Fish soup

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Halászlé being served in Szeged, Hungary
Halászlé being served in Szeged, Hungary
This article is about hot fish soup as prepared in the Pannonian region. For other fish soups, see List of soups.

Fish soup (Russian: уха, Hungarian: halászlé; Bulgarian: рибена чорба, ribena chorba; Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian: riblja čorba, riblji paprikaš; Macedonian: рибина чорба, ribina čorba; Greek: ψαρόσουπα, psarosoupa) is hot soup prepared with mixed river fish, characteristic for cuisines of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkans, especially the wider region around the river Danube. The meal originates from Slavic cuisine.

Traditionally, fish soup is prepared in small kettles on open fire by fishermen themselves. First, a lot of chopped onion is fried in the kettle with some oil and water until its gets yellow and softens. Then, hot ground chile peppers (paprika) is added, and the kettle is filled with water. When the water boils, other spices (such as black pepper, white wine, tomato juice) are added, and finally the fish, chopped into large pieces. Entire fish, including heads and tails, is usually added to the soup. It is regarded that the best soup is prepared with mixed fish;[citation needed] the most common species are common carp, catfish, perch and pike. Depending on amount of added peppers, the soup is mildly to very hot.

The soup is poured directly from the kettle into dishes and eaten with bread (the hotter the soup, the more bread is required).

Many people, especially fishermen, regard the preparation of fish soup somewhat of a cult. Although the recipe is basically simple, the "right" ratio of spices, onion, fish (especially, its quality and variety) and water, as well as timing, affect the soup taste significantly. Many dedicated fishermen keep their recipe as a highly-kept secret. Competitions in preparing the soup are popular and are usually held as fairs or picnics along river coast. Visitors are offered to taste the soup for money or for free, the quality is determined by public or committee and (un)success of competitors is often subject of mutual teasing. The soup is best consumed with Riesling wines, diluted with soda water (combination referred to as špricer in Serbian and Croatian referring to the German word spritz, which is the sound effect made by soda water as it fizzes out of the dispenser; and fröccs in Hungarian).

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