If you have tried any Hungarian meals, then you know that they tend to stick with you – their taste is something that you cannot quite compare to anything else. Now, imagine that you have grown up eating these foods… Surely there is at least one item from this list below that any given Hungarian would miss terribly.

Goulash

Goulash is often said to be the national food of Hungary, originating from the Great Hungarian Plain since it was a filling meal that herdsmen cooked while they were away from home during the day. Goulash can be made from chicken, beef or pork, with lots of vegetables like potatoes, carrots and turnip, along with onion and… you guessed right, paprika. This hearty soup tastes best if you cook a large quantity, and as most Hungarian meals, can be served with sour cream.

Halászlé (fisherman’s soup)

Fisherman’s soup is a paprika-based fish soup, usually prepared by using carp, catfish or pike with a variety of vegetables and sometimes mushroom, too, with noodles and tarhon. It is made from similar ingredients and following a similar method as goulash, but somehow, it is very different from it. Halászlé is an essential part of the Christmas menu, prepared with slight variations: some people like it sour, others spicy, some use pureed fish, others cut the fish into small pieces while some cut it into big chunks.

Chicken soup

Although broth or chicken soup are cooked elsewhere too, it is a very important part of the Sunday lunch menu and of Hungarian wedding feasts. Chicken soup is usually made from hens or roosters with lots of vegetables, so, it is a hearty, tasty and healthy meal. Some grandmas prepare their own noodles for the soup, which makes it even tastier. This soup is every Hungarian’s go-to remedy for colds, digestive problems and is the miracle cure for hangovers.

Lángos

This deep-fried flatbread is gaining popularity worldwide, conquering even the USA, not only because there are lots of Hungarian communities abroad but also because it is one of the most delicious foods ever. Lángos is not complicated to make, as you can see in this recipe, and can even be stuffed. Hungarians eat it with different toppings; the classic is the sour cream and cheese combination, but you can spice it up with bacon, garlic, onions, cottage cheese or even Nutella.

Főzelék

There is no English word for főzelék, which is a meal that resembles a stew in preparation, but the end result is rather like a very thick soup. Still, it is not a soup, but a creamy wonder made from vegetables that reminds Hungarians of their childhood. In Hungary, there are restaurants specialising in főzelék, like Főzelékfaló, a restaurant chain in Budapest. Although főzelék is made from vegetables, you can have sausage, wursts, bacon or fried eggs as a topping, making it a filling and healthy meal which helps your metabolism.

Stuffed cabbage

Stuffed cabbage can never be missing from the Christmas menu in Hungarian households or from weddings. Although everyone has their own take on it, the basic recipe calls for cabbage leaves which are then stuffed with minced meat and rice, and are then cooked in tomato sauce. To achieve the best taste, cook a large batch and serve it with sour cream or homemade tomato sauce.

Paprikás

If you have been following our recipe series, then you know that sour cream and paprika are the building stones of Hungarian cuisine. Paprikás is a stew made with paprika and sour cream from either chicken, catfish or mushrooms. It is the best representative of the Hungarian kitchen, as it also contains onion, garlic and pepper. Paprikás is usually served with nokedli and sour cream, and it has been popular since the 1800s both among the nobility and the commoners.

Paprikás krumpli

Do not let this meal’s name fool you: although its main ingredient is paprika, sour cream is not used when cooking it, only for the serving. Paprikás krumpli is one of the easiest and cheapest potato recipes in the Hungarian cookbooks and is usually made with sausage or wursts. Hungarians might remember it from their childhood: mothers often cooked paprikás krumpli at the end of the month, if they were running short on money, but it is popular among university students too.

Layered potatoes

There is no Hungarian household where layered potatoes are not made every couple of months.

On top of this, 99.99% of Hungarians like this meal (although we have not made an official survey yet to back this up), reminding them of their childhood. Layered potatoes are cheap and easy to make: just cook a couple of potatoes and eggs, slice them up and layer them with sour cream in a heat-resistant pot, then straight into the oven it goes. You can put cheese, bacon or sausage between or on top of the layers if you feel like it. This meal is served with sour cream too, and although it is not too presentable, it is beyond delicious.

