Hungarian Food

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stonemaybe
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Hungarian Food

Post by stonemaybe »

OK I know this isn't a holiday forum, but I beg the moderators' indulgence, as when I go on holiday one of the most important bits is to try and get a taste for the local cuisine! So I'm going to try and describe Hungarian food and what we had.

First of all, they eat BIG, and they eat RICH! Why oh why the only overweight people we saw were tourists I will never understand, unless they only eat every two days or something!

Our first meal was in perhaps the coolest place I have EVER eaten. I'll try and upload some photos later into the Album. It was called the Feszek Klub and was the dilapidated garden courtyard of a shabby little hotel on a back street. It had three huge trees completely sheltering it (2 chestnuts and a something-else), which had dropped lots of buds and pollen and leaves all over the tables, making it look completely run down and abandoned. Surrounding the courtyard was a slightly raised walkway, with black wrought-iron fence separating walkway from courtyard, and more wrought-iron on the walls around the walkway. In one corner there was something very much like a temple!!! within which was a large cast of a centaur holding up a child (and not really in a sweet way, more like a 'mmm, lunch!' way).

Because we'd got up at 00.30 that day and had travelled all day we ate at about 4pm so the place was deserted apart from one other guy and his mum having coffee. I had a delicious, very traditional (ie loads of paprika!) gulash soup followed by a huge slab of lightly battered pork with a few uninspired veg.

Lunch next day we found a nice pavement cafe called 'Eklectik' where, after two huge rich dinners in two days I decided to have something light, so I had grilled duck with salad. the salad was dressed with RASPBERRY flavoured balsamic vinegar which was very bizarre but yummy. As well as usual salad stuff there was quite a bit of sliced apple. Duck was duck.

During day I discovered that I had found a beer that I liked, which is very very uncommon. Their Hungarian brand 'Dreher' is lovely (ie not too beery!), light and served icecold.

That evening we went to the Noa Grill House . I had a delicious soup to start. It was chicken, honey and lime. Sounds very odd but mmmmmmm. The type of thing, if you were sick you could drink gallons of. main course was another huge slab of meat, beef this time, with very very very very spicy potato wedge/chip type things.

Next lunch we went to this pedestrian street (very spanish-y) where every shop was a restaurant with outdoor eating. We chose a place called Menza which we'd read had an odd menu that appealed to 'the young crowd'. My soup was forgettable, but Sook went for the 'cold cream of strawberry soup' which was very bizarre - strawberry flavour thin cream with a big dollop of strawberry ice cream in it. Main courses nothing special.

Our last meal , because we were feeling very overweight and bloated from all the meat and rich stuff, we went to a sushi bar!

All in all, great food! Very rich, very meaty, and I don't think I saw a green veg. Sook thought most of it was too salty (but most things are for her). Lots and lots of paprika (every tourist shop sold tins of the stuff :lol: ).
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Re: Hungarian Food

Post by Menolly »

Stonemaybe wrote:OK I know this isn't a holiday forum, but I beg the moderators' indulgence, as when I go on holiday one of the most important bits is to try and get a taste for the local cuisine! So I'm going to try and describe Hungarian food and what we had.
NP on my part. I love these type of posts!!
Stonemaybe wrote:First of all, they eat BIG, and they eat RICH! Why oh why the only overweight people we saw were tourists I will never understand, unless they only eat every two days or something!
Is that based on restaurant eating? I bet non-festive home meals are a bit plainer.
Stonemaybe wrote:Our first meal was in perhaps the coolest place I have EVER eaten. I'll try and upload some photos later into the Album. It was called the Feszek Klub and was the dilapidated garden courtyard of a shabby little hotel on a back street. It had three huge trees completely sheltering it (2 chestnuts and a something-else), which had dropped lots of buds and pollen and leaves all over the tables, making it look completely run down and abandoned. Surrounding the courtyard was a slightly raised walkway, with black wrought-iron fence separating walkway from courtyard, and more wrought-iron on the walls around the walkway. In one corner there was something very much like a temple!!! within which was a large cast of a centaur holding up a child (and not really in a sweet way, more like a 'mmm, lunch!' way).

Because we'd got up at 00.30 that day and had travelled all day we ate at about 4pm so the place was deserted apart from one other guy and his mum having coffee. I had a delicious, very traditional (ie loads of paprika!) gulash soup followed by a huge slab of lightly battered pork with a few uninspired veg.
Way kewl...
Stonemaybe wrote:Lunch next day we found a nice pavement cafe called 'Eklectik' where, after two huge rich dinners in two days I decided to have something light, so I had grilled duck with salad. the salad was dressed with RASPBERRY flavoured balsamic vinegar which was very bizarre but yummy. As well as usual salad stuff there was quite a bit of sliced apple. Duck was duck.
Raspberry balsamic vinegrettes have been passe here for a couple of years. Was this one made with the white balsamic vinegar?
Stonemaybe wrote:During day I discovered that I had found a beer that I liked, which is very very uncommon. Their Hungarian brand 'Dreher' is lovely (ie not too beery!), light and served icecold.
Ooo, sounds lovely. I wonder if the place where I get the less common import beers have it or can get it.
Stonemaybe wrote:That evening we went to the Noa Grill House . I had a delicious soup to start. It was chicken, honey and lime. Sounds very odd but mmmmmmm. The type of thing, if you were sick you could drink gallons of.
Yummm.

