Hungarian Spaetzle - Little Dumplings

Just the sound of Hungarian Spaetzle makes me smile with fond memories of my grandmother Julia Nagy! From her I learned that the key ingredient to Chicken and Veal Paprikas is the Hungarian Spaetzle or little dumplings!

I can remember watching grandma prepare the batter for her little dumplings aka Hungarian Spaetzle, in that tiny little kitchen in her brick bungalow in Northeastern Ohio. My grandma Julia Nagy was quite the cook, preparing traditional Hungarian recipes which became the comfort food that we celebrate today.

I continue to have fond flashbacks of my time spent in that quaint bungalow kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio, by grandma Julia Nagy's side. I am eternally grateful for the memories of little dumplings, and other Hungarian foods, which have been a big part of my life.

Gosh, I hope you too had a grandma that inspired you! I hope your grandma shared the family's recipes with you and taught you how to cook. Thank goodness for grandmothers!

Hungarian Spaetzle was the KEY ingredient in grandma's authentically delicious Chicken and Veal Paprikas. There, the secret is out! The best-ever, most delicious recipe for Hungarian Spaetzle, little dumplings, is easy to make.

Welcome my little dumpling(s)! Isn't it time to have a little Hungarian Spaetzle? Well, you have come to the right place for authentically Hungarian ... Spaetzle aka little dumplings! A key ingredient to Chicken and Veal Paprikas is the Hungarian Spaetzle or little dumplings!

Photo credit of obviously delicious Spaetzle taken by Kobako. Size matters! 

Do you dig little dumplings?

Are you a Hungarian Spaetzle Lover? - After all, size DOES matter when we are talking dumplings! So, do you LOVE little dumplings aka Hungarian Spaetzle?

1. Ich liebe spaetzle.
2. En szerelem spaetzle.
3. I love spaetzle.
4. Ich liebe spaetzle nicht.
5. Give me BIG dumplings you all.

My Confession : I Sincerely Love Hungarian Spaetzle
Ah, normally I like to think big, but it is little dumplings for me!

hungarian spaetzle little dumplings brand ambassador jaguarjulie

"Thank you to my grandma Julia Nagy for instilling in me, a deep appreciation and love for Hungarian Spaetzle. And, for showing me that size does mattter when talking about dumplings; i.e., little dumplings!"

You know, just talking about Hungarian Spaetzle and my grandma Julia Nagy makes me feel like I can smell the aroma of her traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash or Veal Paprikash cooking. I honestly am envisioning that kitchen in her Cleveland, Ohio bungalow located at 16605 Chatfield Avenue.

Grandma would prepare the batter for her Hungarian Spaetzle right before the Paprikash was ready to serve. There is nothing better than fresh Hungarian Spaetzle mixed into a the Paprikash. Sometimes grandma would make one of her many homemade soups. Yep, the spaetzle went into the soup too! It was all good. --The Brand Ambassador for Hungarian Spaetzle, JaguarJulie!

P.S. I was the Official Squidoo Comfort Foods Contributor! Did you know that? Well, you probably guessed it. Growing up and having my grandma prepare those little dumplings was so comforting. Hungarian Spaetzle is another of my favorite comfort food recipes! Thanks grandma.

First of All:
Hungarian Spaetzle is Little Dumplings
Little would be the operative word!

Hungarian Spaetzle should look like these!
For these are LITTLE dumplings! - Dumplings should be little; i.e. smaller than a teaspoon size! 

Ah, so the Hungarian dumplings that I remember and love from my childhood while sitting in my grandma Julia Nagy's kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio -- those are LITTLE DUMPLINGS more easily referred to as Hungarian Spaetzle. Spaetzle you see definitely indicates that you want "little" dumplings. This is a very good picture of what a plate of Hungarian "little dumplings" or Spaetzle should look like.

These Hungarian Spaetzle are incredibly easy to make. And, the little dumplings taste fabulous in Chicken and Veal Paprikas. Oh, and you can serve them in your Hungarian Goulash too. In fact, there are plenty of applications er dishes that would taste delicious with Hungarian Spaetzle.

You know, I'm even thinking that my recipe for beef stroganoff would benefit from using Hungarian Spaetzle instead of plain butter noodles! Why don't you try it some time. Oh, and I've included a simple and easy to prepare recipe for Hungarian Spaetzle below!

Hungarian Spaetzle should NOT look like these
For these are BIG Dumplings! - Pay attention please, as this is VERY important.

See this picture? Hungarian Spaetzle, as little dumplings go, should never look like this! You see this is a picture of my dinner plate when we vacationed in The Czech Republic, in Prague. It was our first dinner in the Eastern European city. We had opted to eat at the restaurant that advertised Hungarian Goulash with Dumplings. When this plate arrived, I looked at my hubby and exclaimed, "What the heck is this? Those aren't DUMPLINGS!"

