Top 4 Vegetarian Hungarian Foods

Hungary has since time immemorial been highly noted for its impressive list of vegetarian Hungarian foods among its culinary delights. Many of these dishes have, by the way, inspired other East European nations to adopt them in their own cuisine. The exact history of these dishes’ popularity in Hungary can be, for the most part, subdivided into 3 major parts. The 1st commenced in the late 19th century, when the Hungarian vegetarian association was established. The primary objective was to sustain as well as improve the health and well being of Hungarians through promotion of a holistic cuisine and lifestyle.

The 2nd part occurred from the 80’s to the early 90’s, at the collapse of the socialist regime. At this particular era, the trend of vegetarianism’ and natural way of life, which had been outlawed, began to blossom again. Finally, the 3rd phase spans from the 90’s to the present. There are now many vibrant societies in this Eastern Europe nation that espouse the vegetarian way of life, and are just as popular the defunct Hungarian vegetarian association. Well, with fully understood, let us now take a closer at some of the most notable vegetarian Hungarian foods and their exact history.

1. Gulyas ( Goulash)

Gulyas is a heavy vegetable stew, which now numbers among the national dishes of Hungary. There are numerous variations to Gulyas, some of which have made their way to other neighboring states in Eastern Europe. However, the vegetarian version is very popular and is prepared with original Hungarian ingredients such as vegetable, particularly potatoes. The dish is usually seasoned with paprika. The Hungarian term Gulyas’ literally refers to a herdman or cowboy. The origins of this hearty meal can be traced to the 9th century to those stews that fed Hungarian shepherds at that time. Hence, the allusion to herdmen in its name. Gulyas is at all points, a completely comfort food. In a nutshell, it is hearty, homely and hot to boot.

2. Langos

Langos is yet another very conspicuous and well beloved traditional dish in Hungarian cuisine whose origins go way back in this country’s history and heritage. In essence, it is a deep fried dough of bread. This given dough of bread after been deep fried is then smothered with a wide variety of toppings. Traditionally speaking, this means either sour cream or even grated cheese. In our modern era, some Hungarians love to smoother the langos they make with garlic sauce, while some others tend to prefer ketchup as the perfect topping. This origins of this highly remarkable and very unique example of vegetarian Hungarian foods stems right to the peasant age. In this particular epoch of time, peasant families had to bake their own bread in their homes. These peasants used to gather diminutive pieces of the ends of the dough they made, which they then flattened into disks and in the long run, deep fried in oil. The end product was then offered to the children of the house as a hearty and tasty snack.

3. Lecso

Lecso is a popular mixed vegetable stew whose Hungarian ingredients consist of tomatoes, onions, green or red pepper, hot paprika, and in some cases, ground sweets. This excellent of Hungarian cuisine is highly acclaimed for its ease of preparation, and almost anyone can cook Lecso. Still, the end result always remains very rich in terms of flavor, which has over the passage of time, made it to be one most popular vegetarian stews in most Hungarian households.

4. Palacsinta

This is a highly renowned Hungarian version of crepes, and there happens to be a wide range of fillings, which are utilized in preparing it in this Eastern European country. As would be expected in a nation with a rich history in holistic cuisine such as Hungary, there is also a vegetarian version of palacsinta. This type of crepes, which is indeed one of the most popular vegetarian Hungarian foods, is crammed with cottage and raisins. Palacsinta is normally served with either freshly baked bread or sometimes, even vegetables. Most Hungarians tend to view this form of crepes as been an ideal side dish. Nevertheless, there are happen to be some of them consider it to be an excellent dish that can be consumed as a standalone meal. The crust of this Hungarian variation of crepes is slightly thinner than that of its French counterpart. Still, with said, palacsinta is remarkable lesser susceptible to tear as opposed to the latter, when it contains richer fillings.