The Hungry Hungarian

Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, cheeses and honey. Hungarians tend to be extremely passionate when it comes to their soups, desserts and pastries and the way they prepare their meals.  Some very famous meals in Hungary include Paprikás which is a paprika stew with meat simmered in thick creamy paprika gravy and is often served with nokedli which are more well known as small dumplings. Goulash is another major dish served in Hungary and very well known. Goulash is usually made of beef, onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder.

Hungarians are known around the world for their incredible soups and stews. Some of these include vegetable stews called főzelék as well as cold fruit soups, such as cold sour cherry soup. 

Meat stews, casseroles, steaks, roasted pork, beef, poultry, lamb or game and the Hungarian sausages which are called kolbász and salami are a major part of Hungarian cuisine. The mixing of different varieties of these meats is a very traditional feature in the way which Hungarian meals are prepared. A number of different kinds of noodles and dumplings, potatoes and rice are commonly served as a side dish with main meals. The Hungarian cuisine uses a variety of different cheeses. Some of the most common cheeses are túró , cream cheeses, juhturó, Trappista and Pálpusztai. Hungarian food is often described as being spicy, due to the wide use of hot paprika in a number of dishes.

In Hungary people usually have a large breakfast. A typical Hungarian breakfast generally is an open sandwich with fresh bread or toast, butter, cheese, cold cuts such as ham,), liver, bacon, salami, beef tongue, mortadella, disznósajt , and sausages. Breakfast can also consist of eggs, French toast, rice pudding, deviled eggs, cold steak, pancakes, fruit salads and a variety of pastries.

Lunch is the main meal served in the day in Hungary and several courses are generally served during this meal. Appetizers, which may include fish, eggs or liver are served as the first course, followed by a soup. After the soup has been served the main course is served and this typically consists of a sweet pastry, pancakes, some kind of meat item and a salads. Fruit is most often served following the main dish along with a dessert.

 Some people and children eat a light meal in the afternoon, which is called uzsonna. This is usually an open sandwich. 

Dinner is a much less significant meal than lunch in Hungary. It can be described as being very similar to a typical Hungarian breakfast, usually an open sandwich, yogurt, pancakes  and it almost always consists of only one course.