You see size does matter. This was not the last time that I ordered DUMPLINGS while we toured The Czech Republic. Yep, ordering DUMPLINGS off the menu produced the same results as what you see on this plate. Well, at least they were consistent. For a third time, I asked if I could get Hungarian DUMPLINGS for dinner at the hostel we stayed at in the countryside. We did a lot of 'charades' back and forth to communicate what I had in mind. The chef told me it took her a day to prepare them. Well, although I thought that seemed odd as they are easy and simple to make, I nodded my head and said we'd see her the next night.

As hubby and I took our seat, that next night, my tastebuds were already in overdrive. It wasn't too long before dinner was served. OMG, "Those aren't dumplings!" Yep, you guessed it! For the third time, I got the type of BREAD "dumplings" as shown on this plate.

When we got home from our vacation, I relayed the story to mom. Ah, she laughed, "Next time, ask for SPAETZLE!"

You know, it never seems to escape me that I had such a time in Eastern Europe trying to get a taste of Grandma's little dumplings! It is kind of funny to still think about how I got something that kind of looked like a potato pancake. Not little dumplings. Who knew? SPAETZLE!

Hungarian Spaetzle -- Little Dumplings
aka galuska or nokedli

An Easy, Best-Ever Recipe for Hungarian Spaetzle
From the Hungarian recipe archives of my Grandma Julia Nagy!

Ingredients
2 -1/2 cups of flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper

Instructions

1. Add flour, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl.
2. Next, add water, eggs, and melted butter.
3. Mix ingredients together until lumps are gone and it is like a batter.
4. Prepare a pot of water with salt to bring to a boil.
5. Spoon a portion of the batter onto a flat plate.
6. With a spoon, beginning cutting about a spoonful of batter at a time from the edge of the plate into the boiling water. Because of the small size of the spaetzle, they will rise fairly quickly to the surface. Spaetzle will only need a few minutes to cook in the boiling water once they have risen.
7. Remove the cooked spaetzle to a colander to drain.

A Helping Hand!
Get a spaetzle maker to help you make your first batch of little dumplings. Once you become the pro, you can make them like my grandma made them!

• Norpro Spaetzle Maker
• Norpro Stainless Steel Spaetzle Maker
• Kuchenprofi Spaetzle Lid and Scraper in 18/10 Stainless Steel

Hungarian Spaetzle Case Study
When I originally wrote this article, it was actually a lens. I also prepared an accompanying case study which analyzed the success of this article online. I looked at SEO efforts along with social media interaction and traffic over the early life of this page!

Thanks for Visiting!
My grandmother made the best "Hungarian" Spaetzle; however, she called it dumplings. The word dumplings can mean a lot of different things. I'm glad I figured out that I want little dumplings or Spaetzle. How about you? Do you love it? Can you make it? Is it one of your favorite comfort foods like it is for me?

History: Hungarian Spaetzle : Little Dumplings was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on August 28, 2009. On January 25, 2011 this lens earned the Squidoo Purple Star Award for quality content.

Hungarian Goulash - Info and Goulash Recipes

Ah, goulash - Hungarian goulash! Do you remember having stew as a child? I hope you liked it! Think of this goulash as a stew, a stew Hungarian style. That is Hungarian Goulash! It sure seems like I ate lots of delicious stew when I was a youngster growing up in Cleveland in Northeastern, Ohio. And, lots of Hungarian foods like goulash too!

I am eternally grateful to the fond food memories, instilled in me, thanks to my wonderful grandma, Julia Nagy.

Goulash is known as Gulyás in Hungarian. That name originates from the word gulya meaning herd of cattle or cowherd.Where's the beef?

Where is the beef? It is probably in the goulash. Hungarian Goulash and Stuffed Cabbage are two Hungarian foods which are top of my list of favorite comfort foods. The third Hungarian food that is my favorite comfort food would be Hungarian Chicken Paprikas or Veal Paprikas.

I took this picture of Hungarian Goulash during our vacation to Hungary and Romania. It was actually Made in Hungary, shot in Hungary, and finally eaten in Hungary!

Photo Credit: Hungarian Goulash photographed in Hungary by JaguarJulie and then eaten!

How do you feel about Hungarian Goulash?
Have you tried it yet? A call to action! Do you dig Hungarian Goulash?

• Yes I love this ethnic comfort food : that's hot!
• No : that's not!

In a nutshell, what is Hungarian Goulash?

Think of American Stew! Goulash is similar to American Stew, but I think, much better! It is a hot dish, originally from Hungary, made of beef, onions, red peppers and paprika powder.

In some regions of the United States, the term goulash can be used interchangeably with hot dish and casserole.

It is most often prepared as a stew and served with boiled or mashed potatoes, polenta or dumplings. ~ Goulash Defined - Free information from Wikipedia Encyclopedia.

Thanks to my grandma Julia Nagy for her traditional Hungarian recipes!

