Music, Goulash Spice Hungarian Festival

The smell of paprika and the music of composer Franz Liszt provided the perfect backdrop for the Hungarian Spring Festival Sunday.

Mother Nature also did her part by providing mostly sunny skies and mild temperatures during the sixth annual event at the Grace Hungarian Reformed Church in Reseda.

“When it rained [Saturday], we prayed a lot for a nice day, and this turned out very well,” the Rev. Balint Nagy said.

About 500 people were on hand for the six-hour festival, which featured a band playing a variety of native tunes and performances by the Hungarian dance troupe Karpatok.

Hungarian goulash, a stew of beef and vegetables spiced with paprika and other seasonings, was the star attraction.

“The beef in it is a little fatty, but the Hungarian people like it that way,” said event organizer Rozi Kaufmann.

Hungarian chef Rosalia Furi of Ontario also delighted festival-goers’ palates with sausages, cheese potatoes, red cabbage and other native dishes.

The festival began in May 1993 as a means of raising money to rebuild the church, which was destroyed in an arson fire 12 days before the previous Christmas, Kaufmann said.

By 1995, the congregation had built a new church and youth center at the site, technically eliminating the need for the annual gathering. But objection by Southern California’s Hungarian community over the possibility of canceling the event prompted organizers to continue the festival, Kaufmann said.

One enthusiastic attendee Sunday was Reseda resident Paul Kass, who helped build the new church.

“I like the atmosphere here because I get to see my friends and spend time with my parents, who are of Hungarian ancestry,” said Kass, who has attended the festival since its inception. “It’s a way of supporting the Hungarian community and, at the same time, it’s something that I enjoy doing.”