Túrós csusza

Túrós csusza is a weird wonder of the Hungarian cuisine: you cook the pasta, then mix it with fried bacon and cottage cheese, then bake it, then you add some more cold cottage cheese and sour cream when it is done baking. Túrós csusza can be a main dish, a side dish, but even a dessert, provided you leave out the bacon and sprinkle some sugar on it.

featured image: chicken paprikásh, Funzine

There are certain ingredients that form the core of Hungarian cuisine. These ingredients can be found in most traditional dishes. Either they give the final touch to the meal to get that perfect taste or form the base of a series of dishes. Either way, in certain cases they have become such integral parts of the nation’s gastronomy that, today, the whole world associates them with Hungary.

One signature ingredient for Hungarians is the ground paprika. It probably came to Hungary during the Ottoman rule but gained popularity only later, in the 19th century. Paprika was hot up until the 1920s when a breeder in Szeged came about a different plant that produced sweet fruit. Now, the most commonly used paprika is the “noble sweet” (édesnemes) that is ever so slightly pungent. It is the most commonly exported paprika from Hungary, with the signature bright red colour.

Goulash soup

Perhaps the all-time most well-known Hungarian dish is the goulash soup. This dish has been present since medieval times and is now a national dish of Hungary – a sort of symbol for the country. Several varieties exist; you can make it from beef, pork or lamb, for example. Adding potatoes is optional, and some choose to add white wine to enhance the flavour. Goulash is popular in other Central European countries, too, like Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia, though those versions also differ a bit. No matter which variety you choose, you will fall in love.

For the recipe, click HERE.

Chicken paprikash / paprikás csirke

The name already gives away how crucial paprika is to this recipe. Its colour carries the undeniable signs of paprika and sour cream, a delicious Hungarian mixture. Nokedli, sort of dumpling-like, boiled egg noodles, usually accompany this dish, although some choose to eat it simply with pasta or even rice as they are easier to prepare. Like goulash soup, chicken paprikash is also a well-known and loved dish in Hungary. In fact, it is so characteristic of the area that Bram Stoker’s famous novel, Dracula, features it as a dish consumed on a journey through the Carpathian Mountains.

For the recipe, click HERE.

Catfish stew

Catfish stew makes use of the many catfish, a white freshwater fish, that is available in the rivers and lakes of Hungary – the River Tisza is an especially good place to catch catfish in Hungary. The recipe, of course, contains paprika to give it its signature flavour, and you are free to add a good amount of sour cream on top – another Hungarian favourite. If you want a break from meat but still crave the taste of a nice, paprika-infused Hungarian dish, this meal is for you. There are numerous restaurants both in Budapest and in the countryside, too, if you want it to be made by professionals.

Or, you can prepare it at home; click HERE for the recipe.

Hungarian cottage cheese spread / körözött

Homemade spreads are a great alternative if you want something quick and easy but still crave the taste of Hungarian cuisine. Traditionally, this Hungarian cottage cheese spread uses two kinds of cottage cheese as well as two kinds of paprika – sweet and hot -, resulting in the signature orange colour. The excellent thing about it is that you can keep it in the fridge for a few weeks even and only whip it out when you feel like it. Eat it with fresh bread, toast or a rice cake alternative – there is practically no right or wrong here.

You can find a recipe HERE.

Potato paprikash / paprikás krumpli

Last but not least, another all-time-favourite. Potato paprikash is not only delicious but also easy to make, as you can just put all the ingredients in one large bowl and you are basically done. Several Hungarian favourites reappear here, like potatoes, sausages, bacon and, of course, lots of paprika to make it tasty. Another great thing about it is that, since you can cook it all together in one bowl, you can easily make it outside, in a “bogrács”, following the Hungarian traditions of outdoor cooking. This way, it is also an excellent team building and bonding experience.

For the recipe, click HERE.

Featured image: Wiki Commons By János Korom Dr. 

Five delicious Hungarian meals made with potatoes – Recipes

Everybody has certain dishes that will forever be linked to their childhood. Although coconut biscuit rolls are an evergreen dessert, they were especially popular in the ’70s and ’80s, so now they are a true retro snack. Whether you want to relive the memories or want to try the recipe for the first time, it is always a good choice.