P.S. I was the Official Squidoo Comfort Foods Contributor! Did you know that? Well, you probably guessed it. Hungarian Goulash was one of the first Eastern European comfort foods I got to love ... thanks to that grandma of mine!

JaguarJulie and Grandma Julia Nagy in her Cleveland, Ohio Kitchen
Grandma's Cooking was the Best!

Hungarian Goulash Recipe

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 hour 30 min
Ready in: 2 hours
Yields: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lb. beef chuck
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 onions
• 2 Tbsp. lard or shortening
• 2 Tbsp. imported sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 qt. water
• 4 peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

1. Cut beef into 1 inch squares, add 1/2 tsp. salt.
2. Chop onions and brown in shortening, add beef and paprika.
3. Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hr. on low heat.
4. Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt.
5. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender.
6. Prepare egg dumpling batter: 1 egg, 6 Tbsp. flour, 1/8 tsp. salt.
7. Add flour to unbeaten egg and salt. Mix well.
8. Let stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow.
9. Drop by teaspoonful into goulash.
10. Cover and simmer 5 minutes after dumplings rise to surface.
11. Serve hot with dollops of sour cream.

Other Hungarian Goulash Recipes
I've selected a few for you to try!

• Amanda's Hungarian Goulash
  Hungarian goulash from www.cdkitchen.com.
• Chuck Taggert's Hungarian Goulash
  Chuck's recipe is worth trying.
• Cooks.com List of Recipes
  Cooks.com has a special Hungarian goulash recipe.
• My House and Garden
  Yet another recipe to try!
• Susannah's Hungarian Goulash
  Last, but not least, Susannah's recipe.

Get a Cast Iron Pot!

My grandma had an old, reliable, cast iron pot something like this one that she used all the time for her Hungarian recipes.

I first heard "dutch oven" from my grandma Julia Nagy. You will get a lot of use out of the Lodge L8DOL3 Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Dutch Oven with Dual Handles, 5-Quart. The size is perfect for making goulash or stew. It measures 10-1/4 inches in width and is also made in the USA!

What is different about Hungarian cooking?

What makes Hungarian Goulash SO good? Hungary is known for its exotic, tasty and spicy food and delicious wine. In general, the preference is for rich and spicy sauces, stews and sweets over rather "drier" dishes. In particular, the liberal use of a few special ingredients which give it its own inimitable and original flavor.

These are first of all red pepper, fresh green peppers and tomatoes, sour cream and lard. The use of lard or goose-fat instead of other forms of fat for cooking is traditional and certainly typical but nowadays more and more Hungarians are worried about the cholesterol content of lard, so often other fats are substituted. ~ Hungarian Cooking - What is different about Hungarian Cooking?

Hungarian Cuisine Ingredients
It's in the Goulash! The most well-known specialities of the Hungarian cuisine such as goulash soup along with the different varieties of stew or paprikash are red with paprika. It should be noted that dishes flavoured with paprika need not be hot. In fact, some of the finest brands of paprika are not strong at all.

Fresh green peppers and tomatoes are also frequently used to flavour these dishes, the essence of which is the same: braise any kind of meat in lard/oil with onions, and season it richly with red pepper.

Sour Cream is an essential ingredient in many Hungarian dishes too. It is a basic ingredient of "paprikash" (any kind of meat or just plain potatoes prepared in paprika sauce, to which sour cream has been added), as well as in many Hungarian vegetable dishes and casserole stews.

Facts about Hungarian Paprika
The Goulash Spice - Also known as the pepper fruit.

Paprika, Capsicum annuum, is a sweet-to-mildly hot cultivar of the chile pepper of the family Solanaceae. It is cultivated for its fruit, which are dried and used as a spice or seasoning. C.annuum is a native of South America; however it is cultivated most extensively in Hungary.

The English word was borrowed directly from Hungarian, which in turn borrowed the term from the adjacent Slavic peoples.

Paprika is noted for its high vitamin C content; vitamin C was first isolated by Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi from Hungarian paprika. He earned The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937, for his discoveries in connection with the biological combustion processes, with special reference to vitamin C and the catalysis of fumaric acid.

The Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Papers - Read about the discovery of Vitamin C content in Paprika!

• Hungary is famous for this spice.
• Paprikas produced especially in Kalocsa on the Danube and Szeged on the Tisza are the best in the world.
• The rose paprika, made from choice dark red pods that have a sweet flavor and aroma, is generally considered the finest variety.
• A sharper Hungarian variety, Koenigspaprika, or king's paprika, is made from the whole pepper.
• Hungarian paprika is characterized by a hotter taste, achieved in recent times by adding hot, red capsicum pepper to ground paprika.
• Its bright color makes it an excellent garnish for nonsweet, light-colored foods.
• It is especially associated with Hungarian cuisine and is essential for such hot, spicy, Hungarian stew dishes.

