The Cuisine of County Zala

THE CUISINE OF COUNTY ZALA

The present Hungarian cuisine has been created through a more than a thousand-year old history and its basis is the taking over of good ideas from different ethnic groups having contacted with us (like: Turkish, Slavic, Austrian and German peoples) or mixing their ideas with ours. Our dishes are prepared from simple ingredients but in a very diverse way and they exist in a wide range of variations.

The characteristics of traditional Hungarian cuisine are the combined usage of lard, onion and  paprika, mostly the use of pig-meat and lard, furthermore the consumption of milk, curd cheese and sour cream. In our cuisine it is common to consume vegetable dishes and garnishes with high carbo-hydrate content, to use specific preparation methods e.g. the creation of a stew-base, thickening with roux pickling and seasoning. The gastronomy of County Zala is very varied, rich and characteristic but the secret of the people living here lies in the fact that simple ingredients are prepared in several ways and with specific preparation methods.

From the fish of Lake Balaton, pike-perch, carp and bream are often consumed mainly in a fried form but it is our Hungarian fish soup, which has become really famous. From the forests of the Keszthely Mountains, roe deers, deers, wild boars and from the meadows rabbits, pheasants, partridges have become the base of roast meats and stews. Around the houses of the region, people mostly kept pigs, hens, ducks and geese, which served as a basis of several dishes. Besides meat, the most common ingredients of meals in County Zala are potatoes, corn, wheel beet,  forest mushrooms and different stone fruit like; cherry, sour-cherry, peach, plum, red currant and raspberry. Among the traditional foods the following one are still very beloved: fried dough, pancake, potato dumplings, fried potato dough, different types of corn-cakes, fruity strudels and buns. 

In our restaurant You can taste the delicious dishes of County Zala’s cuisine, you should try our  fillet mignons of pork with boletus mushroom with home-made noodles, our young pork knuckle baked in the oven or some home-made letcho or some fried potato dough.