The Hungarians like to eat and drink. Across thecountry, many villages, many regions have their own specialties: duck stew ofSomogy, the Balaton pike, wines from Tokaj, paprika of a particular region ... Rich, and copiously seasoned, Hungarian foodconsists of dishes of fat meat: lamb or beef, with a preference for pork andsausage. The Hungarians eat cooked fish and poultry raised outdoors, includinggoose-breeding with its production of liver. Hungarian cuisine is spicy, thanksto paprika, a red pepper powder really appreciated and considered as the nationalspice.

In the land of paprika

Paprika(in the beginning a red pepper) was introduced in Europe by ChristopherColumbus. Although the paprika only appears in Hungarian cuisine in the 19thcentury, it is now the basis of most dishes. The red pepper is particularlyused in cooking, but green peppers can be added as garnish. This does not meanthat Hungarian cuisine is spicy. It all depends on how the pepper is used (seedsgive a spicy taste and therefore are less used).

Thepepper is grown mainly in the south of Hungary, where the climate is ideal. Insome areas, fields of peppers stretch to the horizon. The other majorcomponents of the Hungarian culinary arts are: onions (often in largequantities), tomatoes, sour cream (in sauces and soups) and especially meat, thatHungarians love. Yet the fish (from Lake Balaton and the Tisza River) appearssporadically in Hungarian menus. The Hungarian like spicy and rich dishes, withpreference for thick sauces and stew.

The Hungarian dishes best known 

Among thedishes mentioned above, there are usually the same basis: meat cooked in oil orfat with plenty of onions and red peppers.

The Gulyás is the reference of Hungarian dishes. Gulyás soup is more a souprather than a stew of meat. We cooked pieces of beef, pork (or veal) andvegetables (onions, peppers) in fat, oil or butter. There are also deliciousfish soup (in which we incorporate some red peppers). The Hungarian meat stew iscalled "pörkölt." For this stew, we use different meats (game,poultry, beef ...). We add the name of the meat used to the name"pörkölt." Thus, the "borjupörkölt" is a stew of veal(borju).

The tokány "is a stew of beef (cut into thin slices), the sauce is completedby adding sour cream, cream and vinegar. The dish where peppers are the most numerousis the "Paprikash", typical dish of white meat or fish, prepared in apaprika sauce and sour cream.