This recipe is especially appealing to coconut lovers as it involves coconut flakes both on the inside and on the outside. According to NlCafe, coconut flakes were a popular ingredient in Hungarian households in the second half of the 20th century; however, if you are not a fan, you can simply leave them out when making the recipe.

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The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it however you want it. You can adapt it so it meets your dietary restrictions. Or, the buttercream can be adjusted to your tastes by changing the butter-powdered sugar ratio, and you can substitute the coconuts with nuts, for example – nothing is off limits.

Ingredients

(makes two rolls)

for the biscuit-y base

450 g digestives (in Hungary, they are simply called ‘háztartási keksz’, meaning ‘household biscuits’)

200 g powdered sugar

50 g coconut flakes

6 tbsp. cocoa powder

15 ml rum essence

150 ml milk

150 ml black coffee

for the buttercream

220 g butter

200 g powdered sugar

100 g coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Grind the biscuits until they are very fine. In a big bowl, add all your dry ingredients for the base –

   

   the biscuits, the powdered sugar, the coconut flakes and the cocoa powder – and
   mix them well. It helps later if you put it in the fridge for a while.

2. Measure the wet ingredients in a different bowl. Add them to the dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Use another bowl to mix the soft butter and the sugar. Then fold the coconut flakes in the butter-y mixture.
4. Get a pastry board, put a piece of aluminium foil on it, then sprinkle it with coconut flakes so that

   

   the base sticks to it less.

   Get the biscuit-y base out of the fridge and cut it in half. Roll it out so that it is roughly square-shaped – you can use a knife to help with the edges. It should be around 4-5 millimetres thick, but you can adjust it to your tastes here. If it sticks to the rolling pin too much, sprinkle it with coconut flakes or ground biscuits.

   Spread half the buttercream evenly on top, then start to roll it with the help of the aluminium foil.

   Do this once more with the other half of the biscuit-y base and the buttercream. Leave the rolls in the aluminium foil in the fridge overnight so that they can properly set.

5. If you have some pieces left from shaping the biscuit-y base into a square, roll them into small balls – you can put sour cherries or hazelnuts in the middle to make them more interesting. This way, nothing gets wasted, and you get two kinds of delicious desserts instead of just one.

Enjoy! 😉

Featured image: facebook.com/PalacsintaMindenkinek

Recipe of the week: homemade spreads

There are a number of dishes in Hungarian gastronomy that we like not only for their deliciousness but also for the numerous health benefits that come with consuming them. Homemade spreads belong to this category, especially when it comes to the greaves spread.

Greaves spread / tepertőkrém

In the past, many households had a problem with excess greaves. They could not use it up fast enough, so they arrived at the perfect solution – making a spread out of greaves would solve this problem as well as make sure something delicious was always available to whip out if a hungry grandchild or a guest came around. Nowadays, it seems to be gaining popularity again; however, store-bought is quite expensive and not nearly as yummy.

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A spread made from greaves contains a number of healthy ingredients that help protect

our body and provide it with the necessary nutrients. Some say eating greaves (in the form of a spread, for example), is the key to not getting sick so often but also to have enough energy for our everyday lives.

Making your own greaves spread is not that difficult, though there are a few tips and tricks to ensure the end result is delicious – reports Magyarorszagom. First and foremost, it all depends on the greaves you use. Artisan greaves would be the best, without a bunch of additives, but they are hard to come by, unfortunately. It is always important to make sure the ingredients you use are of good quality.

Ingredients

300 g greaves

1 egg, boiled

100 ml sour cream

1 red onion

1 tbsp. mustard

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp paprika

some salt and pepper

Instructions

Mince the greaves or puree them. It is not a problem if some bigger pieces remain, though, it can make it even more delicious. Add the chopped onions, the butter, the sour cream, the mustard, the boiled egg and the paprika, season it with the salt and pepper, then mix it all so it becomes nice and creamy. If it is too thick, add a tiny bit of butter or sour cream to ease the mixing process. Put it in a resealable container and let it set in the fridge for a few hours. You can store it in the fridge for a few weeks.

Once it is done, spread it on top of a nice piece of fresh bread or some toast, and add some extra red onions or peppers if you like. Enjoy!

