Little Hungarian Food Guide

Every foodie out there, who is craving to flex his or her cooking muscle,should definitely get acquainted with the traditional Hungarian cuisine. Authentic Hungarian culinary art is a perfect blend of Germanic, Italian, with a little touch of Slavic cooking traditions; their influence is unmistakable. To the majority of Hungarians food is an ethos of the whole national culture. Highly orchestrated flavors define the conventional Magyar gastronomy; rich textures, phenomenal aromas and unique spices infiltrated all the major traditional delicacies.

For those of readers, who have a passion for food, there are some quintessential dishes of the Hungarian cuisine one should definitely know about.

Gulyás (Goulash): An epitome of the original Magyar gastronomy – one of the most popular soups of the region. This delicacy takes on wonderful flavors of the fresh beef, potatoes, vegetables, and seasoned with a generous amount of paprika.

Halászlé (Fisherman’s Soup): Another quintessential part of the Hungarian culinary art. It is a river fish broth, which is typically intensely seasoned with paprika and several other piquant herbs. Traditionally this soup is cooked outside, over a fire, for several hours. That instantly brings out the intensity of the flavors. The fish, its main ingredient, is always locally sourced from the Danube or Tisza.

Meggyleves (Sour Cherry Soup): During a hot summer season nothing can refresh better than a plate of this authentic Hungarian soup. Usually this meal is served chilled, giving a sense of reinvention to the canonic understanding of the soups. Its main ingredients are: sour cherries, sour cream and sugar.

Paprikás Csirke (Chicken Paprikash): From its name one can already guess that the most important element of all is, of course, paprika. One of the most recognizable dishes of the Hungarian gastronomic feast is blend of a creamy, spicy sauce with a soft fresh chicken. Traditionally served with so-called nokeldi (dumplings).

Nokeldi (Dumplings):

Photo: foznitanulunk.blogspot.com

This particular side dish has a dumpling-like texture to it, however, it is considered to be noodles. Some genius has come up with its recipe to accompany stews and meats.