One of the most well-known and well-liked Hungarian foods is stuffed cabbage. It is a popular meal to prepare for Christmas, and it is often featured on wedding menus, too. However, stuffed cabbage is not the only dish Hungarians love that is made using cabbage.
Szekler-style cabbage
The Szekler-style cabbage is one of those meals that have a misleading name, as it actually has not much to do with Szeklerland. The meal that appeared in the 19th century could be considered one of the first products of fusion cuisine. It is a result of the spontaneous idea to mix cabbage vegetable soup and pork stew. Naturally, it also has evergreen ingredients such as paprika and caraway seed, and it is often served with spoonfuls of sour cream and fresh bread.
Hungarian cabbage with noodles
The Hungarian cabbage with noodles is an easy recipe to make at home, and you do not have to stand at the stove for hours, either. You just need to cook some pasta, caramelise some sugar to which the grated cabbage should be added. Season it with salt, pepper and caraway seeds, add the pasta, and you are done with your meal. You can have it with bacon or red meat on top, but the traditional way Hungarians serve it is with some icing sugar sprinkled on top. This may sound like a strange combination – cabbage and sugar -, but it is a common Hungarian dish in school canteens, too.
Stuffed cabbage
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The all-time favourite meal with cabbage naturally makes this list. Stuffed cabbage has Ottoman-Turkish origins, so, there are several variations that exist in different parts of Europe. In Hungary, the meal became popular in the 18th century. The main ingredients are rice, pork, onions, sour cabbage, sour cabbage leaves and paprika. Of course, Hungarians love to add a good amount of sour cream on top. If you want to make it at home, follow this recipe.
Korhely soup
Korhely soup is also made with sour cabbage, and thanks to the numerous health benefits of it, it is also called the “hangover soup”. It is a popular dish during the Christmas festivities, especially at New Year’s, when it comes in handy to have some hangover soup in the house. It is made with sour cabbage, its leaves, some bacon and sausages that are usually cut up. This soup is also seasoned with paprika, and people often eat it with sour cream.
Hungarian strudel
This one may be surprising, but it is true – Hungarians do like mixing sweet and sour tastes, as evidenced by the cabbage noodles served with icing sugar, too. Conventional fillings like cottage cheese, sour cherry or poppy seed are still popular, but the cabbage filling is a unique characteristic of Hungarian cuisine. If you want something exciting with that delicious mixture of sweet and savoury, definitely try some Hungarian cabbage strudel. For the recipe to make at home, click here.
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