Hungarian domestic life
Class distinctions were very much a part of Hungarian daily life until shortly after the Second World War. In the homes of aristocrats, lavish meals of many courses, each with intricately prepared dishes, were possible because of the availability of cooks, gardeners, and servants. Finely crafted tableware and luxurious eating began as early as the late 1400s. It was the influence of King Matthias and his Italian wife, Queen Beatrice, that soon made the work of artisans and the arts of gastronomy very much a part of the life of the upper classes. Abundance of good produce, servants, and the appreciation of good foods well prepared were the true beginnings of the excellence of the Hungarian cuisine.
While the nobility wined and dined on what the world came to know as
"Hungarian cuisine," the peasants lived on their monotonous diet (except
for festivals) of bacon, bread, and soup. The bacon was often cooked on an
open fire, the bread baked in outdoor communal ovens, and the soup slowly
simmered in a big kettle called a bogracs. The delightful food
specialties of the upper classes - known as "national dishes" - likely
were unknown to the rural family because they had neither the time to
prepare the more traditional complex foods nor the money for the
ingredients. To this day many white outdoor ovens, still used for cooking
and baking, may be seen in the countryside.
Class distinctions with their inevitable polarities of luxury and poverty
were said to diminish under communism. Huge kitchens with fine facilities
and many chefs prepared meals for workers. Individual homes had minimal
kitchens as most meals were taken outside the home. Except for special
occasions and restaurant fare (especially for tourists) food in Hungary
was simplified to pork and poultry dishes, potatoes, cabbage, and
quantities of bread. Cattle, pigs, poultry, eggs, and wine were mainly for
export.
The Hungarian cuisine is seen at its finest in restaurants, and only
occasionally in Hungarian homes when time permits the loving attention
that great cookery requires. Hungarian women tend to prepare traditional
foods mostly on weekends and of course for festive celebrations.