Hungarian cuisine in Transcarpathia: a paradise for gourmets

Hungarian cuisine is often called world-class culinary artistry - that is how delicious and varied it is. Transcarpathia is an international land, where the gastronomies of several ethnic groups have intertwined, the lion’s share of which belongs precisely to authentic Hungarian cuisine, famed for its heartiness, its great variety of dishes and the boundless imagination that goes into preparing them.

The inventiveness of the cooks is the undeniable strength of the Magyars’ national culinary art. Among the features of the local cuisine is a remarkable passion for paprika peppers, onion, meat and, above all, pork fat, in which not only meat products but also flour with spices are fried. Even in vegetable salads ordinary oil is sometimes replaced with rendered lard.

Hungarian cuisine is, so to speak, cooking “with a bit of spice”. Red ground pepper - the sweetish paprika - is, by all the canons of Hungarian recipes, added to almost every dish. This gives it a special piquancy and an incredible aroma. Whole festivals are even held in Transcarpathia in honour of paprika! In addition, Hungarian cuisine always calls for a hearty sauce, which features in almost every dish. And, of course, meat - there is a great deal of it, of various kinds and prepared in various ways.

The mecca of Hungarian cuisine in Transcarpathia is rightly considered to be Berehove. Only a few kilometres separate this town from Hungary - and such closeness of the borders is very keenly felt here. The Hungarian ethnic community lives precisely in the Berehove district, so authentic Hungarian-Transcarpathian cuisine has been better preserved here. It is here that whole weeks of Hungarian gastronomy are held, and no festival takes place without bograch. Hungarian cooking has long since become a highlight and a tourist brand of Berehove.

Hungarian cuisine in Transcarpathia: what to try

The classic of Hungarian cooking is hearty, large, “hospitable” combined portions of dishes. The most famous dish of Hungarian-Transcarpathian cuisine is goulash - a spicy, rich, thick meat soup whose history reaches far back into the distant past of the nomadic Hungarians. The famous paprikash is made from white meat stewed in sour cream or double cream with the addition of paprika. Pörkölt - is a meat “stew” with a large amount of chopped onion. Do not let the names of some of the dishes puzzle you - lecsó, rakott krumpli, lóci roast, bab leves, borsos tokány, toroskáposzta or tarhonya - they are all very tasty, moderately spicy and very filling.

The calling card of Transcarpathia is considered to be the Hungarian bograch. This is the essential and central attribute of any large-scale celebration in any Transcarpathian town or village. Preparing bograch is a true art: it is cooked from several kinds of meat, paprika and vegetables in large cauldrons over an open fire for about 3-4 hours. Be sure to try the traditional Hungarian fish soup - halászlé - it is at its most delicious when also cooked outdoors. Among the masterpieces of Hungarian cuisine one can count lángos (a flatbread of yeast dough with a variety of fillings, fried in fat or oil), which is often sold at fairs and festivals.

It would be a sin not to mention the main culinary “souvenir” that tourists take home from Transcarpathia - the legendary Hungarian sauce erős pista! It is made from finely chopped hot paprika peppers, and thanks to a special old recipe of Hungarian cooks this sauce has a wonderful taste.

Fancy something sweet? Then be sure to try the delicious Gundel pancakes with a walnut and chocolate filling. It is Károly Gundel who is regarded as the founder of Hungarian cuisine and the gastronomic reformer of Hungary - he combined the national Hungarian kitchen with fine European cuisine.

And what would Hungarian cuisine be without a strong, aromatic wine? The local winemaking traditions go back many centuries. Transcarpathian Hungarian wines are distinguished by special nuances of taste and aroma, which you can experience during colourful wine tastings.

You can sample Transcarpathian Hungarian dishes on almost every tour of the Uzhhorod excursion bureau, because in Transcarpathia Magyar cooking is like a native tradition. And you will have a unique opportunity to truly savour the authentic taste and aroma of Hungarian dishes during the SPA excursion to the thermal pools of Berehove, as well as the SPA excursion to the thermal pools of Kosyno. Enjoy your delicious break! 🙂