Királyleányka and Leányka—Hungary’s Maiden Grapes
Hungary boasts two related white varieties which are often confused, and have unclear origins. Királyléanyka, which translates as ’princess’ and Leányka, which means ’maiden’ or ’girl’.
Taste Hungary Blog
The Taste Hungary Blog is authored by a group of expat and local writers, intent on making sense of Hungary’s traditional foodways, its emerging wine industry, and Budapest’s food scene. We focus on telling the stories of the deliciously complex foods and wines of Hungary, the people and places that fascinate us, and all of the cultural details which make Hungary such a memorable place to visit (or live).
Filter by topic
Ödön Lechner’s Budapest: Hungary’s Master of Art Nouveau
Barcelona has Gaudi—whose masterfully whimsical buildings dot the city—and Budapest has Ödön Lechner, the father of the Hungarian Secession movement, which was Hungary’s brand of art nouveau.
Furmint – Hungary’s Flagship White
Wine aficionados have long known of the delights of Furmint, especially in the form of the delectably sweet Tokaji Aszú, and increasingly over the last decade or two in its latest dry incarnations.
A Guide to Budapest’s Thermal Baths
Budapest is undoubtedly one of the world’s great spa cities. And its historic bath houses are among the city’s most unique attractions, each with its own unique characteristics.
The “Drinking Cure”: Mineral Water Straight from The Source in Budapest
The variety of bottled water available in Hungarian shops is wide to the point of being bewildering, but mineral water doesn’t only come bottled. You can get an even more intense mineral water by goin...
Paprika & Pepper
Házi Baracklekvár
Meggy (Sour Cherry)
Portugieser – A Fresh and Fruity Hungarian Red
In Hungary, Portugieser has made its home in Villány, but is also found in the Kunság and Eger. It’s an early-ripening variety with thin skins. Its soft tannins and pronounced fruit aromas mean it doe...
Pogácsa
Lorem ipsum
Hungary’s Two Bull’s Bloods
Bikavér is probably still Hungary’s best-known red wine, despite the indignities it suffered during the second part of the 20th century. But most wine drinkers, even Hungarian ones, have no idea what ...
Jókai Bean Soup: Steamy Romance In A Bowl
You can see why Jokai was so taken with the soup. Jókai bableves has a rich, nourishing flavor that intoxicates and demands to be overindulged in. The meal is hearty in the truest sense of the word. W...
On Frog Legs and Regrets on the Streets of Budapest
The thing about frog legs is that you can’t dither. If you are fixing to get frog legs, you shouldn’t hesitate. For one thing, they are a very easy dish to talk yourself out of. For another, even plac...
Unpronounceably Aromatic Hungarian Wines – Cserszegi Fűszeres and Irsai Olivér
Two 20th century Hungarian white crossings have proved remarkably popular in the last few decades—Irsai Olivér and its offspring, Cserszegi Fűszeres, dubbed the unpronounceable grape by one British Ma...
Hooked on Halászlé, Spicy Hungarian Fish Soup
Halászlé (fisherman’s soup) is an iconic paprika-spiked Hungarian dish, prepared for centuries by fishermen and their families along the banks of the Danube, Tisza rivers, and Lake Balaton (or whereve...
Egri Csillag – The Starry-Eyed Partner to the Majestic Bull’s Blood from Eger
Eger has long been known for its blends, principally red Bikavér (aka Bull’s Blood). Since 2010, the region also has a white blend, Egri Csillag. Both are named after historic events in the region.
Understanding Hungarian Oak
It’s no longer a secret that Hungary is a great wine producing country. But it is not as widely known that Hungary is also a big producer of high-quality oak barrels. Hungarian oak has been used for m...
Tokaji Essencia – Sunshine on a Spoon
Imagine a supernaturally concentrated Aszú with flavors of ripe peach, orange, white flowers, passion fruit, ginger, quince, apricot, and spicy marmalade. It’s thick and syrupy with razor-sharp acidit...
A Selection of Hungarian Liver Preparations
Is there any commonly eaten food more divisive than liver? Loved and loathed in equal measures, it is also the cheapest cut at the market but the most expensive item on the menu. Banned, fetishized, r...
