Budapest - The Jewel of the Danube

April 19, 2011 - This morning we arrived in Budapest.  This is a city that is actually on both sides of the Danube River.  One part of the city is called Buda, which is on the hills of the Danube and where the castle is located, and the other part of the city is on the opposite side of the river and is called Pest (that's pronounced Pescht). 

I can truly say that I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful city.  There just aren't enough adjectives to describe it:  glamorous, dramatic, enchanting, magical.  Budapest has been called the "Paris of the East", and it's difficult to say which is more breathtaking - looking across the Danube towards the flat Pest from the heights of Buda, or from the direction of the hills and towers of Buda from Pest. 

Of course, Hungary is known for it's production of paprika.  Here's some facts about Hungarian paprika, which is very different from the paprika we use at home.

•Paprika powder is produced by grinding the dried deep red paprika pods of the pepper plant (Capsicum annum L. is the botanical name)


•Although paprika is the symbol of Hungary's cuisine the plant was brought to the country by the Turks only in the 16-17th centuries.

•Its pungency ranges from sweet to mildly hot and very hot, depending of the type of pepper the powder was produced. The color of the spices varies from mild to bright red, and there are papika powder types with brownish colour too.

•Note: Not the brightest red paprika is the hottest!  The orange coloured one will make you really cry.

•The hotness is caused by capsaicin, a chemical that is extracted from paprika plants to use in pharmaceutical production due to its painkilling effect

•The fresh red pepper is rich in vitamin C 

•Would you believe that even pálinka (brandy) is made from paprika?

So, the next time you sprinkle paprika on your deviled eggs or potato salad, or use it as a spice in chicken paprakasch, think of Budapest and the beauty of this wonderful Eastern European city.