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Top 10 Traditional Budapest & Hungarian Foods To Try

By: Author Hannah Lukaszewicz

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Top 10 Traditional Budapest & Hungarian Foods To Try

Goulash. That’s usually the only thing people can think of when it comes to Hungarian cuisine. Then they visit Budapest, and a whole new world opens up for them! Let’s see why every foodie should visit Hungary and go through some of the best Budapest food items to try.

Hungary is a small country with less than 10 million inhabitants in the middle of Europe and being positioned in the center, and it had a very turbulent history. Occupied by the Ottomans, Austrians, Germans, and Russians, giving a home to many different nationalities and religions throughout the centuries, and even today, surrounded by seven countries – all this left its mark on the Hungarian kitchen.

This is simply why the food here has the greatest variety in Central Europe, bursting with flavor! You’ll soon see why one of the top activities in Budapest involves a fork and knife!

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Best overall hotel in  Budapest – Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest 
We stayed at the Kempinski hotel and love it for so many reasons, but one of the best is there is a Christmas Market right out your door. From our room, we could see down onto it. It’s also one of the best locations to stay in.

Culinary History in Budapest & Hungary

The staple spice of traditional Hungarian food is paprika, a type of red pepper that originally came from the American continent through Turkish traders. Why is Paprika so popular in Budapest? The climate, the soil, and the special local variants result in the richest aroma.

Paprika used to be the spice of the poor because it grew so easily, while the rich people of the past enjoyed the exotic – and ridiculously expensive – black pepper. Now everybody loves it. It’s part of Hungary’s national identity, although some prefer the sweet version and others the hot type.

red tin of Paprika bought from the Great Market Hall in Budapest - How to buy Paprika in Hungary

Other must ingredients in Hungarian food? They might be less famous, but almost every traditional Hungarian dish has onion, garlic, and sour cream in it. Many sweet and savory dishes use a crumbly fresh cheese called túró – it is similar to cottage cheese and makes the lightest cheesecake ever. In sweets, the most common ingredients are walnut, poppyseed, jams, and seasonal fruits.

Hungary is perfect for growing all kinds of fruits and veggies, but we can’t forget that most Hungarians love their everyday meat – even if it is easier and easier to eat vegan in Budapest. The most common meat you’ll find on your plate is chicken and pork, not that much beef.

On special occasions, Hungarians also love duck and goose, but being a landlocked country, they definitely, don’t eat a lot of fish and seafood. Trout and pike-perch are good choices if you’d like to try fish though. And let’s not forget about game: hunting has a lot of tradition, so especially around the fall months, you can find venison, boar, rabbit, and pheasant in the restaurants.

Looking at the menus in Budapest restaurants, you might encounter something interesting: Hungary has several local breeds that give excellent quality meat. The Grey Cattle are magnificent cows that spend their whole lives outside, grazing, which makes them really happy and healthy. The Mangalitza pigs live a similar lifestyle, have curly hair and look like sheep, and most importantly, have the yummiest marbled meat, excellent for aged hams, similar to a Spanish Iberico.

Top 10 Hungarian Food to Try on your first trip to Budapest

You really shouldn’t leave Hungary without trying most of these tasty foods on this list. In order of culinary importance to Budapest along with restaurant recommendations from a Budapest local food tour guide. Let’s dig in!

Hungarian Traditional Goulash from Budapest Restaurant

1. Hungarian Goulash

Let’s talk about Goulash (or “Gulyás”, as Hungarians spell it). Gulyás means “cowboy” in Hungarian, and the authentic version is, in fact, a rich soup with lots of paprika, pieces of long-cooked beef, and some root vegetables.

Fun fact: those cowboys were actually so poor back then. They could never afford to eat beef. That’s why the Gulyás soup used to be a dish only for the wealthy. It has such a rustic look. It’s really hard to believe, right?

Best Goulash in Budapest: Cupákos

Local Meat vendor stall inside the Great Market Hall in Budapest Hungary

2. Sausages in Budapest

Even if the most famous dish is made of beef, Hungarians eat much more pork and chicken daily. Legend has it that they started to love pork because that was the only thing that the Ottoman invaders – being Muslim – didn’t touch. We have three main types of cooked sausages: kolbász flavored with paprika and hurka made with rice and liver or blood.

