Hungarian Food Recipes

The Republic of Hungary is a central European country. The country lies in the Carpathian Basin, the river Danube ("Duna") running through its capital, Budapest. The territory that is today Hungary, has been inhabited since ancient times, including a Celtic period (from approximately 450 BCE) and Roman period (9 BCE to the 4th century CE). The modern nation state of Hungary traces its roots to the late 9th century, when Magyar chiefs founded what would eventually become the Kingdom of Hungary. After World War II, the country become a communist republic, but since 1989, Hungary has been a democratic parliamentary republic. Today Hungary is a popular destination and is known internationally for the beauty of its capital city, Budapest, the country's unique language, and for its interesting cuisine.

Many Hungarian dishes use sour cream and eggs, and to be fair, so dishes do share some common characteristics with recipes from Hungary's central European neighbours. One thing that does however make Hungarian food stand out, is the widespread use of paprika to flavour many dishes.

Perhaps the most famous of Hungarian dishes is goulash (known in Hungary as "gulyás" or "gulyásleves"), however it is quite different from what many foreigners believe the dish to be like. If you have ever eaten American goulash made using hamburger, you will certainly find the Hungarian version an interesting change! Hungarian goulash is actually prepared as a soup, traditionally in a cauldron. Cuts of beef (usually shoulder, shin or shank), seasoned and flavoured with paprika, are browned in a pot, and then chopped onions added. Stock or water is then added to make the soup, which is slowly simmered for a long time. The simmering turns collagen in the meat into gelatin which makes the soup very thick. Some chefs also may add a small amount of tomatoes, hot peppers, perhaps chopped potatoes, and herbs or vinegar as well.

As you can imagine, there are many other interesting Hungarian dishes, including soups, main courses and desserts. Of course, I could not hope to introduce them all to you in a short article, so my suggestion is why not try some Hungarian dishes - otherwise, you'll never know how much you might enjoy them!