How to Deliver Túró Rudi to a Friend
Túró Rudi is one of those acquired tastes, but once acquired, impossible to shake.
Budapest Dive Bar Confidential
Budapest is a drinking city, with some very good dive bars. To help you cut to the chase when it comes to finding some divey fun, we have compiled a list of some of the best Budapest has to offer.
Szamorodni – The Wine Hiding in The Wings in Tokaj
It’s strange to think that wines that can be compared to lusciously sweet Sauternes or nutty, saline sherries should not be the flagship wines of a region. Yet, that is the case in Tokaj. Szamorodni i...
Understanding Hungarian Wine Classification
In the EU wine is classified into categories based on its origin. Learn how this all translates in Hungary, and what you should look for when deciphering a Hungarian wine label.
Kakashere Pörkölt (Rooster Testicle Stew)
In a country where meat—be it beef, pork, turkey, or goose—is consumed with gusto, the rooster's family jewels are just another juicy delicacy served in a heady paprika broth.
Lángos: Hungary’s Deep Fried Treat
Due to its heaviness, lángos is a meal best eaten when it has been worked for in one way or another. Dough deep fried, brushed with minced garlic and topped with various other fatty delights like smok...
Erős Pista: Hungary’s Multi-Purpose Paprika Paste
The spicy condiment known as Erős Pista—a thick paprika paste—is so omnipresent in lunch canteens (étkezdék), Hungarian restaurants, and in home kitchens that there is little room for artisanal interl...
Taste Hungary 10.0
For Taste Hungary’s 10th birthday, I’ve looked back at some of the key moments of our first decade and some of the things I’m most grateful for … one for each year.
Hungary’s Unique Szilveszter (New Year’s) Traditions and Superstitions
In Hungary, you’d be doing yourself a disservice for the rest of the year if you didn’t eat plenty of lentils to ring in the new year.
Cabernet Franc – The Unsung Hero
Winemakers in the south of Hungary, however, are taking Cabernet Franc very seriously. In fact, the region of Villány is now betting on the variety as their regional flagship.
The Sweet Gesture of Gesztenyepüré: Hungarian Chestnut Puree
Gesztenyepüré is a beloved Hungarian dessert. While you can get it year round, chestnuts are seasonal, so its flavors resonate most in autumn. There is something of a nostalgic feel to the dessert, at...
Forralt Bor (Mulled Wine): An Essential Part of Winter in Hungary
Mulled wine (forralt bor) is an inextricable part of winter in Hungary.
Tokaji Aszú: The Story of The World’s Oldest Sweet Wine
A bottle of Tokaji aszú holds deep history, fascinating myths, much hard work, centuries of passion, and plenty of sheer luck.
A Comeback to Hanukkah
The way that celebrating Hanukkah shifted from being a big social event to an intimate family gathering, as it is today, shows how Jews regained their religious consciousness. The importance of food a...
The Humbling Experience of a Tokaji Aszú Harvest
In Tokaj the grapes are harvested several times, to make wines of varying levels of sweetness. If the noble rot has developed there will be an aszú harvest in which the berries are selected by hand, o...
Kékfrankos: A Much-Loved Grape of Many Names
Kékfrankos is planted in most Hungarian wine regions, and goes by many different names. When well made, the variety—with its crunchy red and black cherry fruit and spicy kick—is generally a crowd-plea...
Balkezes Sörfözde: Hungary’s Left-Handed Craft Beer Brewery
The craft beer scene in Hungary was slow to develop, but once it began to take off, it changed the face of beer drinking in Budapest. Tamás Nyaras of Balkezes Sörfözde, discusses the current local cra...
Juhfark: A Pharmacy in a Wine Glass
Juhfark is a little-known Hungarian grape variety that is attributed with extraordinary abilities.
Be Your Own Trip Advisor: How to Spot A Good Restaurant While Traveling
There is a lot to be said for going offline to walk around and follow your instincts when exploring a new culture’s culinary scene. It’s one of those micro-adventures that make travel so rewarding. Th...
Kadarka – Hungary’s Answer to Pinot Noir?
Vibrant and elegant or rustic and insipid? Little-known Kadarka certainly divides opinions when tasted for the first time, with those who love it praising its crunchy, bright red fruit and refreshing ...
