January 3, 2011

Blog Question #1: How do you like the food?

Many places around the world have their own unique flavor and Hungary is no exception.   I actually really like the food in Hungary, although I can only eat it so often.  Hungarian food is very heavy.  They like fried things and heavy sauces.  Some Hungarian favorites include stuffed cabbage rolls, langos (fried dough covered in cheese and sour cream...woah), chicken paparikas, stuffed peppers and, of course, goulash (pronounced goo-yahsh).  Contrary to popular belief (in America), goulash is not a thick beef stew.  In Hungary, it is a broth-based soup with beef, vegetables and lots of paprika!  It is traditionally cooked in the backyard over a fire in a big metal pot.  I have had the opportunity to enjoy this authentic Hungarian experience!  My favorite Hungarian dish is paprikas csirke or chicken paprikash.  It is basically chicken stewed in a creamy paprika sauce.  It is delicious with some teszta or Hungarian noodles!  One of my favorite sweet treats is kurtos kalacs or chimney cake.  It is basically a pastry that is cooked over an open fire on a cylindar.  It comes in plain, vanilla, nuts or cinnamon.  I prefer the cinnamon, or in Hungarian, fahéj.  In the town where I live, Diósd, there is a great little kurtos kalacs stand that sells the sweet treat every Friday for a bargain 280 Hungarian Forint (about $1.50).   Overall, the food has been an interesting experience here in Budapest.  While I am a picky eater, my taste buds have definitely expanded their repertoire since my move to Eastern Europe.  Below I posted some pictures of the above mentioned foods.  Enjoy!  Thanks to Kari for the great question!
Yum, yum..Hungarian food!
Istvan making some goulash over the fire :)



The Hungarian "delectables" from our staff dinner (honestly have no idea what this is)

Kurtos Kalacs

Traditional Hungarian food being cooked at the Christmas market

My favorite...Chicken Paprikash!

2 comments:

David said...

OK. I need to be visiting to try that Chicaken Paprikash. And we had something resembling those Kurtos Kulacs in Romania. Need to have some more of those too.

Go Bulldogs!

Kim said...

Dave you would love the chicken paprikash! It is amazing. If I come to savannah this summer, maybe I will make it :)