Cuisine Focus – Hungarian – Europe’s Melting Pot

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Hungarian cuisine is primarily a cooking style associated with an ethnic group called the Magyars. Traditional dishes normally feature an array of natural and fresh ingredients such as meats, fruits and seasonal vegetables. Other food items used are honey, breads and cheeses. More so, cooking techniques and preparations are considered products of century-old methods and traditions.

Hungarians’ passion for cooking clearly explains their commitment in preparing and serving the finest food. They take pride in their prepared dishes particularly soups and desserts. In fact, competitions are fierce when it comes to preparing similar food items, which is why visitors would often taste one or two versions of hot fish soup. Traditional dishes include Paprikash, which is meat simmered in thick and creamy paprika sauce. Pancakes, on the other hand, are relatively popular and are usually served with ground nuts and dark chocolate sauce.

Hungarian cuisine is famous because of its cold fruit soups and vegetable stews. Many foreign guests are amazed with the way the Hungarians come up with various types of stews. Steaks, casseroles and roasted meat are also major components of the Hungarian cuisine and most often, the locals prefer to mix different meat varieties in preparing their traditional recipes.

Hungarian cuisine is characterized as spicy, because locals prepare their food using various seasonings and spices. In fact, paprika is one example of a popular spice often used in their dishes. Meat, on the contrary, is an essential element in this cuisine, as influenced by the history and Magyar people. Their nomadic way of living has prompted them to rely heavily on meats instead of seafood. The Magyars likewise influenced the cuisine in terms of cooking methods, where cauldrons and open fires are mostly used.

In Hungary, people normally have a large breakfast, featuring open sandwiches, cold cuts, and toasts. Sausages are also consumed along with eggs, and vegetables. Others also prefer having coffee, milk or tea together with pastries, bun or strude. On the other hand, pastries are also served with jam, honey or fruit. Lunch, for the Hungarians, serves as the main meal, which is eventually prepared with various courses. Appetizers are commonly liver, eggs or fish and are sometimes served with soup. The main dish or entrée features a pastry or meat dish, which is then followed by a dessert. And while other cuisines make use of pancakes as breakfast items, the Hungarians would rather have them as part of their main dish.

Ingredients Utilized in Hungarian Cuisine

Meat:

Pork, Beef, Poultry, Lamb, Game meats

Fruits:

Plums, Apricots

Dairy:

Eggs, Cheeses, Milk, Yogurt

Vegetables:

Peppers, Cabbages, Potatoes, Onions, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Eggplants, Radish, Scallion

Spices:

Paprika, Garlic, Black Peppercorns, Dill, Caraway, Bay Leaf, Thyme, Marjoram, Tarragon, Cinnamon, Poppy Seeds, Coriander, Anise, Basil, Oregano, Cloves, Mace, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries, Rosemary

Hungary’s history will reveal that the cuisine has been reshaped to emphasize various cultures. The Magyar’s way of life influenced the cuisine’s reliance on meat. More so, the spiciness of the dishes is brought by the introduction of spices and flavorings during the Renaissance period. Furthermore, the people’s affinity with sweets is influenced by the Turkish, Germans and Austrians. All in all, the cuisine is a melting pot of traditions, which resulted to a wide selection of meals; the ones that are carefully prepared at home.

Authentic Hungarian Recipes

Hungarian Chicken Paprikas and Dumplings

Recipe Source: razzledazzlerecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt
2 heaping tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

Method:

Brown the chicken and onions and garlic in the butter till brown, adding salt midway. Remove the chicken and add paprika and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomato and 1/2 cup chicken broth, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Return chicken to the pan and cook for 30-40 minutes.

Remove the chicken and keep it warm. Sprinkle the flour over the drippings, stirring briskly to smooth and blend and simmer for 3 minutes.

Gradually add enough chicken broth to make 1 cup of liquid, then stir in the heavy cream. When it is heated through, turn off the heat and add the sour cream to the sauce, blending quickly so that it doesn’t boil. Spoon over the chicken.

Dumplings
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
About 3/4 to 1 cup water

Mix egg, salt and water. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Heat a pot of water. Add salt. At the boil, make small teaspoonfuls of the dough and pull it off the plate into the water. When they come to the surface, cook 1-2 minutes and drain. Add to the paprikas sauce.

Porkolt (Hungarian Stew) Made with Pork

Recipe Source: allrecipes.com

Original Recipe Yield 14 servings

Ingredients

5 slices bacon, diced
2 large onions, diced
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 pounds boneless pork chops, trimmed
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with liquid
2/3 cup beef broth
2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
2 (6 ounce) packages wide egg noodles

Directions

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain, and reserve the drippings. Add the onions to the bacon and cook together until the onion is translucent. Remove skillet from heat and stir the paprika, garlic powder, and pepper into the bacon mixture. Transfer the mixture into a large stockpot.
Heat a small amount of the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet again over medium-high heat. Cook the pork chops in batches in the hot drippings until evenly browned on both sides. Use additional bacon drippings for each batch as needed. Remove the pork chops to a cutting board and blot excess fat off the surface of the chops with a paper towel; cut into bite-sized cubes and stir into the bacon mixture.
Heat a small amount of the bacon drippings in the skillet; cook and stir the bell pepper in the hot drippings until softened and fragrant; drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Stir the cooked pepper into the bacon mixture.
Pour the tomatoes with liquid and beef broth into a stockpot and place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the stew begins to thicken, stirring occasionally, about 90 minutes. Stir the sour cream into the stew just before serving.
Bring a pot with lightly-salted water and bring to a rolling boil; add the egg noodles to the water and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Ladle the stew over the drained noodles to serve.

Image Credit: hotelonlinehungary.com

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