Hungary is a landlocked central European country founded in 897, making it one of the oldest countries in Europe. Hungary is home to the largest thermal water cave system, the second largest thermal lake in the world (Lake Hévíz), the largest lake in Central Europe (Lake Balaton), and the largest natural grasslands in Europe (the Hortobágy National Park). In 2014, 13.2 million tourists visited Hungary with the majority going to Budapest, Central Danube, Lake Balaton and the Western Transdanubia tourist regions.

A few facts
Budapest’s metro line is the second oldest in the world after London’s Tube, its Line 1 dates from 1896 and is a World Heritage Site
Hungarians are the most heavily taxed people in the world at an average 38.3% of their annual income
13 Hungarian scientists have received the Nobel Prize
Hungary has the third highest number of Olympic medals per capita and second highest number of gold medals per capita in the world
The Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest is the second largest in the world (after one in New York City) and it seats up to 3,000 people
Hungary is the world’s second leading producer of foie gras (goose liver), after France

Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, dairy products and cheese. Popular dishes include Paprikás (paprika stew with meat), Palacsinta (filled crepe), Húsleves (clear chicken soup), Rántott sajt (deep fried cheese croquette), Paprikás krumpli (paprika potato sausage stew) and Töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage). There was only really one option for me to cook and that was Gulyás (Hungarian Goulash). It was everything we hoped for – comforting, fulfilling and incredibly tasty.

Rating: 9/10

Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours

450g rump steak, cubed
60g seasoned flour
3 tbsp veg oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp tomato puree
pinch grated nutmeg
3 tsp mixed herbs
salt and pepper
300ml good quality beef stock (I used a tin of beef consommé)
200g tin of chopped tomatoes
200ml red wine
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Coat the meat in the seasoned flour
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a frying pan and add the meat in batches frying until browned, remove to a plate
Add a little more oil and fry the onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 5 minutes
Add the paprika, tomato puree, nutmeg, mixed herbs, salt and pepper and cook for a further 2 mins
Add the stock, chopped tomatoes, red wine and worcestershire sauce
Reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring every so often
Serve with crusty bread