Together with graphic designer Barbara Beke, I logged some delicious foods and drinks that Budapest locals rely on to get through their days. Note: this isn’t a list of strictly traditional Hungarian fare but a cross-section of what many people actually eat and drink. Below, you can find a short profile and recommendation on each of the featured items. You could print this card and start exploring the city, ideally with an empty stomach.
#1 - Lecsó: Made from ripe tomatoes and peppers and sprinkled with crisped-up sausages, this paprika-laced stew is a perfect late-summer dish. Mop up the leftovers with a slice of bread and wash it all down with a glass of fröccs (see #14 below).
Where can I find it? In many traditional Hungarian restaurants in the summer and the fall, for example Öcsi Étkezde.
#2 - Pálinka: Hungary's national fruit brandy comes in a variety of flavors – apricot, plum, pear – but what unifies them is their uncanny ability to knock you off your feet before you know it. Words of advice: Sip slowly.
Where can I find it? In almost any Budapest bar, for example Bambi.
#3 - Kakaós csiga: If you have a sweet tooth, you'll find this rich chocolate bun shaped in a spiral to be a real treat, especially if you eat it while still warm.
Where can I find it? In most Budapest bakeries, for example Pékműhely Bartók.
#4 - Gyros: As elsewhere in Europe, gyros and kebabs are the official drunk food in Budapest. For the equivalent of €4, you might escape an awful hangover.
Where can I find it? Gyro joints are swarming in Budapest. Try Kebab City or Hari Kebab.
#5 - Töltött káposzta: Stuffed cabbage leaves baked alongside pickled sauerkraut – this hearty winter fare is a staple across Eastern Europe. Be sure your dish comes drenched in sour cream.
Where can I find it? In many traditional Hungarian restaurants (during the cold months).
#6 - Túró Rudi: This beloved túró-filled bar, coated in a brittle chocolate glaze, is Hungary's national snack food. It contains a little bit less sugar than your average candy bar and, locals would argue, tastes better, too.
Where can I find it? In any supermarket.
#7 - Sör: Hungary may not be a beer empire like the Czech Republic, but the local lagers are nothing to be ashamed of. Beer enthusiasts and IPA fans: proceed here.
Where can I find it? In any bar in Budapest. Pótkulcs serves a traditional local label, Kőbányai, from the tap.
#8 - Túrógombóc: These weird and wonderful dumplings are made from plump, sweet-tart túró (cottage cheese) coated in breadcrumbs and drenched in sour cream and powdered sugar.
Where can I find it? Gettó Gulyás makes a mean one.
#9 - Gulyásleves: Hungary's greatest food export is this hearty beef soup that nomadic herdsmen used to cook over fire in heavy iron kettles. Any restaurant will have a side of hot paprika paste tableside; use this to adjust the spice level to your taste.
Where can I find it? These restaurants serve an excellent goulash soup.
#10 - Pogácsa: These flaky, savory, scone-like biscuits are popular in Eastern Europe and Turkey. Try to get your hands on ones straight out of the oven – the crisp outside hides a steaming, buttery dough.
Where can I find it? Most pastry shops have it; head to Borpatika bar for a homemade version and an immersive experience.
#11 - Palacsinta: Hungary's take on the crêpe; these soft, thin pancakes enclose sweet fillings ranging from apricot jam to cinnamon-sugar to sweet cottage cheese to Nutella.
Where can I find it? Many food stalls of Budapest's market halls serve palacsinta. Go to Kéhli for a Gundel palacsinta arriving in flames.
#12 - Kínai: Chinese takeout food has rightfully conquered the world – it’s tasty and affordable. The spots in Budapest are no exception.
Where can I find it? Across the city. Trek out to Hehe if you're curious about Budapest's Chinatown.
#13 - Párizsis zsemle: This wallet-friendly kaiser roll slathered with butter and bulging with a thickly sliced meat sausage made from God-knows-what is a popular source of fuel among local students.
Where can I find it? Buy the ingredients (bread roll, butter, a few slices of párizsi) in a supermarket and DIY.
#14 - Fröccs: What in other parts of the world is dismissed as a mere wine spritzer is a hallowed summer drink in Hungary, coming in myriad wine-to-soda-water permutations. The classic versions call for a 1-1 ("kisfröccs") or a 2-1 ("nagyfröccs") ratio.
Where can I find it? In any Budapest bar, for example Csendes Társ in the outdoor season.
#15 - Ropi: Crunchy, rough-hewn pretzel sticks sprinkled with coarse salt are an adored snack across the country. Look for the Nógrádi brand, featuring the signature red, yellow, and blue packaging.
Where can I find it? In almost any supermarket.
#16 - Kolbász: Popular for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the glistening, snappy roasted sausages come stuffed with ground pork, paprika, and a host of spices. Like a local, pair one with a thick slice of bread, sauerkraut, and a generous dollop of mustard.
Where can I find it? In Budapest's sauage shops, for example Pinczi or Belvárosi Disznótoros.
#17 - Lángos: What could be more satisfying than a fried, golden flatbread topped with a thick slather of sour cream and grated cheese? Feel free to use your hands as do others around you.
Where can I find it? Many Budapest market halls serve it. Try Hunyadi Lángos or Lángos Land, for example.
#18 - Főzelék: Delicious and low priced, vegetable stews are a Hungarian specialty usually made from spinach, peas, summer squash, or potatoes. They're even better when topped with a side of meatball (fasírt).
Where can I find it? Café Kör for the higher-brow, Öcsi for the lower-brow version.
#19 - Túrós batyu: Stuffed with sweetened túró and raisins, Hungary’s popular morning pastry is tender, rich, and flaky.
Where can I find it? Most supermarkets and bakeries have it, for example Három Tarka Macska.
#20 - Pörkölt: Internationally known as goulash (but not in Hungary, where its soupy version holds that moniker), beef stew paired with soft egg dumplings is right at the heart of Hungarian cuisine alongside its sister dish, the chicken paprikash.
Where can I find it? In most traditional Hungarian restaurants, for example Menza.
#21 - Mogyi: These oily roasted peanuts are a staple across Hungarian households and if you bite into the salty, crunchy kernel, you’ll know why.
Where can I find it? In any supermarket.
#22 - Unicum: Don't leave Budapest before downing a shot of the dark-hued Hungarian amaro, which contains more than forty types of herbs and was originally concocted to treat the ailments of Emperor Joseph II. There's even a Unicum Museum in Budapest.
Where can I find it? In almost any Budapest bar, for example Hintaló Iszoda (they use it in some cocktails too).
#23 - Kürtőskalács (chimney cake): This specialty sugary bread was historically a treat of the aristocracy in Transylvania but later spread to the lower classes. A narrow band of yeast dough is wrapped around a baking spit, sprinkled with sugar, sometimes also chopped walnuts, then roasted over charcoal. The result is a steaming, aromatic, tender dough coated in a layer of crunchy caramel and resembling a chimney.
Where can I find it? There are many kürtőskalács vendors in downtown, but only Édes Mackó, outside the Budapest Zoo, makes them the traditional way, over charcoal.
#24 - Szalámi: Preserved meats such as kolbász and szalámi have long been central to Hungarian food. Especially venerated is the smoked and aged téliszalámi, recognizable by a white protective mold that grows on its surface during drying.
Where can I find it? You can sample and buy salami at the Great Market Hall and the Lehel Market, for example. Or you could visit my favorite butcher, Krisztián, at the Klauzál Market.
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