Try some Paprika!

I recommend you start with Reese Kalocsa Sweet Hungarian Style Paprika. I'm partial to Hungarian-style paprika, you know? This is Kosher-certified paprika. It has that traditional bold flavor that can add a lot of taste to your favorite chicken, veal, and beef dishes. Give it a try!

Thanks for visiting!

Do you have a great Hungarian goulash recipe? Maybe you know of a great restaurant that serves Hungarian goulash? Or, have you been to Hungary and experienced the cuisine?

I'd love you to take a moment and tell me about it. Thanks!

History: Hungarian Goulash : Ah, Goulash! was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on March 30, 2006. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #214 overall. Lens #2 in the quest for Giant Squid 100 Club Charter Member 2007.

Langos - Traditional Hungarian Food

I sure do love Hungarian Langos folks! Lately, I've been hearing a lot of buzz about Hungarian Langos which is a traditional Hungarian food that is rather like a fried bread. Thinking about langos makes for a nostalgic moment in taking me back to my grade school experiences staying with my grandmother, Julia Nagy, in Cleveland, Ohio.

That one year alone with grandma helped to put on 15 pounds from all of her fantastic Hungarian and Slovak cooking. Of course Hungarian Langos were a big part of the menu along with stuffed cabbage, hungarian goulash, hungarian spaetzle, nut roll, poppy seed roll, butter horns, kifli, strudel, apple pie, crepes suzette and oh so many other traditional Hungarian goodies!

Thank goodness for our grandmothers for their sharing the family recipes and for creating our love for such comfort foods!

Ah, Hungarian Langos -- it is a traditional Hungarian Fried Bread that can have a variety of toppings! I sure do love Langos folks! Check out the best-ever recipes for Hungarian Langos! IMHO, it's a Hungarian take on what we know as a pizza!

Photo Credit: Delicious Hungarian Langos by silangel on Flickr.

Have you ever tried Hungarian Langos?
Rather like a flat bread or tart! Ever eaten a Langos?

• Yes, quite a few in fact
• Oh, maybe once or twice
• No--not yet

My Confession : Grandma Made the Best-Ever Hungarian Langos
My grandma Julia Nagy had the most authentic and traditional old-world Hungarian and Slovak comfort foods! "Come on in and have a virtual taste of the Hungarian Langos! We predict you will love it and want to try more!"

After you have had your fill of Hungarian Langos, may I heartily encourage you to give Hungarian recipes a try? You'll want to start with Butter Horns, Hungarian Pastry - 5 Fabulous Recipes, Kifli : Traditional Hungarian Pastry, Nut Roll - Traditional Hungarian Pastry, and of course Poppy Seed Roll - Traditional Hungarian Pastry. These are my favorite, best-ever, authentic and traditional Hungarian recipes for pastries and desserts. Yes, pastries and desserts can be categorized as sweet and delicious comfort foods! --The Brand Ambassador for the Langos, JaguarJulie!

P.S. I was the Official Squidoo Comfort Foods Contributor! Did you know that? Well, you probably guessed it.

Grandma's Cooking the Best!
My grandmother's butter horns were so good that they melted in your mouth. She didn't need icing, but simply sprinkled confectioner's sugar on the horns after they cooled.

My Grandmother's TIP for Langos!
She usually used just a bread dough and topped the langos with confectioner's sugar! YUMM YUMM!!!

Photo Credit: Hungarian Langos frying by KellyKorv on Flickr
Photo taken on December 22, 2007 using a Nikon D70s

Hungarian Langos Frying in Oil - I believe you can smell the langos! 

Langos Recipe submitted by Elizabeth C.
Part of the best-ever recipes collection! This recipe sounds quite a bit like my grandmother's recipe!

Ingredients
3 c. flour
1 pkg. yeast
1 pinch salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. water
1 pat butter

Instructions
Melt butter in saucepan, add water and heat through until warm (105-115 degrees). Pour into large bowl. Add yeast and sugar to bowl and let stand for a few minutes for yeast to soften. Add 2 cups flour to bowl and beat with electric mixer until well blended. Add the rest of flour to bowl.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with damp paper towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch dough down and roll dough on floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut as desired pieces and fry in hot oil until slightly brown. Remove from oil and place on several thicknesses of paper towels to cool. Rub with fresh garlic before serving.

Hungarian Langos with Delicious Toppings
Doesn't this Langos look yummy?

Photo Credit: Langos by Jon Aslund on Flickr
Photo taken on December 1, 2007 using a Nokia E70.

Hungarian Langos Recipe by Ilona Horvath
Submitted by Carolyn K.

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes
1-1/4 to 1-2/3 cups of milk
1 oz yeast
Pinch of sugar
14 oz flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 liter ( 1 quart) of oil

Instructions
Cook the well washed potatoes. In a mug, prepare the leavening agent: crumble the yeast into 1/2 cup lukewarm milk, add the sugar and mix with a little flour.

