CULINARY ADVENTURES – AUTHENTIC HUNGARIAN GOULASH CREATED AT THE SOURCE

There is something exclusive about traveling to the country where a well-known national dish originated to learn how to make it from local chefs. It is even nicer when this experience is offered to you as a free shore excursion on your Danube river cruise.

Several months ago, we enjoyed a food and wine tour in Budapest as part of AMA Waterways river cruise to that city. Our small group was taken to the elegant Swissotel Budapest, were we were outfitted in official, sparkling white chef aprons and serious chef hats before entering one of the hotel’s large commercial kitchens.

Instead of just observing a chef put the recipe together for us, we were handed knives and given professional instructions on how to properly slice the ingredients, so our finished result would be not only tasty but also beautifully presented with symmetrically diced vegetables.

After putting our large pot of goulash to simmer on the stove, we went into a small dining area and were served the same goulash recipe we had just prepared, but from a pot that had been simmering since earlier in the day. It was a treat to taste the original Hungarian goulash accompanied by good local Hungarian wine.

Along with the usual sightseeing tours highlighting the most important cultural and historical monuments in a region, it is also educational and fun to eat and drink your way through the best products available locally.

Several of the European river boat cruise companies have expanded their complimentary shore excursions and now offer more unique choices, which include innovative culinary experiences.

Which excursions do you prefer, cultural or taste oriented?