Problem with your libido? Try the Hungarian Christmas feast
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Fish, stuffed cabbage and poppy seed cake – a traditional Central-Eastern European Christmas menu could boost your health and even libido. Find out why Semmelweis University’s award-winning cookbook author and dietitian recommends trying a Hungarian festive feast!
According to Semmelweis University official site, Hungarians traditionally have a very different Christmas menu from the British tradition of roast turkey and pigs in blankets. The most popular dishes over the festivities are fish soup with carp, some types of poppy seed dessert called beigli or mákos guba, stuffed cabbage usually made with sauerkraut and lentil stew called lencsefőzelék.
“Hungarian cuisine is usually regarded as quite heavy with lots of meat, fat and paprika, however, at Christmas and New Year, we have a somewhat different diet. Although we usually can’t escape overeating, we have slightly healthier options such as fish and vegetables on our festive menus”
– says Adrienn Szabó, a dietitian at the Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Gastroenterology, and also an award-winning cookbook author.
Fish and soup a’la fisherman style
In Hungary, fish is the main celebratory meal served on Christmas Eve. The roots of this tradition are from the Catholic fasting period leading up to Christmas when eating meat is not allowed.
Each household has its own twist on fish soup. Still, traditionally the method is divided between the river Tisza and Duna – the two main Hungarian rivers.
Along the Tisza, in and around Szeged, this dish is prepared by making a stock first from fish bones and pieces, and then pressing the whole pieces through a sieve in the end – so only a thick liquid base remains.
Along the Danube, near Baja, it’s a simple fisherman-style soup – cooking the fish in pieces with onion and eating it as it is, adding match-shaped noodles when serving. The tradition comes from when fishermen were making their lunch on an open fire in a big iron pot at the end of their working day.
“In Hungary, there is no stigma around eating carp, and it’s consumed for luck which of course is only a belief. What is real though is that it has lots of health benefits, mainly it contains plenty of Omega 3 which has anti-inflammatory effects and is protective against cardiovascular diseases” – explains Adrienn Szabó.
Sea fish or salmon is even richer in Omega 3, and you can easily cook your version with them if you can’t buy carp.
Poppy seed bread pudding (mákos guba)
Hungarians eat poppy seeds all the time. At Christmas, a rolled dough (beigli) filled with poppy seeds or walnuts is a must on any festive table. However, if you are looking for a quirky dessert, try the poppy seed bread pudding which is delicious and easy to make!
All very interesting. Love stew etc cooked in a coldern over fire outdoors. Cooking same indoors, you have to add a bit of caraway seed to get that ‘smoky’ flavour.
I always blv that the best thing for libido is to behave kindly, not be a drunk, have exquisite hygiene especially in your mouth & feet, and the right respectful behavior on a daily basis. Then eat some maraschino cherries dipped in semi-sweet dark chocolate together while listening to romantic music.
The article is good to educate in general health related encouragement, but not going to do much for the libido if every other day is full of sugar, high fat, or grains in pasta & breads. There is nothing libido enhancing about women with arms the size of a wrestlers’ thighs or men who have a stomach the size of a wine barrel.
Libido is as much in the mind as it is a physical construct.