The Treasures of Hungarian Cooking
By Sunil Tanna

Hungary is home to an interesting and in some ways exotic cuisine, especially if you compare it the cuisine of some of the country's neighbors in central Europe. One of the main exotic elements of Hungarian food is that dishes are often flavored with paprika - according to some, this spice was first introduced to Hungary by the Ottoman Turks when they invaded the country in 1526. Hungarian ingredients often include eggs, sour cream, and beef (there is a strong cattle-herding tradition associated with the Hungarian plain). Since Hungary has no sea coast, seafood is not commonly eaten, however, there are dishes that make use of river fish such as carp, catfish, perch and pike.

The most famous of Hungarian dishes is of course Gulyas (known overseas as "goulash", although overseas dishes often differ greatly from the original Hungarian recipe). Hungarian Gulyas is made from beef on the bone such as shin, shoulder or shank. The meat is seasoned with paprika and then browned. It is then slow cooked as a soup (not a stew) with the addition of onions, peppers, and sometimes chopped potatoes as well. Herbs may also be used to flavor the dish too. Gradually, the bones in the meat release gelatin, and starch from vegetables (particularly from the potatoes if they are being used) are released during the cooking process, resulting in a very thick and tasty soup.

There are also many other wonderful Hungarian dishes - far to many to be mentioned in short article - and they includes recipes such as paprika chicken (Paprika Scsirke), fish soup, Transylvanian veal stew (Borjutokay), and desserts such as deep-fried cherries (Cseresznye Kisutve) and coffee cake (Baba Kalacs). If you have not tried dishes such as these, why not give them a go, or even learn to cook them in your own home?