Bin rummaging

It is rubbish collection day and the usual routine commences.  Every Monday and Thursday our bins are emptied.  Every Monday and Thursday our kids are horrified by the fact that people come and rake through our bins.  Some are looking for food; some are looking for discarded cans and bottles that can be exchanged for money at supermarkets.  Bin rummaging might be against local byelaws in over 50 local authorities in Hungary but it still goes on.

In the UK bin rummaging is almost seen as chic and an example of anti-consumerism: Freeganism.   I do not think that it is quite the same in Hungary.  The people raking through our bins seem to be in need- whether through substance misuse or dire poverty.  In the present times I think that only a thin line separates many Hungarians from the bin rakers of Budapest.

As an aside Hungary won a first- the first EU country to institute a vat rate of 27%- woohoo.....  Another tax that disproportionately affects the poorest in society.  It just gets worse.

Főzelék time is nigh

I have a guilty pleasure.  I am addicted to főzelék.  Autumn is upon us even though the sun is shining most days and temperatures are in the low 30's.  It will soon be time to give up on the lovely fruit soups so popular here in the Summer and turn to comfort food.  My favourite comfort food (apart from cake!) is a thick gloop somewhere between soup and stew called főzelék.  It comes in many varieties, most good, some bad:

• Finomfőzelék- my least favourite so far, green peas and carrots from the freezer bound up in a white sauce.  Not a triumph for the tastebuds.  I may be wrong as I have only ordered it once and am not about to try it again.  
• Sárgaborsófőzelék- one of my favourites.  Yellow split peas.
• Krumplifőzelék- made from potatoes, onion, paprika and sour cream.
• Kelkáposztafőzelék- made from Savoy Cabbage, often with potato.
• Lencsefőzelék- made from lentils.  Traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve- for good luck.
• Paradicsomos káposzta főzelék- yucky!  Another mistake- stewed cabbage in very watery sauce- probably from a tomato soup packet.
• Spenótfőzelék- spinach.
• Soskafőzelék- sorrel.
• Szárazbabfőzelék- Made from dried beans- usually the spotty brown ones you can find called Tarkabab.
• Tökfőzelék- made from grated marrow and dill.  You can see the ladies at the Markets selling bags of this complete with a sprig of dill used for flavouring.

All varieties have been made with a flour/fat roux to thicken them and most have sour cream, onions, garlic, paprika added..  Főzelék often comes topped with an extra accompaniment- which you order separately.  From my photograph you can see that fasirt- or meatballs are very popular.  The spinach and sorrel varieties often come with a fried egg- or  tükörtojás  (literally mirror egg).  The bean and pea varieties can come with a small helping of meat stew- pörkölt.  

You can find at least one variety of főzelék on most lunchtime menus in Hungarian restaurants.  There are some places that specialise in főzelék- Főzelékfaló is a franchise chain with branches around Budapest.  My favourite place serves much more than főzelék but it still has at least four varieties available- it is Frici Papa kifőzdéje  at 55 Király Utca in District VII.  Most kinds of főzelék come in at under 400 Huf.  Go on try some- you know you want to!

If you want to see most of the kinds side by side then view this book online and go to page 141.  A Subjective Atlas of Hungary has just been published by HVG and I just love it.  It shows another side to Hungary and has a sense of humour.  It would make a great present for anyone interested in Hungary.

If only real life was that simple

The plight of the homeless in Budapest is concerning the Kids at the moment.  After we moved to Budapest they started noticing the amount of homeless people.  They had noticed them before when we had visited but now that we live here it seems more real.

Yes homeless people can still be seen in Budapest despite the Budapest Mayor's best efforts.  He may have made it illegal to be homeless on the streets and in underpasses but the problem has not gone away.  It is estimated that there are around 15,000 to 25,000 homeless in Budapest.  The Mayor is adamant about tackling the problem.  He does seem to be going about it in a rather short sighted and simplistic manner.  It is a very complex problem.  People are on the streets for many different reasons.  Many have underlying problems that are the cause of or have contributed to their situation.  Funding is being cut to organisations helping the homeless.  The removal of church status from many religious organisations has meant that some of the very groups prominent in helping the homeless will suffer a serious financial setback.

At least in Polly Pocket World my Kids have come up with a solution.  I heard them playing with Rowan's Polly Pocket dolls yesterday

" Oh you are homeless.  Well don't worry.  We have loads of room in our house, come and stay for as long as you like."


If only real life was that simple!