Sprinkle the top with 1/2 tspn of flour, cover with a cheesecloth and at a warm room temperature let it raise. Peel and mash the potatoes. Sift rest of the flour into a deep bowl, depress in the middle and pour in the leavening agent.

Add the still warm mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil and lukewarm salted milk to make a medium stiff dough, then beat with a wooden spoon or mixer until bubbly.

Sprinkle the top with 1/2 tspn flour cover with a cheesecloth and put in a similary dry warm place for about an hour to raise to twice its size. Tear pieces of the dough and pull them thin, palm size.

Put them in plenty of very hot oil and fry one side under cover, remove the cover and fry the other side until crispy. You can sprinkle with salt or rub with garlic.

Carolyn K.: The langos in Budapest is to die for, I was addicted. The recipe above comes from a recipe by Ilona Horvath.

Hungarian Langos with Delicious Toppings
Oh my! Another delicious langos!

Photo Credit: Hungarian Langos at a festival by ilja kuklic on Flickr
Photo taken on July 5, 2008 using a Canon PowerShot A530.

Langos Recipe from Cooks.com

Ingredients
1 lb. flour
3/4 lb. mashed potatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
Oil to deep fry

Instructions
Put yeast in lukewarm milk with sugar and let rest 15 minutes.

In another bowl mix the flour and mashed potatoes and make a well and add the yeast mixture and begin to blend. When well mixed immediately knead until smooth and satiny.

Let rise in warm place covered with a clean cloth until dough has doubled its size. Punch down then take a piece about the size of a large hand and pat until it is about 2 inches thick. Then drop into the hot oil and cook on both sides until golden brown.

NOTE: May be eaten with garlic butter or sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar on just plain sugar. --www.cooks.com.

Get a Hungarian Cookbook

In the The Lost Art of Baking with Yeast & Pastries: Delicious Hungarian Cakes, Baba Schwartz introduces the principles of yeast baking and gives handy hints for kneading and proving dough to perfection.

Get traditional recipes for cakes, slices, pastries, buns ... and Baba's famous golden dumpling cake.

These recipes, with their distinctive Hungarian flavor, will delight your family and friends.

Be a supporter of traditional Hungarian baking!

P.S. Langos is pronounced LAHN-gosh!

Oh, I so would love to hear if you have had a Langos recently! How did you like it? Where did you have it? In Hungary maybe? Or, maybe at a Hungarian restaurant in the US? OR, did YOU make it?

History: Langos : Traditional Hungarian Food was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on June 7, 2008. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #839 overall. Lens #367 in the quest for Giant Squid 400 Club.

Made in Hungary

Made in Hungary : Not Just Goulash! Many designer items are made in Hungary! It boggles the mind the designer items "made in Hungary!"

As you may have guessed from the title, this article is about anything that is made in Hungary. I personally wasn't made in Hungary or born there, but my grandfather was.

In May 2004, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of traveling to Hungary and Romania to trace my roots to see my grandfather's birth city. That is my inspiration for writing about Made in Hungary.

When a person thinks of Hungary, probably the first thing that pops into his or her mind is goulash. But, when you think about Hungary, it's really not just goulash, it is so much more! How appropriate that the term goulash in English is occasionally used to mean any mixture of diverse things ... a goulash of diverse things 'made in Hungary!'

Made in Hungary Food
Giving you a flavor of Hungary, which is your favorite Made in Hungary food?

1. Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
2. Hungarian Goulash
3. Hungarian Chicken and/or Veal Paprikas
4. Hungarian Spaetzle
5. Hungarian Pastries and Desserts : poppy seed roll, nut roll, butter horns, kifli
6. I love all Hungarian and Made in Hungary food products!

A Lot of Research
This article has been a "labor of love" as I put a lot of passion into writing and compiling the data and hope you will find lots of helpful information if you are planning a trip to Hungary or want to buy something that is "made in Hungary."

"Made in Hungary," quickly became part of my trilogy of "made in" articles when I next wrote a similar article about all the designer brands that are "made in Romania." I quickly followed up those two made in lenses with my trilogy "Made in Poland" lens along with three different groups, Everything Eastern European, Everything Hungarian, and Everything Romanian!

In addition, I've written 2 additional "made in" articles: "Made in Bulgaria" and "Made in Czech Republic." I hope you are able to take some time to check out all my "made in" articles as they are jam-packed with a diversity of information sure to amaze you! You won't believe all the wonderful, recognizable designer brands which are made in Eastern European countries!

A Pictorial of Old Hungary
Setting the mood for this "Made in Hungary" page. A few years ago, I incorporated a visit to three cemeteries in Satu-Mare, Romania, and one cemetery in Budapest, Hungary to photograph headstones while tracing my families history. I could honestly do more vacations like this.

