Despite its New World origins, paprika is an essential part of Hungarian culture and identity. A good example of its physical appearance on traditional objects is the famous kalocsai embroidery, which includes red paprika fruits among vividly colorful flowers on white cloth.
Kalocsai embroidery is a relatively young invention. The first embroideries in the 19th century were all-white. Colored versions, black-and-blue and red-and-blue variations were a later addition. Embroidering became a popular hobby when printed embroidery designs and patterns were made available through the city press of Kalocsa. What is really striking is that kalocsai designs with and without paprika are becoming more and more popular today, suddenly they are everywhere, unlike other folk art, other regional embroidery and design varieties in Hungarian culture, which are less and less visible.
As for folk songs, we have a few, little known gemsof a fading paprika past. I learnt this song from Zsófi Pajor, a music student at István Tömörkény Grammar School in Szeged. The song is sung by a mischievous husband to his wife, Marika. Marika has been working hard with paprika and the husband is ready to sell it all and blow it all away in one night unless his wife is kind to him again…
Rika, rika, rika, rika, paprika. …
Rika, rika, rika, rika, paprika.
Haragszik a feleségem: Mariska.
Ha haragszik, eladom a paprikát,
Még az éjjel elmulatom a zárát.
Feleségem, nem bírsz annyit keresni,
Hogy én aztat el ne tudjam mulatni.
A piacon eladom a paprikát,
Még az éjjel elmulatom az árát.
Finally, a verse told by the wedding ceremony leader when paprikás is served at a wedding. Hungarian paprikás is unpaired, it is flavorful and spicy, down it with no water but wine or beer. It is for meat lovers not for skinny people…
A magyar ember a paprika kedveli, …
Paprikás behozatalakor
A magyar ember a paprika kedveli,
Kivált hússal főzve módfelett szereti.
Ez aztán az étel, a magyarnak való,
Cingár németeknek a torkán akadó.
Nincs a paprikásnak a világon párja,
Reá vizet inni minálunk nem járja.
Egyétek, uraim, hogy ne vesszen kárba,
Ne hagyjatok, kérlek, semmit se a tálba!
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