Hungarian cuisine

HungarianorMagyar cuisine(Hungarian:Magyar konyha) is thecuisinecharacteristic of the nation ofHungary, and its primary ethnic group, theMagyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being thespiciestcuisine inEurope.This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarianpaprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative.Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.
Hungarian cuisine is mostly continentalCentral European, with some elements fromEastern Europesuch as the use ofpoppy, and the popularity ofkefirandquark.Paprikais often associated with Hungary and is used prominently in several dishes. Traditional Hungarian paprika is characterised by its bright colour and distinct heat, differentiating it from milder variations of paprika popular elsewhere in the world.Other herbs and spices commonly used in Hungarian cuisine includegarlic,marjoram,caraway seeds,celery seedsanddill seeds.Typical Hungarian food is heavy on dairy and meats, similar to that of neighboringCzechandSlovakcuisines.Chicken,porkandbeefare common, while turkey, duck, lamb, fish and game meats are mostly eaten on special occasions. Hungary is also known for relatively inexpensive salamis and sausages it produces primarily from pork, but also poultry, beef and others.
Bread is perhaps the most important and basic part of the Hungarian diet. It is eaten at all meals, accompanying main dishes. Before the fall of communism in 1990, white bread was a staple food. Numerous other types of baked goods, such as buns and pastries both salty and sweet, often creatively filled, have proliferated in recent years.
Main dishes may "require" a side dish (köret) or not. It is unusual to violate this convention. The side dish is most commonly potato in various styles, but rice or steamed vegetables are also popular. Some foods have a customary side dish (e.g.,csirkepaprikás'paprika chicken' is almost always eaten with small dumplings similar to gnocchi (nokedli), while others may take any side dish (e.g.,rántott sajt'fried cheese'). Some dishes also have toppings or bread on the side considered almost mandatory, for example, the sour cream and bread withtöltött káposzta'stuffed cabbage'.
Recently, Hungarian chefs have become more creative, so Hungarian dishes prepared for tourists may seem unusual to Hungarians who are familiar with more traditional preparations.
Goulashis a famous Hungarian dish. Other famous Hungarian meat stews includepaprikás, a thicker stew with meat simmered in thick, creamy, paprika-flavored gravy, andpörkölt, a stew with boneless meat (usually beef or pork),onion, and sweetpaprikapowder, both served withnokedliorgaluska(small dumplings). In some old-fashioned dishes, fruits such as plums and apricots are cooked with meat or in piquant sauces/stuffings for game, roasts and other cuts. Various kinds of noodles, dumplings, potatoes, and rice are commonly served as a side dish. Hungarian dry sausages (kolbász) andwinter salamiare also widely eaten.
Other characteristics of Hungarian cuisine are thesoups,casseroles,desserts, andpastriesand stuffedcrêpes(palacsinta), with fierce rivalries between regional variations on the same dish (such as the Hungarian hot fish soup calledfisherman's souporhalászlé, cooked differently on the banks of Hungary's two main rivers: theDanubeand theTisza),palacsinta(pancakes served flambéed in dark chocolate sauce filled with ground walnuts) andDobos cake(layered sponge cake, with chocolate buttercream filling and topped with a thin layer of crunchy caramel).
Two elements of Hungarian cuisine that impress foreigners are the various vegetablestewscalledfőzelékas well as cold fruit soups, such as coldsour cherry soup(Hungarian:hideg meggyleves).
Hungarian cuisine uses a large variety of cheeses, but the most common aretúró(a type of crumblyquark), cream cheeses, picante ewe-cheese(juhtúró),the most common Hungarian cheeses like Karaván,Pannonia cheese[hu],Pálpusztai,Emmentaler,EdamandTrappista.
There are many smoked pork products. Many dishes get their character from the smoky taste of one or more of these ingredients. A variety of Hungarian smoked sausages, smoked ham, and smoked lard are also consumed without further preparation. These are accompanied with bread and fresh vegetables, are often called 'cold dish', and mainly consumed for breakfast or dinner, but sometimes offered as starter in restaurants.
Freshwater fish dishes are very common. In addition to the popularfisherman's soup, frying fish on reeds, making káposzta (csíkos káposzta)or even kolbász out of italso used to be popular.
Pickled (fermented) vegetables are often used. The most common issavanyú káposzta(lit: sour-cabbage,sauerkraut) and soured peppers, gherkins, but a mix of cauliflower, green tomatoes, baby water melon, and other vegetables is also frequent. These are traditionally consumed in the winter and often were the main source of vitamin-C throughout the cold months of winter. Some seasonal, hearty dishes such astöltött káposzta,húsos káposztaandkorhelylevesare based onsavanyú káposzta. Classic Hungarian restaurants often offer some variations as side dish, a refreshing complement to heavy dishes.
