A Hungarian series that explores the world through Hungarian roots

Photo: facebook.com/hungarikumokkal

A team of Hungarian filmmakers has been travelling the world since 2017, discovering places and people with Hungarian connections in different countries. The makers of the television series “Hungaricums Around the World” (Hungarikumokkal a világ körül) showcase Hungarian-related places from season to season, visiting a range of locations around the world. Thanks to them, viewers can also get to know people who preserve Hungarian traditions abroad through their Hungarian ancestry.

The latest season brings the show’s focus to the United States, where it explores the vibrant communities of Hungarians living in the US. In this article, we have gathered some interesting highlights from the new season, based on the recent reports of hungarikumokkal.hu and index.hu.

New York, the melting pot of different cultures

New York, once the capital of the States, has been attracting immigrants from abroad for two centuries. Of course, Hungarian expats are no exception, many of them settling in the US.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is generally known for its various ethnic groups. A diversity of nationalities live here, such as Poles, Italians or Puerto Ricans. It is no wonder that one of the largest Hungarian communities in the US lives in this neighborhood. But who would have thought that an Orthodox Jewish community in New York would be the one with the most Hungarians? Although the younger generation does not speak Hungarian, many of the older generations still do. According to the filming staff, as they walked down the streets, it felt like

every second elderly could speak Hungarian.

Photo: Hungaricums Around the World

The differences between the Eastern states

In the Eastern half of the US, the series’ production team has met far fewer Hungarians than in New York. In Pittsburgh, for example, there are only a handful of Hungarians.

Cleveland is an exception, with its Hungarian community of tens of thousands. There is even a local Hungarian museum that preserves the community’s history. Meanwhile, not that far from Cleveland, there can be found even a Hungarian school named Csik Hago Hungarian School in Chicago, Illinois.

Photo: Hungaricums Around the World

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Hungarian gastronomy in the United States

Hungarian gastronomy must not be forgotten in a city where so many people claim to be Hungarian. However, according to the creators of this series, there are not many Hungarian restaurants left in New York. One such survivor is the Budapest Café, where owners of Hungarian descent happily serve the locals every day.

Photo: Hungaricums Around the World

The team also visits the Seven Tribesmen pub in New Jersey, which is a popular hangout for local Hungarians. Here,

the only drink more popular than the Vérszerződés (blood contract) is the paprika flavoured beer,

according to the review written on index.hu.

Photo: Hungaricums Around the World

Of course, there are many other interesting topics covered in the series. Therefore, if you are interested in the Hungarian communities living in the USA, it is worth checking out the episodes. The first episode is already available on Youtube, with English subtitles: