Spice Cuisine: Hungarian Spices and Seasonings

Paprika is the ingredient most commonly associated with Hungarian food, and it is certainly used in many Hungarian dishes. This is not the bland, tasteless orange powder found in American grocery stores, but a richly flavorful ground chili pepper that gives heat, taste, and color wherever it's used. Hungarian paprika comes in many varieties, from the mild sweet to fiery hot. It's essential to classic Hungarian dishes such as chicken paprikash and goulash.

But a national cuisine cannot be based on only one flavor, even one as diverse as paprika. The list below includes many ingredients frequently used in the hearty cuisine of Hungary.