National symbols of Hungary

Holy Crown of Hungary

The Holy Right

Turul, the Hungarian mythical symbol

Old Hungarian script, the ancient Hungarian writing system

Folk costume of Kalocsa

The national symbols of Hungary are flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Hungary or Hungarian culture. Additionally, highly valued special Hungarian products, symbols have a special name, those can be called Hungaricum.^[1]

Flags and heraldy

Main article: Flags of Hungarian history

Main article: Hungarian heraldry

See also: Coat of arms of Hungary

The flag of Hungary is a horizontal tricolour of red, white and green. The coat of arms of the Árpád dynasty is also popular.

Hungarian coat of arms

Hungarian military flag from 1848

Hungarian revolution flag in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building

Coat of arms of the Árpád dynasty

Flora and fauna

See also: Hungarian animals

See also: List of national parks of Hungary

Almost a fifth of the country is forested, however only 10 percent is natural forest.^[2] Hungary is home to some 2200 flowering plant species and, because of its topography and transitional climate, many of them are not normally found at this latitude. Much of the flora in the Villány and Mecsek Hills in Southern Transdanubia, for example, is usually seen only around Mediterranean.^[2] Here, at the southern Szársomlyó Hill of Villány Mountains, a formerly unknown plant was found and described for science in 1867 by the Hungarian botanist, Viktor Janka. This flower is the earliest blooming Hungarian flower, the Hungarian crocus, Colchicum hungaricum.
The salty Hortobágy region on the Eastern Plain has many plants normally found by the seashore, and the Nyírség area is famous for meadow flowers. The Gemenc forest on the Danube near Szekszárd, the Little Balaton in the centre of Transdanubia and the Tisza river backwater east of Kecskemét are all important wetlands.^[2] Most of the trees in the nation's forested areas are deciduous (beech, oak and birch) only a small percentage are fir. Since the 14th century, over 250 new plants colonized Hungary, of which almost 70 are considered invasive.^[2] Many such plants are perennial herbs, that have taken root on plants, causing some of the native flora to slowly disappear.^[2]

Historically, Hungary was the second largest supplier of paprika to the USA.^[3] Hungarian paprika has a distinctive flavour and is it great demand in Europe where it is used as a spice rather than as a colouring agent.^[3]

Hortobágy, the Hungarian steppe

Hungarian capsicum of Szeged

The Hungarian crocus, Colchicum hungaricum

Hungarian Grey Cattle

Puli the Hungarian sheepdog

Komondor

Vizsla

Hungarian buffalo in the buffalo reserve of Kápolnáspuszta, Zala county

People

Main article: Culture of Hungary

See also: Hussar

See also: Hungarian folk music

Arrival of the Hungarians in the 9th century

Hungarian folk wrangler

Hungarian authentic dance

Traditional Hungarian coppersmith master at work

Hungarian horse archer

Hungarian Hussars in Elsterwerda

Hungarian folk dance

Hungarian paprika vendor in Budapest

Food and drink

Main article: Hungarian cuisine

See also: Hungarian wine

See also: Pálinka

See also: Hungarian beer

The traditional Hungarian dishes abound in piquant flavors and aromas.^[4] Dishes are flavorful, spicy and often rather heavy. Flavors of Hungarian dishes are based on centuries-old traditions in spicing and preparation methods.^[4] The exquisite ingredients are produced by local agricultural and husbandry. Paprika, onion and garlic are to be found everywhere. In the Middle Ages the fish soup was the most popular and the most lovely fishmeal in Hungary.^[4] A cookery book from 1860 contains 400 fish recipes.^[4] The most well-known specialities of Hungarian cuisine such as goulash soup, the different varieties of stew and "paprikas" are red with paprika.^[4]

The Dobos cake

Hungarian filled pancake

Hungarian Goulash soup

The famous Hungarian chimney cake

Fresh made Lángos

A cold bottle of Unicum

Tokaji, "Wine of Kings, King of Wines" ("Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum")—Louis XV of France

The Pálinka

See also

• Hungary
• List of Hungarian dishes
• National Historical Memorial Park of Ópusztaszer

References

1. ^ International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Report of a Working Group on Medicinal and Aromatic plants: first meeting 12-14 September 2002, Gozd Martuljek, Slovenia, 2004, p. 46
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Neal Bedford, Lonely Planet Hungary, Lonely Planet, 2009, p. 64
3. ^ ^{a b} Niir Board,Handbook On Spices (Reprint Edition - 2010), National Institute Of Industrial Re, 2010, p. 101
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Teresa de Noronha Vaz, Peter Nijkamp, Jean-Louis Rastoin, Traditional food production and rural sustainable development: a European challenge, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2009, p. 106

Bibliography