Turkey Backbones and Chicken Gizzards: Women's Food Roles in Post-Socialist Hungary

Abstract

This article looks at soup-making as a lens to view the impact of societal change for Hungarian pensioner women. Food as a practice illustrates agency: strategies and tactics used in time and space to communicate meaning for people in everyday life. During the socialist period, women endured frustrations of long lines and scarce resources. In the post-socialist era, their heroic clout as food providers is diminished by the introduction of a market economy. Nevertheless, the survival skills learned in the socialist era allow them to adapt to the new era of high inflation and high unemployment. I use descriptions of one woman to connect personal experience to historical and political change. This article makes two main points—first, to look at food practices developed during state socialism that carry over and adapt to the post-socialist condition; and second, to illustrate how this impacts gender and agency of elderly Hungarian women. ¹

Notes

This study was presented at the American Anthropological Association meetings in San Francisco, California, 2008. I would like to thank the encouraging comments and suggestions from the people who attended this panel. I owe a great deal to the Fulbright Association for funding my research in 1996–1997. I appreciate the nudges and advice from my core writing group: Jean Kubeck, Sean MacDonald, Eric Rodriguez. I would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions and remarks.

Soup can be eaten alone or as a first course to a meal. Soup is a common staple associated with family meals. Meat soup in particular is commonly served for family Sunday brunch.

“Jó ebédhez szól a nóta.”

Néni literally translates as “aunt,” but it is used as a sign of respect when a younger person addresses an older woman. Bácsi translates as “uncle” and is used as a sign of respect when talking to an older man.

Please refer to Appendix for brief descriptions of all respondents mentioned in this article.

Please refer to Appendix for brief descriptions of all respondents mentioned in this article.

Házi Gondozás is a state-run center that allocates social services and advice. They run the Hungarian version of “meals on wheels” (though food is typically delivered by bus and foot). They have information about state-run institutions and hospitals. They can send a social worker to check up on an elderly person.

Tesco is a large Western-style supermarket. It is a British-owned retail market that sells a wide variety of products including clothing, electronics, and food. They sell inexpensive fresh baked bread. Unlike the old state-run stores, Tesco stores are typically huge and offer a wide range of options and choices with the convenience of being open 24 hours. On weekends, they often have free food samples. They have wheeled shopping carts, and give free plastic bags. Most Hungarian stores were too small for shopping carts, and the customers had to bring their own shopping bags or pay for one at the market. Tesco allows its customers to select the produce themselves, unlike the old-style Hungarian greengrocers. Because they are huge, they are typically located on the outskirts of Budapest.

In the United States, friends might visit a person's home and help themselves to a cold drink from the refrigerator. It is a sign of familiarity. In Hungary, particularly among the elderly, to have a visitor open their refrigerator to help themselves would be rude. There is a strong code of hospitality in which a guest is served typically by the woman of the house. In addition, it takes years to build relationships and friendships that would allow one the more informal access to family (see West 2002: 36–41 and 109–110). I felt particularly privileged that Ica néni was willing to show and explain the contents of her refrigerator.

Senior Hungarians have actually chastised me for buying an expensive item out of season. This is seen as wasteful. I got into the practice of taking the price labels off of everything I bought to avoid the scrutiny of visitors who would disapprove.

Nothing is wasted; in fact, I bought some pickles and jam at the store and was criticized when I tried to throw out the empty jars as these could be used over with homemade preserves and sauces. Having assisted various women in the production of tomato sauce and jam, and one man's brewing of palinka, I did not anticipate that I would take the time to make my own. Hence I either donated my jars to my neighbors, or took them outside the building to dispose of in the neighborhood recycling bin (see West 2002).

When I first started shopping in Hungary, I found that I often received money that was no longer circulated. They heard my American accent and slipped me old single forint coins that were no longer of any value.

“Férfi világ” translates as “men's world” and “nöi világ” translates as women's world.

There is a general and implicit understanding that these vegetables include carrots, parsnips, kohlrabi, celery root, potatoes, onions, and parsley.