Hungarian cottage cheese spread / körözött

Another popular Hungarian spread that you can make at home is the körözött. Every household has their own version. It is up to you what kind of cottage cheese you want to use, how exactly you want to season the spread and whether you would like to add a bit of sour cream, too. Once you find the recipe that works for you the best, however, you will be addicted for life.

Ingredients

250 g sheep’s cottage cheese

100 g cow’s cottage cheese

150 ml sour cream

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp hot paprika

1 small red onion

salt and pepper

caraway seeds (optional)

Instructions

Break the cottage cheese into small pieces with the help of a fork. Add the sour cream, the paprika (to make it the signature orangey colour), the red onion and the caraway seeds, then season it with salt and pepper. Mix well together, then let it cool in the fridge so that the spices have the chance to really mix and spread. You can pair it with a fresh piece of bread, some toast, a number of veggies – whatever you feel like is allowed, make sure you find what works best for you 🙂

For more recipes, check out the floating island, an excellent dessert idea.

Featured image: facebook.com/cafeflorematinetsoir

A big part of Hungarian cuisine is layered dishes. The advantage of these meals is that most of the time you just have to add the ingredients to a bowl, forming nice layers, and cook it all together – usually with a nice amount of sour cream, the indispensable ingredient for most Hungarian dishes, on top. This week’s recipe is easy to make, but you will definitely not be disappointed.

The Hungarian layered cauliflower is a very flexible meal; you can make lots of substitutions based on your dietary restrictions. You can make it so it contains only a small amount of meat or even none at all. You can add extra vegetables and create a dish that best suits your tastes, or use leftovers if you want to clean out your fridge. An added benefit is that sour cream, the thing Hungarians dollop onto most dishes, also goes nicely with it.

The only thing you probably need for a layered cauliflower is some cauliflower, which is an excellent vegetable since it is low in fat and carbohydrates but high in dietary fibre and vitamin C, so its nutritional density is pretty high. It is also a popular dish in Hungarian school canteens, so if you feel like you want to reminisce about the ‘good old days’, you can absolutely do it with a plate of layered cauliflower.

Ingredients

1 medium-sized cauliflower

125 g rice

500 g minced pork

375 g sour cream

150 g cheese

salt, pepper

1 small red onion

2 tbsp. sunflower oil

Instructions

Cut the onion and stir-fry the pieces on the oil, then add the pork seasoned with salt and pepper and cook it until it has a nice brown colour. In the meantime, cook the rice. Cut or break the cauliflower up into small pieces, then cook it in slightly salty water. When the rice and cauliflower are tender, and the meat is cooked through, the only thing left for you to do is prepare the layers in a bowl.

Start with the cauliflower, then add the meat and onion mixture on top. Add some sour cream, then a layer of rice on top. Another layer of cauliflower comes next, then the rest of the sour cream. Add some grated cheese on top.

Put the layered dish in the oven for about 20 minutes, on 175 degrees Celsius. The cheesy top should be a nice golden brown by the time the cooking time is up.

Now, all you have to do is serve it and enjoy!

For more recipes, check out last week’s edition of lúdláb cake (‘goosefoot cake’).

Featured image: facebook.com/cinege74

Hungarian cuisine has a lot to offer, including a wide range of desserts and sweet treats. Our Dobos cake is known and loved abroad as well, for example, famous for its many layers and delicious chocolate filling. This week’s recipe also involves a wonderful chocolatey layer, together with sour cherries, resulting in the perfect combination.

Origins

Lúdláb cake is known and loved by most Hungarians; however, its origins are somewhat shrouded in mystery. First of all, the name literally means ‘goosefoot’. Some people say this is because of its signature shape; the cake is cut into wide triangles. Others say it is a typical dessert at Saint Martin’s Day celebrations, where many meals are centred around geese. This would certainly explain the unusual name of this dessert.

There are some fascinating anecdotes connected to the lúdláb cake as well. Around the ’80s, people believed that ordering certain food and drink combinations at the famous Gerbaud Café in Budapest had hidden meanings. According to Origo, ordering sparkling water and a slice of lúdláb apparently meant that the young man was available for the older, wealthy ladies who spent their day in the café chatting and exchanging secrets to approach and, in exchange of some money, employ his services for the afternoon or a few hours.