Hungarian food uses selected spices judiciously to add flavor, especiallypaprika, a spice made of ground redpepper.
Paprika being the most important spice, there are many traditional variations and styles ranging from sweet to extremely spicy. The sweet and more mild paprika tend to be more common, but the spicy varieties are still very popular. Hot chilis are also often given as a garnish in traditional Hungarian cuisine, but when not, dried hot chilis or hot chili paste are typically given on the side.
Hungarians are known for loving spicy foods and eat everything withpaprikaandPiros Arany(a popular Hungarian paprika cream, meaning 'Red Gold'). They also put the Hungarian chili sauceErős Pista, in theirFisherman's soupand paprikash.
After paprika,garlicandonionbulbsare some of the most popular aromatics, either or both being used in most everysavoury dish.
Herbsare also a key component of Hungarian cuisine, withdill,bay leaf,marjoram, andparsleybeing the most common.Tarragon,savoury,horseradish, andlovageare also quite common, but less so than the previous. Even herbs such asthyme,patience dock,mintandchivescan also be component of some dishes, although considerably less frequently than those mentioned before.
Thesavouryside of Hungarian cuisine makes use of manyspices, most notably paprika. However, Magyar cuisine uses many other spices as well withblack pepper,caraway,dill seed, andpoppy seedbeing some of the most common for savoury dishes. Thoughjuniper berriesandcorianderare also frequently used, but generally only for specific dishes. Mustard seed is uncommon as an ingredient itself, but prepared mustards are used often. Hungarian mustards are often likened to aDijon-style mustard, though they are not typically made with wine and generally use seeds of thewhite mustardplant; it is also not uncommon for them to include herbs, particularly tarragon and parsley.
Sweetdishes are typically spiced with different seasonings.Cinnamon,nutmeg,anise,cloves,lemon peel, andvanillaare the most common.Allspice, while traditionally relegated to sweet dishes in western cuisines, is used in both sweet and savoury applications in Hungarian cuisine.
While not really a seasoning, the use of a thick sour cream calledtejfölas a topping is another common feature in many dishes.
When products use Hungarian-style as a variation, the flavour is usually pepper, onion or bacon.
The historicalHungariancuisine has influenced the history of theMagyar people, and vice versa. The importance oflivestockand the nomadic lifestyle of the Magyar people, as well as a hearkening to their steppe past, is apparent in the prominence of meat in Hungarian food and may be reflected in traditional meat dishes cooked over the fire likegoulash(in Hungarian "gulyás", lit. "cattleman's (meal)"),pörköltstew and the spicy fisherman's soup calledhalászléare all traditionally cooked over the open fire in abogrács(or cauldron). In the 15th century, KingMatthias Corvinusand hisNeapolitanwifeBeatrice, influenced byRenaissanceculture, introduced new ingredients such as sweet chestnut and spices such as garlic, ginger, mace, saffron and nutmeg,onion and the use of fruits in stuffings or cooked with meat.Some of these spices such as ginger and saffron are no longer used in modern Hungarian cuisine.At that time and later, considerable numbers ofSaxons(a German ethnic group), Armenians, Italians, Jews, Poles, Czechs and Slovaks settled in the Hungarian basin and in Transylvania, also contributing with different new dishes. Hungarian cuisine was influenced byAustrian cuisineunder theAustro-Hungarian Empire; dishes and methods of food preparation have often been borrowed from Austrian cuisine, and vice versa. Some cakes and sweets in Hungary show a strong German-Austrian influence. All told, modern Hungarian cuisine is a synthesis of ancient Uralic components mixed withWest Slavic,Balkan,Austrian, andGerman. The food of Hungary can be considered a melting pot of the continent, with a culinary base formed from its own, original Magyar cuisine.
Although Hungary is a major source ofpaprika,and it is the spice most closely associated with Hungary,peppers, the raw material in paprika production, originated fromNorth Americawas only later introduced to theOld World, to Spain in the 16th century, as part of theColumbian exchange.The spice was first used in Hungarian cuisine in the early 19th century.
Historically Magyar cuisine had a decisive role in the gastronomy of the Carpathian basin. Because of the Habsburg ruling class making it difficult for the kingdom to do industrial work, the country's small producer markets became prominent, and were therefore also called the monarchy's larder. Hungarian cuisine is famously rich in flavours and has also played a major role in the cuisine of neighbouring peoples.
InHungary, people usually have a large breakfast. Hungarianbreakfastgenerally is anopen sandwichwith bread or toast, butter, cheese or different cream cheeses,túrócheese,tejfölorkörözött(Liptauer cheese spread), cold cuts such as ham, liverpâté(calledmájkrémorkenőmájas), bacon,salami,mortadella, sausages such askabanos,beerwurstor different Hungarian sausages orkolbász.Traditionally fresh tomatoes and green peppers (sometimes scallion,radishand cucumber) are served with these when they are in season. Eggs (fried, scrambled or boiled) may also be part of breakfast.
