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At home Hungarians’ typical breakfasts are meat-based, like cold sausage-type minded meat such as kolbász (Hungarian sausage) or szalámi (salami). Breakfast is complemented with fresh bread and some vegetables or jam.
The locals have their main meal of the day at lunchtime. A typical main meal usually consists of soup, a main dish, and dessert.
Dinnertime is between 7 pm and 9 pm. If you’d like to book a restaurant for dinner, make a table reservation for around 8 pm.
Ice cream is BIG in Hungary. The ice cream market is worth over 35 Billion HUF, or over 1.7 Billion ZAR! The variety is ENDLESS – you just HAVE to try Hungarian ice cream.
Kókuszos Keksztekercs is a coconut biscuit roll that transfers your tastebuds straight to heaven. Even if you’re not a fan of coconut!
Street Food / Festival
The pastry shells are formed from sweet yeast dough, that is then basted in melted butter and roasted on a spit over coals. It’s BEST straight off the coals. Also known as the Chimney cake, it is topped with cinnamon sugar or a mixture of sugar and walnuts.
Travel Tip: Whenever you visit Hungary, try Pistachio Fruit (Frutta di Pistacchio), a creation by Hungarian confectioner Ádám Fazekas. It blew away the 11-member jury of experts and subsequently fetched gold for best ice cream at the 2021 World Ice Cream Championship (Gelato Festival World Masters) held in Bologna.
Street Food / Festival
And then, Lángos (pronounced langosh). An absolute must. The classic Lángos is brushed with garlic first, then topped with sour cream and cheese.
This popular Hungarian brand, from the Szeged region, is in operation for about 140 years, using a secret recipe.
“Made from pork and spices, winter salami is cured in cold air and is slowly smoked. During the dry ripening process, a special noble mold is formed on the surface of the product.”
And then there is Pálinka, a fiery fruit brandy usually distilled from plums, apricots, and pears. There are endless different variations.
Travel Tip: Kecskemét is famous for its Pálinka distilleries. It’s about 91 km from Szeged (1 hour by car), towards Budapest. And since it’s on your way to Budapest, it makes for a nice added excursion.
Szeged (together with Kalocsa) is the home of Paprika, also referred to as “red gold” by locals, in Hungary, where it’s a culinary staple. For example, sweet paprika has an exquisite flavor and is a delicious addition to rubs and marinades, potatoes, classic chicken paprikash, traditional goulash, and much more.
This premium spice, usually harvested from September 8th to the beginning of October, is also exported to countries such as the USA.
A visit to a few paprika venues is necessary to get that authentic paprika experience.
Like the privately-owned Paprika Museum. Here you’ll see a small display of collectibles relating to paprika. Best you phone before you go, because they are not always open to the public. They’re at Röszke, II. körzet 50/B and you can call them at +36-62/272-788 or email paprika@paprikamolnar.hu.
Suggested Read: Hungarian Paprika – What to look for…
The classic confection known as a makowicz, or poppy seed roll, is made by sandwiching poppy seed paste between layers of dough. The flavors of the cake can be improved by adding raisins, almonds, honey, and orange peel. Makowiec ought not to be very sweet.
When cut, the dough and poppy seed filling form a spiral around one another, giving it a distinctive appearance. Makowiec is typically sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar before serving. The cake is generally made for celebrations like Christmas or other winter holidays and is frequently enjoyed with tea or coffee.
Making makowiec is a festive family ritual, despite the fact that it is available in stores all year. The Central European nations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and Serbia are among those that serve makowic.
According to legend, Budapest confectioners created this delicious Hungarian delicacy in the 19th century. It bears the name of Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha, a prince and diplomat from the Esterházy dynasty who was also a well-known foodie.
The Esterházy torta traditionally has layers of almond meringue sandwiched between thick, cognac-infused vanilla buttercream; however, in more recent iterations, walnuts or hazelnuts frequently take the place of almonds. The cake is iced in white fondant and covered with either chevron- or spiderweb-patterned marblings of chocolate.
Today, not just in Hungary but also in Austria and a few other Central European nations, it ranks among the most popular desserts.
A little, bite-sized pastry that can be either sweet or savory makes up the common Hungarian snack known as pogácsa. It should ideally be consumed when still hot. All pogácsa pastries are typically prepared in a circular shape, despite variations in size and flavor.
They can range in diameter from a thimble to a drinking tumbler. Pogácsa comes in a wide range of flavors, including cheese, bacon, cabbage, potatoes, and pumpkin seeds, to mention a few. The main character in Hungarian folk tales always carries a pogácsa baked in coals with him as food for his adventures and lengthy voyages, which is a clear indication of the Hungarians’ affection for these common snacks.
Émile Gerbeaud, a Swiss chocolatier, arrived to Budapest in 1884 to take over the Kugler coffee house and pâtisserie, which is now known as the renowned Café Gerbeaud. His name is pronounced zserbó in Hungarian, hence the name of the cake, which has layers of apricot and walnut filling.
The delectable zserbó cake quickly gained popularity across Hungary after its introduction. Although apricot preserve is called for in the original recipe, it is common to discover different variations that contain ginger, apples, plum jam, or even honey and walnuts.
Hungary has historically been influenced by Austrian cuisine, and this influence is reflected in some traditional Hungarian dishes. The strong culinary ties between Hungary and Austria can be traced back to the Habsburg Monarchy, when the two countries were part of the same empire.
During the Habsburg rule, there was significant cultural and culinary exchange between Austria and Hungary. Austrian cuisine, with its rich traditions and diverse flavors, had an impact on Hungarian cooking, leading to the fusion of certain elements and the adoption of certain dishes.
An example of Hungarian dishes that show Austrian influence include sajtroló.
A river fish soup, traditionally prepared for centuries by fishermen and their families along the banks of the Danube with generous amounts of hot paprika. The soup is not only a popular street food at festivals but also very much part of a traditional Christmas.
Krémes consists of paper-thin sheets of dough with custard, the Hungarian way, and topped with castor sugar. It’s super delish! If you can’t get to Hungary, you can make Krémes at home. Get the recipe here.
This is a traditional stew, served with a dumpling, made with beef, onions, paprika, tomatoes, and green peppers. It’s often served with potatoes or noodles and has a rich, spicy flavor due to the generous use of paprika. Hungarian goulash is not as thick as Austrian or Swiss Goulash.
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