| The first thing that comes to most people's mind | | | | onions. |
| about Hungarian cuisine is goulash, a hearty soup | | | | Főzeléks, vegetables simmered in |
| made with paprika powder, onions, tomatoes, | | | | water then thickened with roux, also fit into |
| green pepper and usually with beef. This hearty | | | | vegetarians' diets. |
| soup became a mascot of Hungary along with the | | | | A variety of pasta dishes and dumplings, both |
| country's red spice the paprika powder. The thick | | | | savoury and sweet, add diversity to Hungary's |
| soup was the number one dish of herdsmen in | | | | cuisine. Túrós csusza (egg squares |
| Hungary who made it in a cast-iron kettle | | | | with cottage cheese, bacon cracklings and sour |
| (bogracs) hung above open fire, out in the fields. | | | | cream) or plum dumplings |
| That's why the soup is called gulyás in | | | | (szilvásgombóc) are perfect main |
| Hungarian. During the years gulyas became | | | | dishes after a substantial soup.Let's not forget |
| goulash in English. | | | | about Hungarian desserts. Luscious cakes, pastries |
| Hungary's gastronomy has much more to offer | | | | and pies tempts you to taste them at cake |
| than goulash. Rich soups like Jókai bean | | | | shops in Budapest. |
| soup, Újházy Chicken broth, | | | | The most popular tortes and cakes are: |
| vegetable soups, mushroom soup and a variety | | | | Dobos torte (chocolate cream between layers of |
| of fruit soups are all part of the country's cuisine. | | | | sponge with crunchy caramel topping), |
| Let me dispel a common misconception that | | | | Eszterházy torte (walnut sponge cake |
| every food in Hungary is soaked in paprika sauce | | | | with walnut cream filling and sweet icing on the |
| and it is burning hot. We have a range of tasty | | | | top, |
| dishes that are made without paprika and most | | | | Rigó Jancsi (chocolate sponge cake with |
| housewives use sweet paprika brands for cooking. | | | | rich chocolate mousse filling), |
| Nevertheless, it's true that Hungarian dishes are | | | | Rákóczy túrós |
| not for people on strict diet. In the authentic | | | | (cottage cheese cake). |
| version of many recipes lard is a major ingredient. | | | | Strudel is an all-time favourite sweet snack of |
| Nowadays, however housewifes and restaurant | | | | locals too. It's a flaky pastry filled with a various |
| chefs prepare these dishes healthier by using | | | | stuffings. sweet cottage cheese and raisins, sour |
| modern cooking methods and substituting some | | | | cherry, apple. The stuffings are variable so you |
| ingredients for healthier ones, without | | | | can have it with cottage cheese-sour cherry, |
| compromising on the taste or the texture of the | | | | apple-ground walnuts, sour-cherry-ground poppy |
| food. | | | | seed fillings, the only limit is your imagination. |
| Although meat dishes are predominant in our | | | | Should you feel like tasting authentic Hungarian |
| gastronomy, there are some very tasty | | | | dishes, Budapest has many good resturants |
| vegetarian meals too, like lecso the Hungarian | | | | serving local food. If you want to make some of |
| ratatouille. Though most Hungarians make it with | | | | them at home download A Taste of Hungary |
| smoked sausage or bacon, vegetartians can omit | | | | ebook with almost 60 well-tried recipes and lots |
| them and use only fresh tomatoes, peppers and | | | | of colourful photos. |