These pictures are of old Hungary, Szatmar-Nemeti, which is known today as Satu Mare, Romania. I've included them as an introduction to my page so that you can get in the mood for "made in Hungary!" I took these pictures when we traveled to Hungary and Romania in May, 2004. What an incredible experience this was and I'm happy to share my pictures with you. I hope you enjoy.

Check out my Flickr photo slideshows:
* Nagy Hungarian Monuments slideshow on Flickr.
* Satu Mare, Romania slideshow on Flickr.
* Satu Mare Historical Postcards slideshow on Flickr.

"Made in Hungary" Name Brands
I'll bet you'd be pretty surprised to learn just how many brands are made in Hungary! I assembled the following list of branded items "made in Hungary" from active listings on eBay:

Alba, American Girl, Ann Taylor, Baumler Avantgarde, BCBG Max Azria, Benetton, Berwin & Wolff, Bogner, Bonpoint, Breckenridge, Cerruti 1881, Christian Aujard, Coach, Cornell, CRISCA Escada, Dana Buchman, DKNY, Dries Van Noten, Earl Jean, Escada, Faconnable, Feraud, Harve Benard by Bernard Holtzman, Hess Frackmann, Innocence, International Scene, J. Crew, Josef Seibel, Kishi, Lacoste, Lanz of Salzburg, LaMax Alba, Laura Ashley, Laurel, Levi, Liz Claiborne, LL Bean, Louis Feraud, Marc Jeffries Bronze Collection, Margaret Godfrey, Mark Henri, Marni, Mondi, Oilily, Pez, Pleasant Company, Polo, Portland, Puma, Rene Lezard, Rockport Dresports, Rodier, Sonia Rykiel, Stafford, Stanley Blacker, Stella McCartney, Strenesse, Theo Miles, Thierry Mugler for Mugler Trademark, Think!, Vass, Zippo, and Zodiac.

Oh, and don't forget that the Audi TT is made in Hungary as well.

"Made in Hungary" found on eBay
It's not just Goulash!
On a rainy Saturday, I sat at my computer browsing the some 1313 items found on eBay for "Made in Hungary." What I found was the "expected" collectibles, pottery, embroidery, and gypsy music. But, to my amazement, there were many items I'd call "unexpected."

The listings reflect a "goulash" of items: Collectibles (390), Pez, Keychains, Promo Glasses (317), Housewares & Kitchenware (11), Decorative Collectibles (8), Music (201), Records (140), CDs (56), Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop (184), Cards (183), Pottery & Glass (119), Clothing, Shoes & Accessories (108), DVDs & Movies (98), Home & Garden (86), Toys & Hobbies (38), Consumer Electronics (13), Dolls & Bears (13), Crafts (10), Books (9), Antiques (8), eBay Motors (8), Health & Beauty (8), Jewelry & Watches (8), Live Auctions (7), Sporting Goods (6), Business & Industrial (2), Computers & Networking (2), Musical Instruments (2), Cameras & Photo (1), Cell Phones (1).

Searching on Google for "Made in Hungary," you will get about 94,000 results. For Hungarian goulash you get about 352,000; Goulash = 2,240,000 and Hungarian = 126,000,000.

More About Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country. It had been a seaside country before the Treaty of Trianon, in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia. It is known locally as the Country of the Magyars.

In the time of the Roman Empire, the Romans called the region Pannonia (west from the Danube river). After Rome fell under the Germanic tribes migration and Carpians' pressure, the Migration Period continued bringing many invaders. First came the Huns, who built up a powerful empire under Attila.

The name "Hungary" may be influenced by the name of the Hun people, although it probably comes from the name of a later, 7th century Turkic alliance called Onogur. After the Hunnish rule faded, the other Germanic tribes Lombards and Gepids ruled in Pannonia for about 100 years, during which the Slavic tribes also began migrating south.

In the 560s, these were supplanted by the Avars who would maintain their supremacy of the land for over two centuries. The Franks under Charlemagne from the west and the Bulgars from the southeast finally managed to overthrow the Avars in the early 9th century. Soon after, the Franks retreated, and the Slavonic kingdom of Great Moravia and the Balaton Principality controlled much of Pannonia until the end of the century. Finally, the Magyars migrated to Hungary in the late 9th century.

The country of Hungary isn't very big geographically; some 107 Hungaries would fit inside Canada. It has 111 people per sq. kilometer which is much higher than Canada at 3.1.

The climate and weather of Hungary is quite similar to that of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Hungary enjoys lots of fresh produce in summer from fruits and vegetables to wheat crops.

