Hungarian people love food and eating; it's one of the main conversation topics wherever you go. The Hungarian cuisine is delicious if it is prepared well, but not the healthiest one as it includes many spices like paprika, as well as onions, pork and fat for cooking. However, in the past few years, it has changed a lot, since the nation is getting more health-conscious, using more vegetables and lean meat, and trying to renew many old recipes according to new trends.
Popular dishes in Budapest
Of course, in Budapest you can still find world-famous Hungarian dishes as gulyas, paprika chicken, stuffed cabbage or Gundel palacsinta (pancake) in most places. Other unique Hungarian dishes are porkolt, which is a beef or pork stew, lecso, which is similar to ratatouille, chicken soup, any kind of vegetable stew (can be made from peas, beans, cabbage, potatoes or squash), wiener schnitzel, and different kinds of pasta with cottage cheese, potatoes, cabbage or even poppy seed.
Street food in Budapest
Langos is a Hungarian speciality, and during summer you can find it at every buffet by the beach or swimming pools. It is very common in markets as well. It is a dough fried in oil, and you can have it plain, only with some salt and garlic oil, or with sour cream, cheese or, a more recent trend, with special toppings as ham, Mexican chilli bean or even with jam. These new variations were created by street food places, which are getting more and more famous in Budapest as well. You can find most of them in the central districts, district 6, 7 and 8.
Sweet dishes in Budapest
For desserts, you must try out Somloi galuska, which is made with three different-flavoured sponge cakes, pastry cream, raisins, walnuts, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. Eszterhazy cake, Dobos cake, Rigó Jancsi and Zserbó are delicious as well. You might have heard about Kurtos Kalacs (chimney cake) which is originally from Transylvania, but now can be found all over Hungary. You can get them from small stalls, while for the other desserts just pop in to a café or pastry shop.
Bakeries in Budapest
Bakeries are also popular. Many people just get a pogácsa (which is a salty version of scone) or a cheesecloth (a pastry filled with sweet cottage cheese). Chains like Lipoti Pekseg, Fornetti, and Princess are the biggest ones. You can find at least one of them at every underground or bigger bus stations.
If you would like to cook any of the mentioned Hungarian dishes, just visit any supermarket, or if you can, a market like Great Market Hall or Lehel market, where you can find fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, sausages, fresh meat, fish and all the spices.
Popular drinks in Budapest
Hungary is also famous for its wine. You must try wine from Tokaj, Eger or Badacsony, which are renowned wine regions. Local beers, as Borsodi, Soproni or Pecsi are popular with locals, but if you want something stronger, try some palinka, which is a spirit made from fruits (usually plum, beach or pear) and can have an alcohol content up to 70-80%.
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