Hunglish.orgFood is definately reason to celebrate in Hungary, from Chicken Paprika to the famous Strudel, Hungarians like to eat and eat well. Delve into the bottom of a bowl of Goulash or drink some Palinka, you are now in Hungary-enjoy!
Written by Natalie Jaro
Hungarian food is scrumptious, alright, it’s not the best option for a low-cal diet, but it’s everything your palate has been dreaming of—a big, rich and hearty meal with a striking balance of the heavy with the light. From the bottom of a bowl of ‘Goulash’ to a light cucumber salad served with your meal, the contrasts of warm and cool will delight your senses. The cuisine is loaded with flavor and spice, taste and variety, and any number of festivals will offer up multiple samples from the famed ‘Chicken Paprika’ to the fried bread dough called, ‘Langos’ that Hungarians eat with sour cream. Chances are you will be served from the best of what the fertile lands of Hungary have to offer. Farmers grow a number of profitable crops and the bountiful harvest includes wheat, corn, rye, potatoes, and even some fruits. Plus a variety of livestock is bred and traded for food, and an astounding collection of wine is grown and consumed from one neighboring town to the next. The three main bodies of water, the Danube, the Tisza and Lake Balaton all provide fish for commercial and sport fishers to enjoy and sell. Hungary’s national dish is ‘Goulash’, ‘Gulyas’, a meat stew with onions and water, paprika spice as well as other ingredients like potatoes and carrots. Goulash is also known to the Hungarians as ‘Porkolt’ and ‘Tokany’. During the reign of King Matthias, the fine art of cookery was developed. The Turks brought the filo or phyllo dough and they also taught the Hungarians how to stuff peppers and eggplants like they do now with rice and meat. The Turks also brought coffee to the Hungarians. In the arena of desserts, during the Austrian rule, Hungary became reputable for its cakes and pastries. Hungarians used the filo dough for making something the world would later come to know as, ‘Strudel’, with fillings that include apples, cherries, and poppy seeds along with a few other choices like almonds or cabbage. Paprika, a red-powdered spice is used in many dishes along with cabbage, potatoes, dumplings, onions, noodles, caraway seeds and peppers. For an added flavor, the Hungarians include cream and sour cream in many dishes too. The famed, ‘Palacsinta’ is a pancake wrapped with fillings both sweet and savory. Meat is often eaten and is generally breaded and fried; beef and pork are the two most consumed preferences while sausage making is also popular in Hungary. Many kinds of sausage are eaten with differing spices and flavors and many a pig-roast is found at a Hungarian festival. Another national dish is a fish soup called ‘Halaszle’ while Hungary is also known for its wine called ‘Tokay’ from the Tokay region especially its sweet Tokay wine. ‘Palinka’ is another kind of liquor in Hungary that is made using distilled fruits like apricots and plums. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of foods to savor in Hungary and eating or learning how to cook Hungarian cuisine may end up being one of the ‘tastiest’ decisions you ever make.