The Food of Hungary

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These notes were made during a short trip to Hungary. These are just our food experiences and you may have a totally different experience depending on your budget, where you travel and where you eat.

Notes made September 2006

Hungarian food has many influences, including Turkish and Greek. There are lots of Kebab shops. Many dishes are flavoured with paprika, which is their chief agricultural export. There is also a large amount of take away food stores, especially Burger King. Ketchup is served with many things. Fruit and vegetables are of very poor quality.
Goulash
Hungary’s National dish. A spicey paprika soup with beef, vegatables (potato and carrot mainly), and potato dumplings. This dish is not the same as what we call Goulash at home, which is thicker and stew like.
Baked Dishes
Two local varieties included
- potato, sliced sausages and sliced boiled egg baked with a cheese sauce on top.
- chunky vegetables; carrot, cauliflower, brocolli, mushrooms, and some chicken baked with a sweet cheese sauce throughout
Deli Section
Saucy salads - either mayonaisse based or tomato based. e.g. Russian salad (mayo, peas, carrots etc). There is also lots of dips similar to in Turkey, like hummous and eggplant dips.
Lots of sausage varieties and cheeses
Battered and fried meats are popular not only in the deli section but served at restuarants
Grill Shops
Spinach and cheese pie (of Greek origin)
Chicken and cauliflower spicey tomato stew flavoured with paprika
Stuffed aubergine and peppers; with mince, rice and a tomatoey base, or vegetables with a cheesey sauce
Pastry type dishes
Cheese borekus (sp?) - flakey pastry filled with cottage cheese or meat
Lots of snack pastry foods, sweet and savoury
Vegetables
Massive white squash
Large white radish, in the shape of a carrot only twice as big
Potatoes have dark pink skin
Desserts
Kakoas mezes - a malt like cake with a thin covering of chocolate (also found in other European countries)

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