New Folk Restaurant in Hungary

Unit 4: Folk and Popular Culture  

1/13/17

Original article can be found here 

Synopsis:

          Recently, in Budapest, Hungary a restaurant named Urban Betyár had its grand opening. However, this isn’t a traditional restaurant that you would see anywhere in Hungary. Instead, it is unique in that it focuses on the folk food of Hungary. They focus on getting the freshest ingredients, and the best recipes in order to provide natives as well as foreigners with a blast from Hungary’s past. Even the way the restaurant and furniture is set up makes it seem very antique and historic. The restaurant has invested a lot into the aesthetic of the restaurant as well as staff training, and of course the food. In their lower level, they also have a folk culture museum that customers can visit. This is something that no other restaurant has even attempted and it is right in the city. The inspiration behind this idea stems from the viewpoint that Hungarian food is greasy and salty. So, the creator decided to create a restaurant that would go back to the roots and the essence of Hungary itself.

Analysis:

          The newly opened restaurant Urban Betyár, focuses on folk food rather than the popular food that other places offer. The name itself has some historical significance. Betyár is a term used to describe Hungarian outlaws that became famous and had folk songs and ballads dedicated to them. They operated outside of what was traditional, which is what the restaurant is doing. It wants to bring back those things that are so essential to Hungarian history. Urban in the beginning of the name represents that they are in modern times in the middle of the city of Budapest, but then Betyár comes into play with the folk significance. The restaurant works with traditional ingredients. They like to be as authentic as possible and true to Hungarian history, however they still find difficulties because it is not the most accessible. One of their most popular appetizers thus far is an artisan cheese platter. The cheese in that dish comes from an authentic Hungarian artisan cheese monger. Another popular dish is the smoked trout. The trout comes from Szilvásvárad (village in northeastern Hungary) and is fresh. The Hungarian wine has also been pretty popular because most people appreciate how vintage it is and that it is from true suppliers. What this restaurant is doing is risky and unique. Venturing off from the status quo and creating a restaurant like this does not happen too often so it is really interesting to see that people like it. In class we learned that in modern day society folk culture isn’t appreciated as much as it used to be, and is often dismissed among the general public. Therefore, this is why it is nice to see this restaurant at the heart of the capital of Hungary. People who have visited have said that the whole atmosphere of the place takes you back to the roots of the country. The folk culture museum in the lower level is especially important as well because this restaurant is giving people a chance to learn. They have a woman’s room where there are items associated with women back then like spindles. They have a traditional “tiszta szoba” which translates to clean room and is representative of the nicest room in a traditional Hungarian peasant house. There are interactive displays all throughout the museum so that people can listen to stories related to the artifacts in front of them. There are writings in both original Hungarian and translations so that people can get a deeper look into the culture. Overall, what this restaurant is doing by exposing people to the folk culture of Hungary is incredibly unique and truly amazing. It keeps the culture alive and stops it from dying forever. By continuing to share these things from the culture, it ensures its diffusion and stops its disappearance.