The comments on these are usually filled with 'yuck' and 'OMG, how could they' - and I can't really blames them. After all, when you find out that real sausages are made using the intestines of the pig your first reaction would probably be the same (oh those good old days when grandma used to clean those intestines...).
And this brings us to today's topic. 'Weird' food that people eat in this part of the world.
1. Zsíros kenyér (Fat on Bread)
This is one of the most popular and well known food around here. It is usually made with goose or pork fat, spread thinly over fresh bread. There are variations of it after that. You can put some paprika, salt and onion on it (fresh, green onion is the best, really), and you can even toast the bread. There is another way to obtain something like this... which brings us to:
2. Szalonna (Smoked -or cooked- pork fat)
2. Szalonna (Smoked -or cooked- pork fat)
Well, depending on how you prepare it you can get two different kinds of 'szalonna'. The smoked one is used more often than the cooked one, especially by those who go camping around here. And now, let me tell you what the connection is between the 'szalonna' and the 'zsíros kenyér'. Those who go camping usually spend the evening around a campfire. They prepare bread slices with onion on them in advance, then cut off a piece of this 'szalonna', and stick it on a long... well, stick. They they roast it on the fire. Every time it oozes fat, this fat is then dribbled over the bread with the onion. Then, when the 'szalonna' becomes all brown and shriveled up, it is time for it to be placed on top of your bread also. It is especially fun to chew on the rind of it.
3. Túró Rudi
If you ever decide to visit us, you will most probably be introduced to this amazing treat. And after all this fat I thought it would be nice to present it for you - only to be able to go to the more interesting stuff later. But let me tell you what this is. This is a chocolate bar, filled with túró (cottage cheese). Now you might find this disgusting while you read this, but it is actually really tasty. One of my favorite treats whenever I can get my hands on it. I also heard an old friend complaining that they don't sell it in England - well, here is a site that will deliver these to your house in and around London.
4. Véres (Blood sausage)
Yeah, this usually goes right along with the 'májas' (liver paté), but it is not quite as popular as the other ones. As you guessed, the 'véres' (similar to black pudding) has blood as it's main ingredient. Pig blood, along with meat and different kinds of seasonings make a pretty good meal. All of this are stuffed into the intestines, just like the sausages and the 'májas'. Yummi!
5. Disznó(fő)sajt (Head Cheese)
No, this isn't actually cheese. It's made with the flesh from the pig's head, mixed together with jelly, and of course seasoned with different kinds of spices. Then all of this is usually stuffed into the pig's stomach - and often smoked. There is another variant of this too, something that is similar and found all over Europe: the 'kocsonya' (aspic)
6. Lángos (Fried dough)
If you go to a summer resort around here, there is no way that you won't find someone making this. Lángos is usually made with flour, yeast, salt and water, then deep fried. When it gets all pretty and golden, it can be served with different things on it. The most popular of course is cheese and sour cream, but I also love it with 'mujdei', which is a kind of garlic sauce we have here (we use this sauce almost as much as simple sour cream and ketchup). The Lángos can also have ham on it, or sausages - or even szalonna. Then you can eat them also with cabbages, or Nutella, or gem or jelly... well, practically with anything you like.
So how weird and bizarre are these things to you? Tho nowadays we don't slay any pigs, when I was a kid I kinda saw a few slaughters like this (pig, chickens, bunnies) - hell, I even stuffed some goose - so I'm pretty used to see and eat these.
Also, the last time we cut a pig apart I was the one who had to attend to the intestines (tho this time we bought them separately, I still had to stuck in them a straw and blow them up to see if they are all intact. After all, you don't want to waste precious meat by stuffing it in them, then realizing that it all comes out on a hole in its side).
You wanna see something else too?
7. Tepertő
Delicious!
Oh, before I go for today... I also found an interesting document, with the title 'You Know You're Hungarian...'. If you click on that link, it will automatically bring you to the document. I thought it was kinda funny - probably because I could identify myself in it. Try it out!
