Hongaarse nationale feestdag gevierd in EU-instellingen (en)

On the Hungarian EU Presidency and Hungary’s National Day, on 15 March, a Hungarian menu was offered to the European Commission’s employees in 12 restaurants in Brussels for the next few days.

As it is customary in the European Union, Brussels hosts a series of events every six months in honour of the incumbent presidency to popularise its national culture. As Hungary celebrated its National Day within its term of Presidency, it was logical to hold Hungary’s thematic event on 15 March.

It is a fortunate coincidence that the Director of the European Commission’s Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Brussels is a Hungarian. Last spring, Gábor Zupkó, proposed to the Permanent Representation of Hungary in Brussels, that Hungary should be presented with Hungarian dishes, during the Presidency’s term.

Eurest, which operates the restaurants, received the recipes and technical description of several potential Hungarian dishes. This resulted in a menu, which gave some insight and characteristics of Hungarian cuisine, while fitting in with local taste and demands. At the last stage of preparations, a group of senior chefs in charge of five restaurants visited the Hungarian Representation for a professional exchange of ideas and a cooking test. They discussed with two Hungarian chefs on all matters and details related to the preparation of the meals.

So on 15 March, each restaurant of the Commission had Jókai bean soup, chicken paprika and poppy seed rolls on their menu. The staff provided guests with information about the origins of the meals served, and marked all Hungarian dishes with small flags. The menu of Berlaymount building, the European Commission’s headquarters, included the Hungarian meals until 18 March.

Restaurant 29, the Commission’s “à la carte” restaurant, will offer the Hungarian menu for a longer period of time, up until 20 April, popularising not only dishes but also Hungarian wines. The restaurant’s traditional wine tasting on 23 March, will be a special event. Offering Hungary’s best wines selected by Sommelier Helga Pál, in honour of the Hungarian Presidency.

Hungarian tastes won recognition: a representative of the Commission’s Office for Infrastructure and Logistics told the eu2011.hu website, that the Commission’s employees were pleased to try the unfamiliar dishes and were not at all disappointed. In the light of the success, the Commission intends to popularise member states’ gastronomic values in the future, as a contribution to the presentation of Europe’s typical cultural diversity.