Best Sausages in Budapest:

Belvárosi Disznótoros (Károlyi Mihány u. 17. and Király u. 1/d.)

2nd location

Related Article: Things To Know Before Visiting The Budapest Jewish Quarter

3. Lángos

Usually described as the Hungarian pizza, lángos (pronounced as ‘lung-osh’) is a round fried flatbread. You can get a lángos at every market in Budapest, at some metro stations, and it’s the perfect hangover cure as well. It’s also a must-have at the beaches of Lake Balaton – when every sane nation lines up for ice cream, Hungarians stand in line for some garlicky fried dough in their bikinis.

The most traditional way to eat it is plain with some garlic on top or with the luscious sour cream and cheese topping. Any other version is probably just for tourists!

Best Lángos in Budapest: Rákóczi Square Market

 

 
 
 
 
 
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4. Foie Gras

Yes, foie gras is a controversial topic because of the force-feeding of the ducks and geese. But we must admit that it is a very traditional dish in Hungary that is crazy delicious, so unless you are a vegetarian, you should give it a go.

Whether it’s a cold terrine or a freshly sautéed piece of liver, it will melt in your mouth, and it will probably be served with something sweet like fruits. The famous Tokaji dessert wine is the absolute best pairing with it!

Best Foie Gras in Budapest: Tigris Restaurant (Mérleg u. 10.)

Layered Potatoes a traditional Hungarian food

5. Layered Potatoes

There are many comfort food types dishes in Hungary that we could list here, but one that is easier to find outside of private kitchens as well as Layered Potatoes, or “Rakott Krumpli.” The perfect combination of potatoes, eggs, paprika-flavored smoked sausage, and sour cream in a casserole.

Layered potatoes used to be hard to find at restaurants, but now chefs are rediscovering them. The Bocuse d’Or winning Széll Tamás brought it to perfection. Try it at Stand 25 at the Hold street market hall (Hold u. 13.)

Best Layered Potatoes in Budapest: Standard25 Biztro

Plate of Chicken Paprikash in Budapest

6. Chicken Paprikash

Chicken Paprikash probably is the second most famous traditional Hungarian dish: chicken in a delicious, thick sauce made with paprika and sour cream. It’s usually served with a homemade spaetzle-like pasta called ‘galuska’ or ‘nokedli’. It’s hard to find anybody who doesn’t like it.

Best Chicken Paprikash in Budapest: Gettó Gulyás

plate of german Schnitzelz - things to eat in Cologne

7. Schnitzel

The most famous Wiener Schnitzel comes from Austria, a breaded and fried slice of veal. Hungarians usually make it out of pork – they generally use much more pork than beef -, and sometimes they feel like having a healthy day and fry chicken. Either way, it’s a classic Sunday lunch, right after the chicken soup with homemade pasta.

Best Schnitzel in Budapest: Buja Disznók at the Hold street market hall (Hold u. 13.)

 

 
 
 
 
 
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8. Fisherman’s Soup

Hungarians eat very little fish, even for a landlocked country. But one of the most liked fish dishes is the Fisherman’s Soup, a thick and rich red colored soup made with freshwater fish, often carp, and of course, lots of paprika. It’s best prepared in a cauldron over an open fire by a river!

Also a staple dish for Christmas. That’s why 40% of the fish consumption of Hungarians happens during the holiday season.

Best Fisherman’s Soup in Budapest: Pest-Buda Bistro

9. Rétes

Often translated as strudel, the Hungarian rétes is made with a very thin filo pastry, stuffed with just about anything, most commonly with fruits like apples, sour cherry or plum. The cottage cheese (‘túrós’) version is also very popular in Budapest, and let’s not forget about the decadent poppyseed flavor! Have a chewing gum ready.

The love of filo pastry is probably a heritage of the Ottoman occupation. Just think of baklava or burek.

Best Rétes in Budapest: Strudel Hugó (Kertész u. 22.)

10. Kürtőskalács

The proof that the Hungarian language is among the craziest ones in the world. In English, we just call it chimney cake because it’s a hollow cylindrical-shaped sweet pastry, and when it’s fresh, the steam makes it look like a smoking chimney.

