Photo by argirl

If you are invited to a Hungarian home for dinner—as you very possibly will be during a visit, since Hungarians are famed for their hospitality and cuisine—here are a few tips.

Take the hostess flowers. Roses are a good choice, but always an uneven number of blooms—even numbers are considered unlucky. A bottle of good quality dry red wine will also be appreciated.

You won’t be expected to help out in the kitchen, but when the food does arrive, eat liberally. Refusing seconds, thirds, or even fourths is a sign you are not enjoying the food! The same applies to drink. Your wine glass will continually be refilled, so go easy! If you are vegetarian, tell your hosts in advance. Vegetarianism is still rare in Hungary, but people do recognise and respect it.

Finally, learn how to say a couple of words in Hungarian. Hungarians are proud of their fiercely difficult language and a foreigner’s attempts to pronounce it are really appreciated. Try thank you (köszönöm – sounds like kersernerm) and this is tasty (finom) and delight your host!

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1. A Toast to Unicum, Hungary’ s National Drink
2. Hungary: The Language of Flowers
3. The Hungarian Girl Trap
4. Hungary: A Taste of Tokaj
5. Hungary: The Whole Country in One Park