The gastronomy of Rye Island is characterized by the peculiarities of Hungarian cuisine, and it was also influenced by the culinary traditions of neighbouring nations. The Slavic and German neighborhoods all added their own distinctive features to the flavors of the region.
Europe’s largest sweetwater island abounded in both fish and wildlife. The area provided fishermen and hunters with not only their everyday food but also an income. Although the historical abundance of the area has diminished with the change of the image of Rye Island, fish and game still frequently appear on the plate of the people living around here. Simple dishes made of fresh local fish praise the creativity of former fishermen. Be it baked or cooked, the healthy delicacies of this region are prestigious accompaniments to many nearby gastro festivals and village day cooking competitions. The real Danubean fish soup is made from several different small fish species, and the cooked fish meat is carefully passed in the end. In the fine, thick soup later filleted slices of locally caught noble fish such as carp, grass carp or pike are cooked. Small game such as rabbits and pheasants are also local specialties. The vegetable-rich, golden, fragrant pheasant soup is a festive feast, and the garnish to the tasty sour rabbit, meaning vadas, a mixed boiled vegetable-cream is served in the form of potato dumplings.
Meat is a favorite ingredient of Rye Island gastronomy, be it poultry or quality beef. In the winter, pigs are slaughtered at many houses. The rich offer of pork feasts should not lack fried blood, egg marrow, braised liver, but also fresh pork bone bouillon and roast meat. Slow-growing, mangalica pig with its soft meat is also gaining more and more importance on the menu of Rye Island. Locally made delicacies made from this ancient pig breed are on offer in a growing number of restaurants.
With the transformation of Rye Island, cereal also often appears on the table of locals. A variety of cooked and fried pasta still makes an integral part of the traditional local diet. Sweet, fruit-filled or salty, sour-creamed pies and folds are still the go-alongs of rich soups. Strudel with seasonal fruits, cherries, sour cherries, plums or homemade cottage cheese, stretched to crispy, film-like layers, is a real specialty.
The locals’ respect and love for food is also reflected in the number of local gastro festivals. The festival, named Secrets of the Furnaces in Doborgaz, dating back to almost 15 years, regularly attracts thousands of visitors. At such times, many houses in this small village by the Danube open their doors to hungry visitors, who can treat themselves with a variety of traditional fish dishes made with local ingredients, and also taste various steaks and pies. The famous Hodos feast also introduces visitors to the rich culinary traditions of the region. A strudel festival is organized in Vásárút every year, during which skillful housewives compete with each other to make the dough thin and active with air bubbles, which is then filled in different ways.
The best Rye Island dishes are made from local ingredients. More and more locals are rediscovering the tricks of their grandmothers and great grandparents and reviving their simple food, adapting it to modern age expectations. Culinary creations nourished by local traditions, also occupy a prominent place on restaurant menus. But what is their secret? A heart and soul which takes real care of the quality raw material coming from its pure source - this is the only secret of Rye Island gastronomy.
