Egg barley, also egg drops, called tarhonya in Hungarian,[1] is an egg-based pasta grain in Hungary and Eastern Europe, originating probably from the influence of the Ottoman empire and the Turkish cuisine from tarhana or of Persian origin, similar to the Persian tarkhane. The "barley" moniker is derived from its superficial resemblance to cooked pearl barley. Because of the relatively large size of the flakes, it is considered sometimes a type of small dumpling.
The tarhonya is mentioned already in the 16th century handwritten Hungarian cookbooks. Tarhonya is a simple product, being made of water, wheat flour and whole eggs, which mixture is formed into barley-sized "grains" either by hand, cutting or grating, making it similar in appearance to a large couscous. The grains are dried and stored, and can be roasted and then boiled before being used in different dishes. They are served with meat or vegetable stews, egg dishes, roasted poultry, fried sausages or in salads. In Hungary, Tarhonya is fried in butter or lard before boiling.