Eating Through Bohemia

The Danube flows through the capital of Hungary,dividing the city into two distinct regions. Despite their similarities as the two capitals of the Austro-Hungarian empire,Vienna and Budapest are completely different. Hungary has had a tumultuous history to say the least,occupied as it was by successive conquerors,including the Romans,the Celts,the Magyars,the Ottoman Turks and the Syrians. Budapest comprises the twin cities of Buda and Pest (pronounced “pesht”) which were combined in the late 1800s. While Buda is historical,crammed with castles,churches and baths (more on that later),Pest is more contemporary with shopping centres,restaurants and jazz clubs.

The biggest stumbling block for the Indian traveller is the language (unless you speak Hungarian,of course). The Budapest citizenry is among the friendliest in Europe but perhaps not as well-versed in English as the West Europeans. And while the locals are always willing to lend you a friendly ear or help you with the right directions,more often than not they reply in Hungarian,accompanied by much hand-waggling and smiling apologetically,which leaves you feeling more bewildered than ever. Specially troubling is ordering food at a restaurant,as the English translations don’t explain the nature of the dish.

The best way to combat this culture shock (and subsequent hunger pangs) is to go for the Taste Hungary walk,a tour company founded by food and travel writer Carolyn Banfalvi and her husband Gabor. You are nigh led by the hand to different restaurants to eat,drink and revel even while you are taught the nuances of Hungarian cuisine. You also pick up some basic Hungarian phrases as well as a host of interesting facts (for example,Hungary is the number one producer of foie gras in the world. And here we thought the French had a monopoly on that particular fatty fabulousness) and not to mention learn your way around the city. The tour concludes with tasting three traditional Hungarian wines,so you know what to order while propping up a Budapest bar. The most famous Hungarian wines are the Egri Bikavér in the reds and the Tokaji in whites. While Bikavér is strong and potent (bikavér means “bull’s blood”),the white wine from the Tokaj region is light as a feather and ranges from dry to sweet. However,even a dry Tokaji tends to be quite a bit sweeter than its white wine counterparts from other parts of the world.

In Hungary,it would be criminal not to dine on some succulent game meat. The Magyars were skilled hunters (and we’re not just referring to Dracula) and their menus are replete with venison,wild boar,guinea fowl and other fauna of the forest. There are also a few dishes that utilise horse meat,which may not be to everyone’s taste. But,you can always tell idealistic fellow travellers,that you just ate Black Beauty (which we must confess,we did,with macabre relish). Think extra-salty,rather strong (and way darker) Parma ham.

Pest has a unique charm,chock-full as it is of epicurean vistas,havens for the tireless shopper and its own collection of quirky historic gems. To continue in the Dracula vein,if Buda’s the heart of Hungary,Pest is the pulse. Notable institutions on the Pest side include the Central Market Hall and pastry shops dating back to the 1800s. According to our Taste Hungary guide Virag,the women of Budapest banded together more than a century ago to petition the government to ban pastry shops. Their cause of complaint was that their menfolk spent more time in the pastry shops than they did at home. Following the sensible adage of “when you can’t beat ’em,join ’em”,the ladies started patronising the pastry shops,to the delight of bakers and the disgust of the general husband population. And Hungary’s pastry culture thus blossomed. The Dobos cake could well be described as the national pastry. It is a five-layer sponge cake,layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices. Its creator,József C Dobos,created the cake for the National General Exhibition in 1885,when he wanted to bake a cake that wouldn’t spoil on the long journey from his hometown to Budapest. The caramel coating safeguarded the cake’s integrity and ensured that Dobos’s name would live on.

An excellent way to round up the evening is visiting the venerable Budapest Jazz Club,where we enjoyed a magnificent beer-fuelled and saxophone-filled evening. There’s a different live jazz performance every night of the year and the entry fee is reasonable.

Prague,the capital of the Czech Republic,like Budapest,is also divided by a river,the Vlatava,which was largely responsible for the flowering of Prague’s Bohemian culture.

While it is the wine that gets the conversation flowing in Budapest,beer is the Czech idea of a party starter. The town of Pilsen (where the revered Pilsner was created) was unfortunately not on our itinerary,but,we sampled their wares extensively. Our question,which beer was best at the wine shop led to a long,passionate,almost acrimonious argument involving the store clerk,manager and other patrons,half of whom were tourists. After listening to a litany of names,we decided to buy three of the most recommended brands: Gambrinus,Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen.

Since beer is a big part of Czech life,some of the best places to grab Czech local food are the pubs. We noticed that the most popular pub snacks were spicy,pickled sausages and what appeared to be potato pancakes (with or without fillings). Apart from this most of the food we ate in our four days in Prague were localised versions of meat dishes from the neighbouring regions of Hungary and Slovakia. We weren’t complaining.

Located in the Old Town Square is the clock,Prague’s famous astronomical clock tower. Hordes of tourists flock in front of the Gothic clock,decorated with Zodiac motifs,at the stroke of every hour to watch the elaborate show that marks the passage of time. The carved statues of the apostles pop out on a balustrade to “wave” at the crowd,while a gilded skeleton (representing Death) pulls a chiming bell and an equally gilded rooster crows out the hour. Prague seems a veritable genie of a city,granting wishes at every corner. So if you stand in front of the clock at the striking of the hour,you are “sure” to return to the city (flight tickets not included). The clock is supposed to be lucky for a new couple,so one can see many new brides and grooms beaming in marital bliss,as they make a pit-stop at the tower.

Considering we stood in front of the tower at least five times,we hope we’ll get to visit Prague as many times. With a bevy of blushing brides in tow.