Some types of meat that were commonly eaten in the past (such asbeef tongue,disznósajt(head cheese) orvéres hurka(similar toblack pudding) are now more associated with the countryside.
Meals are often eaten withsavanyúságandmillet.
Contemporary Hungarians do not always eat this typical breakfast. For many, breakfast is a cup of milk, tea or coffee with pastries, abun, akiflior astrudelwith jam or honey, or cereal, such asmuesliand perhaps fruit. Children can have rice pudding (tejberizs) orsemolinacream (tejbegríz) for breakfast topped with cocoa powder and sugar or with fruit syrup. Bodzaszörp or hot drinks are preferred for breakfast. In the past, breakfast itself was much more important, often only breakfast and dinner were eaten. In those days, cabbage soup was a common breakfast.
Villásreggelior brunch (literally 'breakfast with fork') is a more luxurious big breakfast given on special occasions or holidays. Often guests are invited. Deviled eggs, coldsteak, cold salads, salmonomelettes, pancakes, a spicy cheese spread made with sheep milk cheese calledkörözött,caviar,foie gras, fruit salads,compote, fruit yogurts, fruit juices,champagneand pastries, cakes and cookies may be served.
Tízórairefers to a meal eaten betweenbreakfastandlunch.
Lunchis the major meal of the day, traditionally with several courses, but often just one course in modern times. Cold or hotappetizersmay be served sometimes (for example, fish, egg or liver), then soup. Soup is followed by a main dish. The main dish is a dish including meat, side dishes andsalad(such as theuborkasaláta, a typical sidedish made withsmetana,paprikaandcontinental cucumber) orsavanyúság(frompickled vegetables- paprika, cucumber, sauerkraut, etc.), which precedes thedessert. Fruit may follow. In Hungary, pancakes (or rather, crepes) may be served as a main dish or as a dessert but not for breakfast. Salad is typically served with meat dishes, made of lettuce with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, or some pickled variant of them.A simple thin sliced cucumber or tomato salad invinaigretteis also typical. Salads such asSalade Olivieror potato salad are made of boiled potatoes, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, fried or boiled meat or fish, in vinaigrette,aspicormayonnaise. These salads are eaten as appetizers or even as a main course.
Some people and children eat a light meal in the afternoon, calleduzsonna, usually an open sandwich, pastry, slice of cake or fruit.
Dinner is typically less important than lunch, and there is no typical Hungarian dinner. It may either be a lunch-type meal, with multiple courses and the same foods one would serve for lunch, or it could be the same as a traditional Hungarian breakfast, with bread, cold cuts, cheeses, tomatoes and peppers as described above. When dinner is an important occasion it will be prepared the same way and with the same courses a full lunch would be. When it's not an important occasion, it's a good time to eat leftovers.
Hungarian meal times are somewhat flexible. Typical times are as follows: Breakfast 6-9 am; Lunch 12 noon-2 pm; Dinner 6-9 pm.
For Christmas, Hungarians have a fish soup calledhalászlé. Other dishes may be served, such asroast goose,roast turkeyorroast duck,cabbage rolls(töltött káposzta). Pastry roll filled with walnut or poppy seed called(bejgli)is a usual Christmas food, and candies and sweets used to decorate the Christmas tree, such asszaloncukorare eaten during all Christmas, when everybody picks them and eats them directly from the tree. In some households, Lentil stew, also known as 'Lencse Fozelek', is consumed to bring good luck and health in the upcoming years.
Other traditional foods such as Pozsonyi kifli, a type of Bejgli is also commonly eaten in Christmas dinners (Pozsony being the original name of Bratislava), next to regular Bejglies and Strudels(rétes).
OnNew Year's Eve(Szilveszter), Hungarians traditionally celebrate withvirsli(Vienna sausage) andlentil soup. OnNew Year's Day, it is common to eat either lentil soup orkorhelyleves, a meatysauerkrautsoup said to curehangovers.
There is also a lot of superstition attached to New Year's food: on New Year's Eve, a coin is baked into thepogácsa. Whoever finds the lucky coin will have a lucky and prosperous New Year. But all the scones have to be gone before midnight, otherwise everything goes the other way.
It was tradition to bake rétes (strudels) as long as possible, because then you would be that much richer the following year.
It is also tradition for girls to put small pieces of paper with a man's name in the middle of dumplings or other raw dough. At exactly midnight, they threw them into the boiling water, the first male name that came up revealing the name of their future husband.