The dough is cut into long stripes, applied on a wooden mold like a spiral, rolled in sugar, then baked. The sugar caramelizes, the dough is wonderfully soft, and while it’s still warm, it’s rolled in cinnamon or walnut. It’s heavenly! Make sure to avoid the modern version stuffed with ice cream or Nutella.

Best Kürtőskalács in Budapest: Molnár Kürtőskalács (Váci u. 31.)

What’s Hot in the Budapest Food Scene?

The culinary traditions of a country are always influenced by its history. Most of the 20th century was about wars and “Communism” in Hungary, both terrible for the food culture, as you can imagine. When the political system changed in 1989, and finally, their borders were open for traveling and commerce, a new era began.

It took a few years to train a new generation of chefs and gain a new perspective on cooking, but in 2022 there are 20 Michelin stars restaurants in Budapest, and that is a big deal in Central Europe. (Yes, it’s a thing. We are always in the search for our identity here between the East and the West.)

So which Michelin star restaurant do we like the most? My personal favorite is Babel, with set tasting menus and always a strong, surprising element. The executive chef István Veres, is from Transylvania, and he brings a lot of inspiration to his plates from his childhood. The wine list is also fantastic. The sommelier is in love with local white grapes just as much as we are.

If you’re on a budget, you can still enjoy the wonders of the new wave kitchen. We strongly recommend Töltő if made from scratch sausages sound good to you. Even the buns and all the toppings are made at this tiny eatery, and the presentation is exactly like in their very sexy photographs.

Artisan bakeries and specialty coffee shops are also popping up everywhere, and grabbing a pastry and a cappuccino (with the most Instragrammable latte art) at one of them is yet another way of affordable luxury. Some of our favorites include Freyja with their unbelievable sourdough croissants (try the pistachio!), The Hatchery with the yummiest cocoa roll, or Artizán with some beautiful cardamom buns.

Vegan Food in Budapest

Vegan and healthy eating has reached Budapest as well, and you can choose from an endless – and an ever-growing selection of places. If you’d like to try more traditional Hungarian dishes, we recommend Napfényes restaurant for a proper sit-down meal experience.

A quick and cheap self-service place on weekdays is Vega City. A trendy café with an international food selection and daily specials is Flow on the famous Andrássy Avenue. Craving the street food experience? An all plant-based street food court is on Dob street called Vegan Garden. And now, there are Budapest vegan bars as well: Szabad (meaning “free”) is more hidden at the end of Király street, and Belvárosi Legenda is in the heart of the party district.

What Budapest Food to Avoid?

A rule of thumb: avoid any restaurants advertising a tourist menu. Especially if it consists of a Goulash soup and a main also made with paprika like a chicken paprikash or a beef stew. These dishes are way too similar, and locals would never order them for the same meal. After a heavy soup, we would go for a light or even sweet pasta dish or straight to dessert.

Many traditional snacks like the lángos and the chimney cake are now served with crazy amounts of toppings and fillings. Locals love new and innovative things, but some dishes are best in the original way. When they try to offer you ten different toppings for your lángos, keep in mind that you will be charged for each and every item. Thus, the final price of a one-dollar lángos can be what you would pay for a three-course meal elsewhere.

And needless to say: avoid international fast food chains! You travel to get to know new cultures and flavors, not to eat the same burger you could have in your hometown. The same goes for you know which coffee shop!

Budapest is full of amazing little businesses that you should discover and support. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. It doesn’t have to be rooster testicle stew right away – but I must say it is delicious!

Related: Gorgeous Castles in Hungary to Visit

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Have you traveled to Budapest and had a favorite Hungarian food we missed? Leave a comment below, and we’ll make sure to add it. 

 

Denise Ann Brown

Thursday 30th of December 2021

Goose fat on toasted bread was yummy! What about the yummy bacon roasted over a fire then eaten with bread. Fincsi!! Great article, thanks!

Aniko Maier

Friday 1st of November 2019

The cottage cheese and the poppyseed strudel is the most popular one. Where ever i went to get strudel some places only had this 2 flavor. I'm Hungarian. I love to eat pastries almost on daily basis. Schnitzel is an Austrian dish, thin breaded veal cutlet. But, you can find it all over in Europe made out of chicken or pork. In Hungary called rántott szelet or rántott hús.

John Russel

Wednesday 31st of July 2019

Great article, gonna make sure to follow your advice :)