CIA Fact Book on Hungary
Find these facts and more about Hungary at: CIA Fact Book on Hungary

• Area: 93,034 sq. km.
• Size: slightly smaller than Indiana.
• Population: 10,006,835 (July 2005 estimate).
• GDP: 68.9 billion Euro.
• GDP growth: 3.5% ~ Hungary's GDP growth rate is steadily 2% higher than the EU average.
• Inflation: approximately 4.7%.
• Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 813,203/female 769,687); 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 3,405,559/female 3,511,141); 65 years and over: 15.1% (male 547,323/female 959,922) 2005 estimate.
• Ethnic: Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census).
• Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land.
• Agriculture: wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products.
• Industries: mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles.
• Exports: $61.75 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) -- ranked #38 of countries worldwide.
• Export partners: Germany 31.4%, Austria 6.8%, France 5.7%, Italy 5.6%, UK 5.1% (2004).
• Currency/exchange: forints per US dollar - 196.83 (2005).
• Internet users: 1.6 million (2002).

The Hungarian Language
A Finno-Ugric Language: The Hungarian name for the language is magyar. The Hungarian language is a Finno-Ugric language spoken in Hungary and in the adjacent states of Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Austria, and Slovenia (all are countries to which Hungary had to cede territories after World War I).

There are about 14.5 million speakers, of whom 10 million live in Hungary. Approximately 1,434,377 ethnic Hungarians (magyarok), live in Romania. The largest minority concentrations are in the Romanian region of Transylvania, including the counties of Harghita (Hargita), Mures (Maros), and Covasna. Learn more about the beautiful language of the magyars.

Hungarian Gypsies - Ethnic Minority of Hungary

• The Gypsies in Hungary
  The Gypsies are Europe's most deprived and fastest growing ethnic minority. They comprise several distinct tribes originating from Central and North-Western India between the 5th and 12th centuries.
• Hungarian Gypsy Music: Whose Heritage?
  The Hungarian instrumental dance music of the early 19th century--so-called "verbunkos" music--along with Hungarian popular songs.
• Golden Age of Gypsy Bands
  In the second half of the nineteenth century, the word 'Gypsy' as used in Hungary and abroad most probably referred to Hungarian Gypsy musicians rather than to the Gypsy ethnic group in general.
• Hungarian-Speaking Gypsies
  Each tribe had its own occupation and spoke a separate language or dialect of Romany (the original Gypsy tongue). Hungarian-speaking Gypsies, or Romungros who were among the first to come to Hungary centuries ago, produced bricks and did other work.

So, do you love Hungary? Are you Hungarian or know someone who is - aside from Zsa Zsa or Eva Gabor. Do you have something that is made in Hungary? Better take a moment and check that label as you just never know where something is made these days.

Have you actually visited Hungary? Do you love Hungarian foods?

The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll

Do you love Stuffed Cabbage? Have you registered your vote in the Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll? We are working to get the vote out folks for our favorite comfort food. Is it your favorite comfort food? Let's hear from you! So ... here is how we stand thus far:

The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll

According to my Excel spreadsheet calculation, 90.4% of the love vote equates to 4,341 Stuffed Cabbage fans out there. Almost 5,000 readers have already registered their votes in the Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll.

We have a worldwide readership base of readers for our Stuffed Cabbage page. And, Stuffed Cabbage is known worldwide, in many different cultures, with many different recipes. 7.7%, or about 370, of the readers acknowledging that they haven't tried stuffed cabbage yet. Gosh, let's get the lead out people! There are plenty of different recipes; you can find it at restaurants; you can buy it in the store. Why not add Stuffed Cabbage to your Bucket List?

Hey! Only 2%, or about 96, of the readers said "Naw, don't like stuffed cabbage!!" Not bad, you all. I think that number can be a changeable number. By that I mean, because there are so many different delicious recipes for Stuffed Cabbage, I'm of the thinking they need to try another recipe, like Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage. Then, I believe they will become a fan!

So ... it is time to get the vote out! Let your vote be heard ... vote in The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll.

I am nuts about nut rolls AND poppy seed rolls

My favorite Hungarian pastries are poppy seed rolls and nut rolls - like my grandma Julia Nagy used to make. For years and years, I looked around to find the Hungarian pastries that were as good as hers. Finally, I found them! Bubba's HomeBaked were making them from grandma's recipes!

A couple of weeks ago, we ordered a 2 roll bundle which included a nut roll and a poppy seed roll from Bubba's HomeBaked. That's a picture of the 2 rolls before we tore open the package to begin devouring these delicious rolls. If you can't make up your mind which type of roll that you'd like to sample, you may want to order the 2 roll bundle from Bubba's HomeBaked. You'll get one poppy seed roll and one nut roll. Yumm!

Here is a picture of a couple of slices of poppy seed roll AND nut roll that we had. We had it at room temperature the first time we ate them. And the rolls were probably 1/2" slices. However, after sampling these rolls a number of times, we found our favorite manner of preparation.

Suggested Preparation: Cut about a one inch slice of the nut roll and/or poppy seed roll and placed it in a microwaveable dish. Liberally spread on the top of each slice your favorite butter. Cover the dish with a paper towel. Microwave until the butter has melted and the rolls are warm. Time will vary from approximately 30 seconds to a little longer if more than one dish is used. Let me tell you that this was a wonderful experience once the fillings were warm and juicy!

