Hungary Pepper

If you are interested in the famous super spice the Hungarian pepper read this article and find out more about how to use it and where you can buy it.

When you google on these two words Hungary pepper are you interested in the spice the so-called red pepper/paprika powder that Hungarians put in every meal that they cook? Or do you want to learn more about the sort of peppers Hungarians eat and use as spices in general?

We have collected all the facts and useful tips about peppers consumed in Hungary.

Hungary pepper – the red paprika powder

The Hungarian cuisine is famous for its rich flavours and filling dishes. What is common in every locally-cooked meal? You will most likely find red pepper among the ingredients. 

The red paprika powder gives a traditional taste to the Hungarian courses. They can be bought in “csemege” (sweet) or “csípős” (hot) versions as well. You can easily get hold of a pack of red paprika powder in any supermarkets, in any size and in any form (dried, ground, cream). If you like the Hungarian kitchen and you are planning to buy a cookbook to be able to cook something traditionally Hungarian, the red pepper is a must-have ingredient. Use the ground powder and dried version for stews and the creamy version for soups.

Places where you can buy the Hungarian pepper

• Supermarkets
• Souvenir shops
• Market halls

In which food shall i put red pepper?

I cannot even start listing the type of different meals in Hungary that contain pepper, there are so many. e.g.: goulash soup, any stews and you can apply a hint of red pepper in your dish if you want to give it a nice colour. 

Red pepper – the perfect gift

Don’t you have a clue what you should buy as a gift in Budapest for you family, Mum or your colleague? If they are into cooking and they enjoy experimenting with new spices buy them a pack of red pepper powder that they can use in several different ways. You can buy an average looking bag of spice in the grocery shop or you can visit a souvenir shop where the selection of cute, useful and less useful souvenirs including red pepper is endless.
You can easily transport a bag of ground pepper on the plane as well. 

Fun fact

• Hungarians would put hot red paprika cream in soups. The stronger the pepper is the more they sweat at the table during a nice family lunch on Sunday. 
• Most people eat hot pepper with everything, including sandwiches or they put them in salads too. 
• ot spices host many health benefits. It speeds up your metabolism and hot spices help kill bacteria in your body. 

Hungary pepper – the famous hungarian wax pepper

Do not think that when a Hungarian looks at a nice, crispy yellow piece of pepper, they are only thinking about a salad or eating a slice of pepper for dinner beside their sandwich. Oh no. The creativity of the people living in Hungary in terms of using peppers is unlimited.

Question: Why the yellow type of pepper called TV paprika in Hungarian? “TV” stands for “ready to be stuffed”. Stuffed with what? 

Minced meat, peppers, tomato sauce and boiled potato? What is common in them? These are what you get on your plate when you ask for “stuffed peppers” from a menu. You can love it or hate it, but the spicy meatballs stuffed in a whole pepper and cooked in a sweet tomato sauce is a traditional Hungarian meal. 

If you like the recipe and you are ready to hit the market, do not forget that you are looking for the Hungarian Wax Peppers as they are called.  Try the Great Market Hall at Fővám tér, where you will definitely able to buy both red paprika and wax peppers. 

Summary

In Rome do what the Romans do. In Hungary cook using the ingredients (including the Hungarian pepper) what the Hungarians use. A bag of red pepper is the perfect souvenir to take home from your visit to Budapest. Imagine how nice it will feel when you sit down to eat your home-cooked Hungarian meal.