Now That's Tasty!

Friday 9 March 2012

Hungary for Hungarian

All you Weight Watchers, the animal righteous, assorted weirdos who woefully winge at the wondrousness of weiner schnitzel, sausage and back bacon, those averse to generous bounties of assorted animal butchery - stop reading now! Transylvanian Wooden Platter is quite clearly not for you.

Transylvanian Wooden Plate
There are few normal things that seem so pristinely gluttonous. Mounds of meat and potatoes - dredged, battered and fried. Sharp knives securing piles of protein to a wooden platter. Veal schnitzel, cabbage rolls and creamy tejföl (sour cream), sausage, bacon, fried mushrooms, pork chops, perogies and potatoes - perfect!

It's hard to find much history on the Hungarian classic, but it would seem as though the traditional mixed-meat barbeque dish originated from Hungarian Transylvania; likely sometime between the brief 'achem' 700-some-odd-year rule of by the Magyars culminating in the 16th century by its division between the Ottoman and Habsburg empires. At the famous Grundel Restaurant in Budapest, they served Fatányéros ("fa" wood, "tanyer" plate/platter) or as one blogger by the same name describes it "the thing on a wooden platter" on the menu since 1900. Containing grilled slices of veal, beef, pork cutlets, goose liver and bacon with a side of thick fries or potatoes and mixed salad, the only way I've seen it around Toronto is in the deep fried form. A complaint, this is not! The platter is practically passed through the oil bath itself and is about the only thing that's inedible.

If you're still reading then you must as mad about meat as I am, and will surely enjoy my review of the best place to eat Transylvanian Wooden Platter in Toronto: Europe Restaurant and Bar.

Read my blogTO review HERE!

Quality Cabbage Roll
Goulash Soup 
Fresh Rye Bread
One more for good measure