When we last took a sniff at Hungary’s ongoing political crisis, public health officials had swooped in to close down the impromptu soup kitchen anti-government demonstrators had set up in front of the Hungarian parliament. While true, this story may have given readers the impression that the opposition sits around plotting the government’s demise over scraps of brown bread and tin bowls of thin gruel. As if.
Last week we had the privilege of attending an “off the record” breakfast hosted by leaders of largest opposition party Fidesz at the Hilton Budapest, who used the occasion to brief various business and journalism types on the country’s ongoing political crisis. By “off the record” we assume our hosts meant we are not supposed to reveal their plans to force out the current government. But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about what they served for breakfast.
And what a breakfast it was! There about a zillion kinds of cold cuts and other traditional Hungarian breakfast treats, numerous varieties of breakfast sausage (including an excellent Nuremberg-style one), fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, some really nice pickled herring, and – the big shocker – absolutely delicious Mexican jalapeño poppers.
While it may seem a little inappropriate given the hardship spreading as a result of the country’s budget crisis, keep in mind that Fidesz continues to argue that a general austerity package is unneeded, despite all the evidence to the contrary. No doubt they also think you can eat a blowout breakfast like this every morning without having to worry about your heart or waistline. Sounds like a vote-winner to us.
