The French eat fatty food, drink lots of red wine and smoke a lot. But still they are skinny usually. Some call it the French paradox. The surveys indicate that just 8% of all the French are overweight compared to 50% when it comes to the USA.
The French live more and have fewer heart problems. With all the pastries they eat, all the wine they drink and a fatty traditional cuisine they somehow succeed to stay thin. They must have a secret. But what it is?
If you ever go to France you will see for your eyes that food plays a central role in the French culture. Breakfast, lunch and supper are a must if you are French. You might think that eating 3 times a day is a sure way to gain weight. The truth is just the opposite. The difference between French and we the Americans is that the French enjoy their food and take time to eat it. They feel pleasure when they eat.
If you have ever been to a French restaurant you might have noticed the small servings that have an artistic... [more]

Introduction:
Recent years have seen an expansion in the range of cuisines on offer but traditional Magyar cooking still dominates Budapest menus.

In common with most Central European countries, meat dishes in Hungary are the staple, portions are generous and desserts rich. Prices are, on the whole, extremely reasonable even in the best of Budapest's many restaurants.

Hungarians are especially passionate about their soups, desserts and pastries and stuffed pancakes (palacsinta), with fierce rivalries between regional variations of the same dish, (like the Hungarian hot fish soup called Fisherman's Soup or halaszle, cooked differently on the banks of Hungary's two main rivers: the Danube and the tisza). Other famous Hungarian dishes would be Paprikash (stew) with nokedli (small dumplings), Goulash, Gundel Pancake and Dobos Cake.

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Budapest and Hungary

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French cuisine is extremely diverse, with only the Chinese having similar variety in their food. This variety is supported by the French passion for good food in all its forms, France's extraordinary range of different geographies and climates which support the local production of all types of ingredients, and France's long and varied history. In many ways, an understanding of the culture of French food is an understanding of France itself.
Meals range from the very basic, such as the traditional baguette plus cheese plus inexpensive wine, to very elaborate affairs than can involve a dozen courses and different wines consumed over several hours. Obviously, the latter type of dining is exceptional for most people. However, it is this more sophisticated dining which is typically found in "French restaurants" outside France, giving many foreigners the mistaken impression that French food is heavy and complicated.

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