Kocsonya

The story

Kocsonya is a cold appetizer of meat (most often pig's feet and ears) simmered for a long time until its natural gelatin is released, then chilled in its own broth until it sets into a quivering, translucent texture. It is a dish that divides people instantly: they adore it or steer clear of it, and there is rarely any middle ground. Making kocsonya is an old winter technique for preserving meat without refrigeration, because the cold, set gelatin naturally protects the meat from spoiling through the winter weeks. It is served with bread, horseradish, and ground paprika, and in some families with a small glass of brandy, on the belief that alcohol “helps” digest so rich a dish. Although many younger Hungarians today consider kocsonya old-fashioned, plenty of families keep it on the holiday table anyway, precisely because of its connection to Grandma's kitchen. For the diaspora, kocsonya is one of the harder dishes to explain to guests from outside Hungarian culture, and for that very reason one of those that most strongly preserves a sense of authenticity.