The nut roll and poppy seed roll have a long history with families of Eastern European descent. My grandmother Julia Nagy made these rolls usually for the holidays. Her heritage was Hungarian and Slovakian; so we became accustomed to her special recipe. She didn't spare any of the special ingredients to make her rolls the best. I'm happy to say that having sampled Bubba's HomeBaked nut roll and poppy seed roll that these definitely remind me of grandma's!

Want more information about these traditional Hungarian pastries? You may be interested in checking out the more in depth articles I've authored on the nut roll and the poppy seed roll. Check them out today. Who knows, you just may learn something new.

Butter Horns prepared by my Hungarian grandmother

Butter Horns:  A delightful treat as prepared by my Hungarian grandmother! "Hey, what's that picture got to do with this blog?" you ask. Well, that's an easy question to answer. Simply put, that's as picture of me with my grandmother and namesake Julie Nagy. You see, she's the reason I'm writing about Butter Horns in the first place. You see ...

My grandmother made the best Hungarian Butter Horns that I've ever tasted! Learn the traditional Hungarian pastry recipe!

Holidays were always THE time of year that my grandmother baked the most of her famous Hungarian Butter Horns. She could make hundreds of these at a time, with several different fillings -- usually nuts, apricots, and prune. It's generally the holidays that I love to reminesce about sitting in my grandmother's kitchen and watching her cook and bake. Regrets include that she left us all too long ago and that she kept some of her recipes in her head!

Well, if you don't yet know how to make this delightful treat, you will definitely need to check out my article, Butter Horns, to learn how to make them! I can almost taste them now.

Hungarian Goulash ethnic comfort food

Hungarian Goulash:  An ethnic comfort food! Where's the beef? Well, it just might be in the Hungarian Goulash! Do you remember having stew as a child? I hope you liked it! It sure seems like I used to have lots of stew when I was younger. Think of this as stew, Hungarian style -- that's Hungarian Goulash.

Goulash - Gulyás in Hungarian - originates from the word "gulya" meaning herd of cattle or "cowherd". Well, I guess that translation is a good thing since when you think of a cow, you think of beef. You know, I just thought about the word Gulyás -- that was actually the last name of my godmother -- really!! Want to know more about Hungarian Goulash and how to make it? You'll need to check out my article, Hungarian Goulash, to find out!

BTW ... The picture shown is a Hungarian dish of goulash that was actually "Made in Hungary," "shot in Hungary," and finally "eaten in Hungary!" I took that picture in May, 2004 when we were visiting Hungary and Romania.

Stuffed Cabbage Comfort Food

Stuffed Cabbage:  A Comfort Food from my childhood! Stuffed Cabbage is a delicious comfort food that has carried over to my adult life.  It's cabbage leaves stuffed with meat -- beef, lamb or pork -- along with spices and rice!

One of my fondest food memories growing up is watching my grandmother Julia Nagy make Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls ... and then, of course, eating it! She had a "secret ingredient" that made her cabbage rolls the best I've ever had!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe : Jaguar Julie Secret Ingredients
Copyright Julie Ann Brady

Cabbage leaves are stuffed with the filling and are then baked, simmered or steamed in a covered pot and generally eaten warm, often accompanied with a sauce. The sauce varies widely by cuisine. We usually ate them with homemade mashed potatoes with the "gravy" or "sauce" poured over the potatoes. Yumm, Yumm. This ethnic comfort food was always better the next day, or the day after that.

If you want to know about that "secret ingredient," you'll need to read my article on Stuffed Cabbage : The Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ever to find out. In this lens, you'll find out how to make stuffed cabbage or find a restaurant where you can have some authentic Stuffed Cabbage!

Have you found Squidoo yet

Have you checked out Squidoo yet? Well, it's been a matter of just weeks since I was first introduced to Squidoo by BzzAgent. I've already created 8 uniquely creative lenses and feel that Squidoo has "taken over my life!" But, I mean that in a good way. You can check out my lensmaster profile, JaguarJulie, to see what I've written!

The lens that I've created are as follows--yes, you do see a theme--Hungarian and proud to be Hungarian:

• Made in Hungary: Not Just Goulash!
• Gulyás Goulash: Hungarian Goulash
• Hungarian Spaetzle: Size Matters!
• Hungarian Gypsies aka Roma
• Nagy, the Hungarian Name
• Satu Mare
• Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Squidoo FAQ: "A lens is one person's (lensmaster's) view on a topic he cares about. More specifically, a lens is a single web page filled with information and links that point to other web pages, to continually updated RSS feeds, or to relevant advertising."

In September 2014, Squidoo transferred all the lenses in their portfolio to HubPages. Squidoo is no more.