Hungarian cuisine is famous for paprika, introduced from the Americas in the 1500s and now grown around Szeged and Kalocsa. Dishes are hearty and slow-cooked, influenced by the Hungarian plains, the Ottoman occupation and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Classic dishes

  • Gulyás: the original goulash is a soup, not a stew, of beef, onions, potatoes and paprika, first cooked by herdsmen in cauldrons on the Great Plain.
  • Pörkölt: the thick stew that foreigners usually call goulash, served with nokedli (small egg dumplings).
  • Csirkepaprikás: chicken in a creamy paprika and sour cream sauce.
  • Halászlé: fiery fisherman's soup made with river fish and lots of paprika, a Christmas Eve tradition.
  • Töltött káposzta: cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and rice, cooked with sauerkraut.

Street food

Lángos, deep-fried dough topped with sour cream, grated cheese and garlic, is sold at markets and beaches. Kürtőskalács, chimney cake, is sweet dough wrapped around a spit, baked and rolled in sugar, cinnamon or nuts. Budapest's Great Market Hall is the place to try paprika, salami and pickles.

Desserts

Try Dobos torte (sponge layers with chocolate buttercream and a caramel top), Esterházy torte (walnut meringue and buttercream), Rigó Jancsi (chocolate mousse cake) and somlói galuska (sponge with chocolate sauce and cream). Historic cafés such as Gerbeaud and New York Café serve them in grand surroundings.

Wine and pálinka

Tokaji Aszú, a sweet wine from the Tokaj region, has been prized for centuries and was called "the wine of kings, the king of wines". Egri Bikavér ("Bull's Blood") is a well-known red. Pálinka, fruit brandy made from apricots, plums or pears, is offered to guests as a welcome.

Thermal baths

Hungary has more than 1,000 thermal springs, and Budapest alone has over a hundred. Bathing is a social activity for all ages: locals play chess in the outdoor pools at Széchenyi, relax in the Ottoman-era Rudas and Király baths, and enjoy the Art Nouveau Gellért. Some baths host weekend "sparty" nights.

Traditions

  • Busójárás: in Mohács, men in wooden masks and sheepskins chase away winter in February, a UNESCO-listed tradition.
  • St Stephen's Day (20 August): the national holiday, with fireworks over the Danube.
  • Name days: Hungarians celebrate the day assigned to their first name.

Etiquette

  • Hungarians traditionally avoid clinking beer glasses, a custom linked to the 1849 revolution, though younger people care less. Clinking wine and pálinka glasses is fine.
  • Say "Egészségedre!" (cheers) and make eye contact.
  • Family names come first: in Hungarian, Béla Bartók is Bartók Béla.
  • Tip about 10% unless a service charge is included.

For costs and data, see our Hungary country guide.