Hungary

Exploring Hungarian Food

Hungary is a small, landlocked Eastern European country whose cuisine is largely defined by meats, stews, pastries, and one very important spice: paprika. The ground red pepper spice was first introduced to Hungary by the Turks in the 16th century. They adopted it as their own, and now Hungarian paprika is an essential ingredient in a host of traditional dishes, including beef goulash (the country’s national dish), kolbász (pork sausage), and halászlé (Fisherman’s Soup made with river fish). Its red-orange color and subtle heat is part of the fabric of daily life.

Local Vegetables

As vegetables go, cabbage and potatoes are two of the most important, featured in many — you guessed it — soups and stews. Stuffed cabbage is a classic Hungarian recipe that relies on tomatoes, rice, ground meat, and another Hungarian staple: sauerkraut. Pickled vegetables are common in Hungarian cuisine in general, since pickling was traditionally a surefire technique for preserving them during the long winters.

Hungarian Desserts