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Step 1
Prepare your taste buds for a zesty treat when you sit down to a Hungarian meal. Salads are not a common part of a Hungarian dinner, and rather different than what we know a salad to be. Most Hungarian salads consist of pickled vegetables. The Hungarians seem to be more fond of fruits than vegetables, and they eat these in abundance.
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Step 2
Prepare for the official beginning of a Hungarian dinner: goulash. Goulash is a soup (or some consider it a stew) that comes in hundreds of varieties. One of the common ingredients is sauerkraut, along with potatoes and a mixture of meats, herbs and spices. This is often served either on top of or alongside noodles. Fish Soup is a specialty of the country, and Hungarians take a fierce pride in their family recipes.
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Step 3
Dig in to a Hungarian entree. Tonight you will be having Paprika Chicken, Fried Goose Liver and a side of flavored rice. These are some of the favorite dishes seasoned with their favorite spice, paprika. Hungarians use garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes generously in their dishes, along with lard, sour cream and cottage cheese. Lamb, veal, chicken and pork are quite popular, although Hungarians are quite fond of any combination of meats.
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Step 4
Save room for dessert-lots of room. Hungarians are known for their wonderful, unique desserts. Most people are familiar with strudel, which is a light, crisp pastry filled with fruits or stuffed with meats and cheeses. One favorite is a sponge cake layered with chocolate paste and then glazed with caramel and nuts. Another is the stuffed pancake-stuffed with anything from jam to veal!
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Step 5
Hang on to your hat-they're bringing in the Unicum! Don't bother trying to wheedle the recipe from your host, it is a national secret. Unicum is a bitter herbal liquor considered by foreigners to be an acquired taste. There are approximately 40 herbs used to make this drink and the recipe is handed down from generation to generation, though not many families are in on the secret.