Over the years, many versions appeared, of course. Some say the number of sugar cubes you put in your coffee was the real signal while others associate it to punch cakes and placing the fork on your plate in a specific direction. Either way, today, you probably do not have to worry about someone misinterpreting your order at a café, but it is an entertaining story.

 

Ingredients

For the pastry

5 eggs

5 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. pastry flour

2 tbsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 tsp baking powder

For the cream

150 g butter

100 g icing sugar

30 g cocoa powder (unsweetened)

250 ml milk

3 tbsp. pastry flour

150 g sour cherry preserve (could be frozen, too)

50 ml sour cherry juice

150 ml rum

1 packet of vanilla sugar

For the glaze

100 g dark chocolate (over 60% would be best)

100 g butter

Instructions

Start with the pastry. Mix the egg yolks and the sugar, then add the flour, cocoa powder and the baking powder. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then fold it carefully into the mixture of the other ingredients. Pour the mixture into a baking pan and bake it for 10-15 minutes at 175 degrees. Make sure it is completely baked through, then let it cool.

Next, start on the cream. Soak the sour cherries in the room, then set aside for a while. Mix the milk and the flour together until smooth. Cook it on the stove until it forms a thick mass, then let it cool. Mix together the (room-temperature) butter, the icing sugar and the cocoa powder, then add the thick milky mixture. Now, get the rum-soaked cherries and add them, too, along with the sour cherry juice and the vanilla sugar. Spread the cream on top of the pastry, then cool it in the fridge for a few hours, until the cream sets.

For the glaze, melt the chocolate on the stove (above water), then add the butter. Let it cool down a bit, then spread the warmish chocolate glaze on top of the cream. Put it back in the fridge. It is best to let it sit overnight.

Use a knife dipped into hot water to help cut the chocolate glaze. Cut even rectangles, then half them to get the signature triangle shape.

Enjoy!

For the recipe of the cream cake (krémes), click here.

Featured image: facebook.com/szalkifogado.hu

Hungarian gastronomy is known to consist of rather heavy, often greasy foods. A common spice is paprika, and we love to add sour cream to most things. Hungarians also like to deep-fry things, resulting in the popular Hungarian lángos as well as this week’s recipe: fried cheese.

Fried cheese probably appeared somewhere in the 19th century. Once people discovered how delicious a Schnitzel was, there was no stopping, and they tried to prepare other things the same way, too.

Today, many varieties exist all over the world. Mozzarella sticks are a popular version of fried cheese, while Camembert can also often be found on menus. Frying halloumi cheese is becoming increasingly popular, too, while some people choose to fry Parmesan cheese – an added benefit of this is that harder cheese types are easier to prepare for frying.

In Hungary, the most popular form of fried cheese is made from Trappista cheese, the cheese kind that makes up about 70% of the country’s cheese consumption. Fried cheese in Hungary usually comes in a rectangular or triangular shape. It is a common vegetarian alternative in Hungarian restaurants.

Ingredients

500 g (Trappista) cheese

2 eggs

5 tbsp. flour

250 g breadcrumbs

some milk

sunflower oil

Instructions

Cut the cheese into slices, about 5 millimetres or however you prefer it. Since a common problem when frying cheese is that the cheese spills out midway through, you can go ahead and prevent it by dipping the slices in the milk and then starting the process of preparing the batter.

First, beat the eggs and put the flour and breadcrumbs in a bowl each. Start with the flour – let the cheese slices be covered in it on all sides. Dip them in the eggs and then let the bread crumbs stick to it all over. Repeat this process once more – cover the cheese slices in eggs and breadcrumbs -, as another key part of ensuring the cheese stays inside is preparing a double-batter. It can also help if you let the cheese now in the double-batter cool down in the fridge (or even in the freezer) for a while. Otherwise, heat up the oil and fry the slices until both sides are golden brown. It is best to eat them as soon as possible so that the cheese is still nice and sticky. It goes nicely with rice and tartar sauce.

Enjoy!

For more recipes, check out last week’s edition of the floating island.

Featured image: facebook.com/Nagymama-Konyhája-Várkerület