Hungarian Jewish food is a perfect example of acculturation. Take this piquant cucumber salad, which can be made with one of the three different kinds of paprika — mild, sharp, or sweet. Taken there by the Turks who discovered it in the New World, paprika has been cultivated in Hungary since the sixteenth century.
Recipe information
Yield
Yield: 6 servings (P)
Ingredients
3 cucumbers
Salt to taste
1 onion
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons water (about)
Fresh sweet paprika to taste
Preparation
Step 1
1. Peel the cucumbers and slice into very thin rounds. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid from the cucumbers.
Step 2
2. Slice the onion very thin and mix with cucumbers. Add the salt, pepper, white vinegar, and water to cover the vegetables. Sprinkle paprika generously on top.
Reprinted with permission from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan. © 1998 Knopf