Easteris considered a huge event (Húsvét) and is celebrated all over Hungary. The families and their friends have the Mom and daughter prepare meals such as Smoked Ham with boiled eggs and small sandwiches and drinks quite commonly to havepalinkaon the table and then wait for Fathers and sons to arrive and say a poem (Husvéti Vers) and then spray on their hair with a perfume. Once the Father and son water the Mom and daughters known asLocsolkodás. They have a meal a drink then they go to the next family member until they visited all. InSzabolcs Countymake a special sweet yellow cheese,Sárgatúró, made withquark(túró) and eggs.The kalács eaten then is often calledpászkakalács.
Csiga pasta: small twisted pasta, made to put in soups
Csipetke or Csipötke: small pebble-shaped pasta. InSzegedit was popular to put in soup.
Galuska: Eaten withpaprikash, astövises galuskaor with sour cream, cheeses, eggs.
Gyufa pasta:matchstickshaped pasta, most commonly used in Baja fisherman's fish soups.
Lebbencs tészta: flat rectangular pasta, used in the dishes lebbencs leves and öreglebbencs
Nokedli: Similar to the Galuska. Used in different types of pörkölts and paprikash and in pea soup.
Orsós pasta: similar to Fusilli
Szabógallér: triangular lace-edged pasta
Tarhonya: Very small, caviar-sized pasta.
Tördelt tészta: pasta straps, used in Mácsik (poppy seed pasta variety)
Főzeléksare considered very important forhealth. It is neither a soup nor a main course. It is similar toGoulashwhich, although a soup, can be a substitute for a main course. Common flavours includeyellow pea,bean,green pea,red lentil,broccoli,spinach,onion,potato,pumpkin,carrot,apple, and sometimes evencherry.
In Hungary there are a great variety ofpastriesandbaked goodsand thelanguageeven classifies them. For example, in general, a batyu is a square or pentagonal pastry (e.g. cherry or cottage cheese batyu), a "fonottka" is yarn ball shaped, "párna" as the name suggests is any pillow-shaped usually puffed pastry, but the "táska" (e.g. virslis táska, cherry táska) is usually used for triangular, rolled or braided filled-pastries.
Molnárka: Along the kifli and the cipó this is another iconic breadtype. It has a shiny texture like hamburger buns, but is oval shaped. It is commonly used to makesandwiches.
Cipó: A circular loaf, smaller than normal bread (the average Hungarian bread being 3 kg). According to official governmental definition (from MÉ), a bread smaller than 500g margin is classified as a cipó.
Pityókás kenyér: potato bread common in Transylvania.
Kakaós csiga: ("Chocolate snails") traditional Hungarian pastry with chocolate filling. It was originally calledcsokoládés tekerge. They are often dusted with icing sugar or covered with white chocolate.
Molnárpogácsa: a large flattened pogácsa type pastry. The story goes that it was given to the miller's apprentices as payment.
Stangli: Often used to describe straight (both twisted and smooth) kifli. A stangli is a rectangular bread stick, usually 30 cm long, sprinkled with cheese or seeds. Most often sold in 8–10 cm bars in boxes as snacks for gatherings.
Dübbencs: Smooth surface rolled bread flavoured withdill
Béles: The Béles is a  pastry filled with raisin and curd or fruit jams. InTransylvania, porridge-filled Béles was often eaten onNew Year's Eve.
Darázsfészek: a traditional Hungarian vanilla roll, originating from Northern Hungary, and thepalócregions.
Hungarian winedates back to at leastRomantimes, and that history reflects the country's position between theWest Slavsand theGermanic peoples.
The best-known wines are the whitedessert winecalledTokajiAszú(after the North-Eastern region of Hungary, Tokaj) and the red wines from Villány (Southern part of Hungary). Famous is also the wine calledBull's Blood(Egri Bikavér), a dark, full-bodied red wine. Hungarian fruit wines, such as red-currant wine, are mild and soft in taste and texture. A special kind of wine is theÜrmösin which next to the grapes,wormwoodis also put into the barrel.
Hungary's most notable liquors areUnicum, a herbalbitters, andPálinka, a range of fruitbrandies(plum, apricot and pear are popular). Also notable are the 21 brands of Hungarian mineral waters (for example,ApentaandKékkúti).Some of them have therapeutic value, such asMira.
Theelderberry(bodza),currant,wild strawberry(szamóca),viola (plant)(ibolya),lavenderandraspberry(málna) szörp (a concentrate created from sugar and fruits or flowers) is also common. TheJaffaflavoured Szobi szörp was an iconicsoft drinkbefore the change of regime.TraubiorTraubisoda, is anothersoft drinkbased on an Austrian license produced inBalatonvilágossince 1971.