WOODEN SPOON GRAND PRIX OR COOKERY CONTEST BUDAPEST STYLE

Fakanal (= Wooden Spoon) Restaurant
in the Great Market Hall

Hungarian Cuisine, Food, Cooking and lots of Fun!!! :)

There is a great unique program in the Great Market Hall (a.k.a. Central Market Hall) for those who would like to get to know the Hungarian Cuisine and some traditional Hungarian foods; who would like to cook some of these dishes; do all this in a competitive spirit in the Fakanal (= Wooden Spoon) Restaurant on the Gallery of the Great Market Hall.

THE GAME:

The participants are divided into teams and each team is given a Hungarian recipe and the task: shopping in the Market. Each team receives an envelope containing a list (in Hungarian) of the ingredients to be purchased and some money to cover the cost. The teams have half an hour for the shopping. Speed does not count but points are awarded for quality and the money spent. The winning team is the one that shops for the lowest prices and most precisely.

Then the cooking competition begin :)

The teams select 2 competitors each, one to prepare the main dish, the other the dessert. Each contestant uses, cleans, chops, slices, etc. the ingredients purchased by his or her own team. Speed and uniformity of size are marked in evaluating the preparation of raw materials. The main attraction is the dessert that is frying the pancakes. The winner is the contestant who successfully tosses the pancake at first try - if several contestants succeed in this, they continue tossing until one of them makes a mistake.

The winner receives a string of peppers and a certificate confirming that he or she has learnt the tricks of making goulash soup and cottage-cheese pancakes. (Don't panick - our cottage-cheese is much different :))

At the end of the cooking competition the guests eat the dishes made and served individually.

During the meal the orchestra plays popular melodies of internationally known Hungarian composers, operettas and other evergreens.

Duration of program is about 2 hours

It costs about £25 / person (A glass of drink is also included in the price.)

We need at least 10 people for this program.

ABOUT THE GREAT MARKET HALL:

History of the Great Market Hall 

Construction of the Great Market Hall started in 1894. After repairing the roof the market opened on 15th March 1897 together with the other four Budapest Markets, built at the same time. Budapest's Great Market Hall belonged to the most modern indoor markets at that time, with up-to-date lightning and refrigeration. Originally the vendors shipped their products into the hall through a network of indoor channels. They aren't in use anymore. The Great Market Hall was reconstructed between 1991-94. Beautiful Zsolnay tiles cover the enormous roof structure that makes it the most spectacular element of the building from outside.

Explore the Great Market Hall 

The three-storey hall offers you plenty to do and see.

Ground level

Among the three levels the ground floor is the busiest. To the right of the main entrance you'll find exotic fruits and vegetables from all around the world. To get good bargains look around further inside where the more modest stalls offer fresh vegetables, fruits, paprika, salami and other products. On the north end of the hall you can get fresh and dried mushrooms and homemade honey.

Basement

Take the escalator to go down the basement where you'll find a supermarket, fishmongers and pickles.

Try the pickles, gherkins, pearl onions, paprika stuffed with cabbage. Hungarians are experts in making them :) 

(We usually have pickles with meaty main dishes, but they're excellent appetizers too.)

Upper Level

The upper floor attracts lots of tourists because of the rich selection of Hungarian embroidery and other art and craft products. And this is the place to grab some tasty Hungarian food :) 

Try our "langos" (= deep-fried disk-shaped pastry, rub in some garlic and spread sour cream and grated cheese on top) or hot sausages and black pudding with fresh bread and mustard.

There are also some restaurants if you prefer to sit down.

Just to give you some ideas for buying souvenirs / tipical Hungarian foods:

Hungarian paprika powder, strings of red paprika and garlic, Hungarian salamis (Pick salami!), sausages, hams and other meat products, fresh pastries, dairy products, Hungarian wines (Tokaji aszu!) and palinka (traditional Hungarian fruit brandy) , dried fruits, ...