored with bay leaves and paprika, and it includes some form of dumpling or pasta. A common ingredient across all variations is gyűszűtészta – small, round dumplings shaped using a thimble. This crunchy pasta, fried to golden brown, adds a delightful texture to the soup and is an example of the traditional ingenuity in Transylvanian cuisine, where everyday tools were repurposed for kitchen use.