Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother learning to cook and speak Hungarian. Because of this, my family’s cultural roots have always been an important part of my life. Through Paprika Catering, I hope to share what has been most precious to me and expose my customers to the richness of the Hungarian cuisine and culture that has been passed down through my family.

On my mother’s side, my grandparents met while my grandfather was working in Miskolc, Hungary. They later were married and moved to Budapest. During World War II my grandfather was a pilot for the Hungarian Air Force. But when Hungary underwent a communist revolution in 1956 my grandfather was wanted by the communist party for his heroism during the war. So to escape jail my family escaped Hungary.

My mother, uncle, and grandparents were among the first Hungarian immigrants welcomed into Canada during the war. My mother was five years old and my uncle was only nine months old at the time. All they had with them when they arrived were the clothes on their backs, a suitcase full of diapers, and a dollar bill.

My grandfather got a job the very next day laying linoleum floors. But after a year, he found that, like me, sharing good food with others was his calling and he opened a European delicatessen. In 1962 the family moved to Washington State where they have been living ever since.

(Kristi's Grandmother and Uncle Attila)

On my father’s side, my grandparents met in Zebigen, Germany. They came to the United States in 1951 with my father who was only nine months old. My grandfather found a job at St. Regence Plywood Company then eventually started at the Olympia Brewery and worked there for twenty eight years.

My mother and father met in college and I became the first generation born here from both sides of my family. I have lived in Olympia my whole life, but have always had time to travel and visit my family overseas.

About the Owner

Family History