Unicum: Hungarian History in a Glass
Unicum is a national institution in Hungary, and has a long history that in some ways mirrors the history of modern Hungary itself.
The Mátra Wine Region: These Hills Are Alive With Volcanic Vineyards, Boutique Cellars, and History
Hungary’s second largest winemaking region is blessed with an ancient winemaking heritage, volcanic soil, successful large wineries, and now a band of boutique wineries hoping to bring the region into...
Flódni: The Four Act Pastry
Flódni is a traditional Hungarian Jewish confection. With fillings of poppy, walnut, apple, and plum jam, separated by five layers of sweet pastry, its flavors of tart, bitter, and sweet meld together...
Olaszrizling—a Riesling in name only
Olaszrizling, Hungary’s most widely planted white grape variety, is an archetypical Central European variety which is capable of for more than it's usually given credit for.
How To Buy Homemade Pálinka (and Why You Should)
We’re not saying it’s a good idea to buy under-the-counter pálinka, but if that’s what you want, you should know how to go about getting it.
Bookish in Buda: Literary Cafés of Budapest
With cafés like Centrál and New York giving shelter and comfort to writers of the famous Nyugat movement of Hungarian writing, you can’t talk about a classic Hungarian café without mentioning the writ...
Land of Fire and Salt: Hungary’s Volcanic Wine Regions
Imagine a landscape with numerous giant volcanoes spewing out lava and ash and a receding, bubbling inland sea. This was Hungary ten or fifteen million years ago.
Elegy to Zsiros Kenyér: A Good-bye to Budapest’s Classic Pub Grub
In Budapest, some dishes go out of style, only to be re-introduced years later as more expensive ‘retro’ fare. It also happens that some dishes disappear not to be seen again.
Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage: The Wedding Gift You Didn’t Know You Wanted
More than fortification for the coming party, the midnight cabbage represents a kind refusal to give in.
Chomping at the Bit: a Hungarian Horse Sausage Primer
Though Hungarians’ fondness for horse meat is far from universal among the population, a demand for it persists and horse sausage is still commonly found at market halls around Budapest.
Dog Tongues and Ink: Historic Literary Coffeehouses in Budapest
If nostalgia had a taste, it would be that of a bitter, robust sip of coffee served at Centrál Café, or one of the other coffee houses in Budapest.
Lecsó as a Verb
Lecsó as a noun is known in flippant company as the Hungarian ratatouille, the dish that's not really a stew, not a soup, not exactly a side dish, but somehow takes characteristics of all these.
Szalonna: Call It Delicious, Just Don’t Call It Bacon
Every now and again a word gets mistranslated, and that mistranslation is picked up on and replicated until it’s been hopelessly absorbed into common usage.
Discovering Tokaj’s Sweet Secrets: At Home in Erdőbénye
Winemakers in Tokaj are singularly obsessed with a fungus called botrytis. And I had become fascinated by these winemakers who go to such lengths and expense to make this traditional wine.
Gulyás: The Ultimate Hungarian Soup (Recipe)
Gulyás is the one Hungarian dish that most people think they know. But their imagination of gulyás rarely resembled the real Hungarian thing.
That’ll Do Pig: The Marvelous Rise of Mangalica
If you haven’t heard of Mangalica, don’t feel left out. The fact that there is any of it at all is a small miracle.
The Ever-Popular Old School Fröccs
When the weather gets hot in Hungary, fröccs season is on. A refreshing mixture of soda water and wine, it's the ultimate summer go-to drink.
Furmint Forever
There’s no other grape that can make such complex sweet wines, consistently delicious easy-drinking dry wines, and full-bodied single vineyard terroir-driven wines.
Meggyes Leppény (Sour Cherry Cake) Recipe
My first ever trip to Hungary coincided with cherry season. Ever since, when I think cherries, I crave this cherry cake that Gábor’s mother bakes throughout the summer.
The Hungarian Cold Plate (Hidegtál)
A Hungarian cold plate (“hidegtál”) is a classic way to showcase the wide variety of charcuterie which butcher shops, market stalls, and kitchen pantries are brimming with.
Budapest’s Nagy Vásárcsarnok (Central Market Hall)
With its cavernous interior, the vast three-level Central Market Hall should be a spot of pilgrimage for any food-lover coming to Budapest, where you can spend hours shopping and snacking.
