Paprika isn’t background seasoning—it’s a system. In Hungary, it’s the backbone of cooking, dissolving into fat and building flavour quietly while stews take the credit. Elsewhere it changes accents: Spanish pimentón brings smoke and swagger. I built a three-course menu around Hungarian paprika—some dishes traditional, some happily not—to show how one red powder can anchor a meal, bend the rules, and still hold everything together. Cheers.

Tokaji is Hungary’s magical wine region where grapes get politely zapped by “noble rot” and somehow turn into liquid dessert with subtle acidity. From the renowned Aszú to the quietly brilliant Fordítás, these wines balance sweetness and brightness with effortless poise. When paired with rich duck rillettes or pâtés, their layered flavours seem to greet one another with a refined, joyful flourish.