Sort of a tom yum, only sweet instead of heat?
Stonemaybe wrote:main course was another huge slab of meat, beef this time, with very very very very spicy potato wedge/chip type things.
Any idea what cut of beef? How was it cooked?
Stonemaybe wrote:Next lunch we went to this pedestrian street (very spanish-y) where every shop was a restaurant with outdoor eating. We chose a place called Menza which we'd read had an odd menu that appealed to 'the young crowd'. My soup was forgettable, but Sook went for the 'cold cream of strawberry soup' which was very bizarre - strawberry flavour thin cream with a big dollop of strawberry ice cream in it. Main courses nothing special.
Oh, that's too bad. I make a cold strawberry soup as a palate cleanser during Passover. It works well with all of the rich foods during that time.
Stonemaybe wrote:Our last meal , because we were feeling very overweight and bloated from all the meat and rich stuff, we went to a sushi bar!
I lurve sushi!! Is the fish fresh in Hungary?
Stonemaybe wrote:All in all, great food! Very rich, very meaty, and I don't think I saw a green veg. Sook thought most of it was too salty (but most things are for her). Lots and lots of paprika (every tourist shop sold tins of the stuff :lol: ).
Sounds wonderful! Did you jot down what you ate at each meal with telling us about it in mind? I would have never remembered all that!
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Post by Avatar »

Sounds good. Especially the large portions of meat. :D

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Post by stonemaybe »

Pictures of the Keszek Klub now in 'Forum Pics' in The Album though :x I had to crop them ridiculously small to get them to fit!
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Re: Hungarian Food

Post by Alynna Lis Eachann »

Menolly wrote:
Stonemaybe wrote:First of all, they eat BIG, and they eat RICH! Why oh why the only overweight people we saw were tourists I will never understand, unless they only eat every two days or something!
Is that based on restaurant eating? I bet non-festive home meals are a bit plainer.
I'd bet not. In my experience, food in/from that part of Europe is usually rich and in large portions, even at home. I think one of the keys to why people aren't generally overweight is that there is less processed food, and therefore less bad fats, sugars, etc. Also, people in Europe tend to walk or bike on a daily basis just to get to where they're going, so they burn more calories on a daily basis.

I remember my mom's pictures from a restaurant in Poland she went to: there was this HUGE wooden platter full of different kinds of sausages, potato dishes and cabbage dishes. A ton of food for just four people, and that didn't include the bread. Pretty much the way we eat at home when my mom feels like indulging herself. Lots of pork, ham and bacon (I'm beginning to think the pig was invented in Poland ;) ), lots of bread, stewed meats and vegetables, potatoes... I think it must be next to impossible to be a vegetarian in Eastern Europe. It's pretty damned hard in this house, that's for sure. :lol:
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Post by Menolly »

Ah...thanks Alynna!

It would be an experience for sure then!

My maternal grandmother was Polish, maternal grandfather Russian. Paternal grandmother Austrian. (Paternal grandfather Scot Anglican who converted to Judaism). There is a ton of Eastern European heritage in me. And yet, both my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather died when each of my folks were young children, so none of that heritage in food was handed down. Not to mention that I learned to cook following recipes basically in self defense from what my mom cooked.

It appears I've missed out on a lot, food wise. :(
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Post by matrixman »

Geez, reading Stonemaybe's post almost makes me want to run to the nearest Polish restaurant.

I seriously need to check out more Polish cuisine, but right now let me just say: I love Hungarian Gulash. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
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In Poland, it's called English Goulash. :LOLS:

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Post by matrixman »

What? Neither the Polish nor the English want to claim credit for goulash? Outrageous!
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:LOLS:

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Post by Menolly »

I have no idea how "authentic" this recipe actually is. It is simply the name on it when I came across it. We do like it here though.

Authentic Hungarian Goulash

2 lb beef chuck
1 tsp salt
2 onions, white or yellow
2 TBS lard or shortening
2 TBS imported sweet paprika (most important to use real hungarian paprika for ultimate flavor)
2 bay leaves
1 quart water
4 peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cut beef into 1" squares, add 1/2 tsp salt. Chop onions and brown in shortening, add beef and paprika. Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hour on low heat. Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender.

Prepare egg dumpling batter:

1 egg
6 TBS flour
1/8 tsp salt

Add flour to unbeaten egg and salt. Mix well. Let stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow. Drop by teaspoonful into Goulash. Cover and simmer 5 minutes after dumplings rise to surface.

Serve hot with dollops of sour cream.

Serves 6
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