The 1956 Tokaj Aszú: A Wine With A Long Finish
The 1956 vintage was a good one in Tokaj. But 1956 didn’t go down in the history books for the great quality of botrytis in Tokaj, rather because of the revolution that began on October 23rd.
Hungarian Paprika: The Essential Red Spice
If there is one ingredient that Hungary is undeniably associated with, it's paprika. It symbolizes Hungarian cuisine and is an essential component of some of the best-known Hungarian dishes.
The Lost World of The Jewish Wine Trade in Hungary (and The Old Habsburg Empire) Part I.
This story of how the Hungarian (and Central European) wine trade functioned before the two world wars and communism is not a well-known one.
Old-School Hungarian Sweets
Those who grew up during the Communist era in Hungary will know these Hungarian sweets well (although some may never want to taste again).
Sólet at Rosenstein, A Budapest Experience Worthy of a Pilgrimage
At Rosenstein, solét is a hearty, wonderfully-prepared meal that not only deserves a pilgrimage but also clearly underlines the restaurant's motto: everything is kosher that tastes good.
Taste Hungary’s 100 Essentials List
We've compiled what we think are the most essential (and tastiest) food, drinks, and experiences that just cannot be missed. We hope you can check all of them off!
Birsalma Sajt (Quince Jelly) Recipe
The knobby quince has never been one of the most popular fruits. But come autumn, this humble and rather unattractive fruit is transformed into an anticipated seasonal delicacy.
Kovászos Uborka (Fermented Cucumber) Recipe
In Hungary, this hot stretch of summer in which the city empties and not much happens is known as cucumber season. The markets, of course, are also full of small, bumpy cucumbers.
Paprikás Csirke (Paprika Chicken) Recipe
Paprikás csirke is a staple of home-cooking and at étkezdes (lunch-rooms), yet it is an elegant dish (but much simpler to prepare than its thick, complex, flavorful sauce suggests).
Budapest’s Kórház Utcai Market
Lying low at the foot of the Árpád híd, Kórház utcai Market is a vital and yet lesser-known part of Budapest's ingrained market culture.
Galuska (Dumplings) Recipe
Galuska are the preferred accompaniment for pörkölt and paprikás, and are also often served with eggs and lettuce for a super-simple lunch at the étkezde.
Kocsonya (Meat Jelly/Aspic) Recipe
If your grandmother made this dish for the holidays, you either loved it or hated it. There's pretty much no middle-ground, and there's no denying the lingering memory of this shimmering meat jelly.
Csipetke (Pinched Pasta) Recipe
Though making homemade pasta for a soup might sound very time-consuming, it’s actually quite quick and simple.
Third Wave Coffee in Budapest
Hungary's love of coffee is grounded in history. And gourmet java lovers have plenty of cafes where they gather to sip their favorite bitter brew.
Christmas in Hungary
You can tell Christmas is coming in Hungary when cukrászdas begin stockpiling bejglis. Whether filled with poppyseed or walnuts, these cylindrical shaped cakes are the essence of Hungarian Christmas.
Sunday Lunch in Hungary
Sunday lunch is practically a sacred ritual in Hungary. This I learned when I found myself sitting at a table set under towering chestnut trees, eating the kind of meal I usually only ate on holidays....
Taste Hungary Playlists
Here are some of our favorite Hungarian tunes—an eclectic mix of everything from folk, jazz, and Jewish to rap, pop, and Gypsy music—to get you in the Hungarian spirit!
Hungarian-English Culinary Dictionary
Get your kitchen Magyarul in gear with this useful culinary dictionary.
English-Hungarian Culinary Dictionary
Get your kitchen Magyarul in gear with this useful culinary dictionary.
Pogácsa at Daubner
Homemade, flaky pogácsa is the quintessential Hungarian snack, eaten at all times of the day and on any occasion.For the best, many Budapesters swear by Daubner Cukrászda.
The Lost World of The Jewish Wine Trade in Hungary (and The Old Habsburg Empire), Part II.
What happened before the takeover of the state-owned coops in Hungary, which lasted more than forty years (and devastated Hungarian wine)?
