Salami, goulash, marmalade-filled crepes and many other specialities: this is the best of Hungarian cuisine! From hearty casseroles, meat dishes and sweet baked goods all the way to the most exquisite culinary pleasures the 'Danube Republic' has to offer, Hungarian cooking offers a wealth of possibilities. The richness of the country's culinary palette is no accident: the Orient and the Occident are combined in many typical Hungarian recipes that inspire gourmets to wax lyrical about the wonders of Hungarian cuisine. This volume is far more than just a cookbook, however. Commentaries describe the tradition of Hungarian wine culture, introduce Tokaj, the king of Hungarian wines, and relate the 'fiery' history of the pepper. The texts range across the wide plains of the puszta, the cosmopolitan Danubian metropolis Budapest, and the Hungarian landscape with its sandy plains, mountains and wild, romantic forests. Colourful pictures invite readers to participate in a peasant wedding as well as Easter and Christmas feasts and to try the refined recipes for themselves.

Reviews

Gr 3-6-These books provide detailed information with mixed results. Poland and Hungary, first published in the Netherlands in 2004, have good-quality, well-chosen full-color photos that complement the texts. The narratives are interesting and flow smoothly. There is some concern about currency of information, but they fare better than Romania and Bulgaria, which were originally published in 2008. In Romania and Bulgaria, the photos are of similar quality but do not work as well with the texts. There are several discussions that beg for an illustration that is sadly lacking. (None of the books show a picture of the country's flag in the section that describes it.) In addition, some photos of people contain speech bubbles that appear to be an attempt at humor but do not mesh with the serious nature of the presentations. The texts are choppy and not engaging. All of the books contain information about the country's history, towns and cities, people and culture, education, cuisine, transportation, economy, nature, and tourism. Even with these concerns, the level of detail is good for report writers. Purchase if you need more resources about these countries.-Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.