Hungarian gastronomical obsession – paprika as an all-time favourite

What are the 1st thoughts of tourists about the Hungarian gastronomy and what are some of the dishes that immediately come to their mind? Would they mention the Hungarian goulash, chicken paprikash, paprika potato stew, lecsó, stuffed cabbage or fish soup among others? Undoubtedly. But what is common in all of these dishes? Of course, the all-time favourite spice of the Hungarians, paprika, the national obsession that no Hungarian food can miss the flavour of.

The history of paprika and the Hungarian interest in it:

The homeland of paprika is the southern part of Mexico and Central America. But the question of how this got into Europe needs some examination. Its dispersion has 2 major ways:

• From one side, it got into Europe with the help of Christopher Columbus. Paprika was a domesticated plant among the Native Americans, and that is why it got its name, Indian pepper. From Spain, it spred into other European countries as well and thus, it got to Hungary, too.
• From the other side, the use of this spice dates back to the 18th century, when the Turks brought it to the Balkan Peninsula and spred it in the conquered countries.

In fact, it was initially a decoration plant and an important herb. Hungarians consumed it for the stimulation of appetite and for better digestion.

It was Albert Szent-Györgyi who discovered that paprika is the richest source of vitamin C and contains 5 times more vitamin than lemon or orange.

It was only later that it became important as a spice. The Hungarian chefs, with long years of expertise behind them, realised that the flavour of fat, onion and paprika together create such a unique combination that these could be the basis for typical Hungarian dishes. Thus, it is like the “holy-trinity” of fat, onion and paprika that dominates the Hungarian cuisine.

Let’s see some of the traditional dishes where paprika dominates:

1. The goulash

No holiday can go without tasting the rightly famous Hungarian goulash soup. Besides the above-mentioned “holy-trinit”, it is usually made of beef, potatoes, salt, carrots, tomatoes and water, but of course, its flavour can be different based on the region you travel to.

2. Chicken paprikash

This is a traditional food in Hungary as well. It is the best with sour cream served on the top of it. It is easy to prepare, so if you get a feel for doing it, check out the recipe here.