Paprika Overdose

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Paprika . .

Hungarians love their paprika. As is usual in our travel adventures, we enjoy living in the country, and eating and drinking as locals. We cooked many more meals than we had in restaurants, and although I have to admit to having one helping of MacDonald’s French fries (It was in the first MacDonald’s to open behind the Iron Curtain), we generally tried to cook Hungarian food, drink Hungarian wine and generally experience the culture, and that involved a lot of paprika.

We arrived on a Sunday, and could not go to the market yet, so we visited a local supermarket and bought some sausage and sauerkraut style vegetables. Frying that up for our first meal in Budapest. I noticed that the sausages were an orange in colour and stayed that shade even when cooked - lots of paprika. 

Turned out to be a pretty good choice as I found a similar dish served at one of the many street food vendors.

More Paprika . . .

Day two I made a Chicken Paprika dish once we had a chance to get to the market and pick up some actual Hungarian paprika. Served with rice and vegetables, this was an authentic Hungarian style dish. The leftovers became a delicious soup the next day – chicken with a distinct Hungarian Paprika taste.

We had friends visiting the next day so wanting to impress them, we prepared the ultimate Hungarian dish, Goulash, all with ingredients from the market. I think it turned out pretty good and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Of course we made a point of washing it down with some Hungarian Bulls Blood. During the communist era, drinking of wine was discouraged, so the people would drink out of an ordinary glass and if asked would state, “I’m not drinking wine, its bulls blood.” Now there are lots of Hungarian red wine called Bulls Blood or “Egri Bikaver”.

Yes, even more paprika . . .

Next came Canadian Thanksgiving; no such thing as a turkey at the market, so we did up a chicken, with Hungarian sausage dressing, and Paprika seasoning on the chicken. The brussel sprouts were not really ‘Hungarian’, but the chicken certainly was. Boiling up the chicken carcass produced a delicious paprika flavored stock that made an amazing chicken soup the next day. Oh yea I forgot mention the paprika salami, and the delicious paprika sausage patties for breakfast.

Yes, sort of overdosing on that delicious Hungarian Paprika. I might sneak some into my suitcase to bring home. Anyone interested in coming to dinner; I’m serving goulash?