Cookbook:Cuisine of Hungary

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Cookbook | Recipes | Cuisines | European cuisines

Hungarian cooking

Food and cooking form an important part of Hungarian culture, above all in the art of hospitality. Traditional Hungarian cuisine relies on the wide variety of high quality ingredients produced in the country including meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits and honey.

Starters

Soup is the quintessential Hungarian starter, and there are literally dozens of types including cold fruit soup in summer. Another Hungarian speciality is foie gras (goose liver), which can be sliced and fried, or cooked in its own fat.

Main Dishes

Various types of meats are key to many main dishes, particularly pork, beef and chicken. Two breeds unique to Hungary are the Mangalica pig and the Grey long-horned cattle. However game meats such as duck, goose, venison and wild boar are also common. Various types of entrails and internal organs are cooked, particularly pork, duck and goose liver. Fresh water fish such as trout, pike-perch and carp are popular. Potatoes are the usual accompaniment to many dishes, but rice and pasta are also used. Onions, garlic and fresh or ground paprika add flavour to many dishes.

Desserts and Cakes

Hungarians are passionate about their desserts and cakes. A typical dessert is pancakes stuffed with curd cheese or hazelnut puree and served with chocolate sauce. Hungarian cakes tend to be very sweet and are often laced with cream. Famous examples include Dobos and Esterhazy Cakes. Strudel is as much a Hungarian as an Austrian dish, and is typically filled with apple, sour cherries, curd cheese or poppy seeds.

Here are some recipes: