Hungarian Kitchen

BAHMAN SODEIR ABEDI’S OPINION

The Hungarian love eating. However, the greasy and heavy traditional cuisine does not make it ideal to go on a diet.

Here, every Sunday meal starts with a soup, while in other parts of Europe it is not a must, or they eat other appetizers. However, Hungarians cannot do without soup regardless of summer or winter.

The most famous Hungarian dish, the Goulash (Gulyás), is somewhere between a soup and stew, made with beef (occasionally veal or pork), carrot, potato, spices, and the local paprika.

Fisherman’s soup is mainly served during festive occasions, such as Christmas, Easter, or family events. The best is cooked in a kettle over an open fire. The soup is prepared from mixed river fish (carp, catfish, perch, or pike), with plenty of hot paprika, giving it the characteristic bright red color. Adding some red wine to that makes it even more delicious. There are different traditions according to region. In Baja, they make it with thick pasta and mainly carp that is unknown elsewhere. Some add cabbage, lemon, and sour cream to that.

The most famous fast food is Lángos. While Fisherman’s soup is not everybody’s taste, no one would refuse Lángos. It is a deep-fried flat bread with endless varieties of toppings, usually eaten with garlic sauce, cheese, tejföl (sour cream). But nowadays they also make it with sausages, bacon, vegetables, ketchup and even sweet jam. It really depends on your taste. Despite being a fast-food, it keeps you going for long hours.