Local street food in Hungary
Kürtoskalács also known as chimney cake or stove cake is a traditional Hungarian pastry that originated in Transylvania. It is made by placing strips of dough on a wooden cylinder over an open fire.
When it comes to enjoying a satisfying meal in Hungary, changes are you’ll probably have to dine in at a sit-down restaurant. But that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t a few good options when it comes to sampling local food on the go. Here are a some of the most popular kinds of street food in Hungary.
Lángos
Lángos is a flat bread made of a dough with flour, yeast, salt and water. The name comes from the Hungarian word láng (flame) from the days when the snack was baked next to the flames of a brick oven. Nowadays its deep-fried and sold at festivals and fairs throughout Hungary. It can be served with sweet or savory toppings. A favorite topping for lángos is with shredded cheese after first being rubbed with a raw clove of garlic.
Pogácsa
Similar to a scone, pogásca is made from yeast dough that is folded several times and baked. It’s almost always savory and served with various seasonings and toppings like cheese, pork cracklings, garlic, paprika and onions. Pogácsa is traditionally eaten alone as a snack but are also served with hearty dishes like goulash.
Lángos, a deep fried flat bread that is commonly topped with shredded cheese after first being rubbed with a raw clove of garlic.
Kürtoskalács
Kürtoskalács also known as chimney cake or stove cake is a traditional Hungarian pastry that originated in Transylvania. It is made by placing strips of dough on a wooden cylinder over an open fire. The dough is than glazed with sugar which creates a sweet, crisp crust. Once toasted, it is generally rolled in toppings like sugar, cinnamon, or nuts.
Palacsinta
The Hungarian version of a crepe, palacsinta is a very common food that is sold at snack bars on the street. Fillings include apricot jam, cottage cheese, chocolate sauce, and poppy seed. Palascinta can also be made with savory fillings such as the hortobágyi palacsinta, which is filled with veal or chicken pörkölt and topped with paprika sauce.
Sausages
Hungarian love meat and its no surprise that sausages are eaten with great gusto! Kolbász is the generic Hungarian word for sausage. Most are made with ground pork or beef and include a variety of spices like paprika and garlic.
Chesnuts
In the colder months especially during the Christmas season, street vendors can be seen strolling around with their push charts selling roasted chestnuts.
Related posts:
- Lángos at the Fény utca market
- Hungarian food & drink terms
- Potato lángos: Hungarian fried bread
- Central Market Hall
- Street Views of Budapest
Category: Facts & Information, Hungary
About the Author (Author Profile)
Suzanne Urpecz, creator and editor of The Hungarian Girl. Click on my About page for more info.
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love it, it brings back so many wonderful memories of my home growing up
Thanks Mary!
My Italian coworker is about to make Hungarian sausage. I gave him some paprika from Szeged. I can’t wait to taste it!! As for the other food mentioned, I made kurtoskalacs in the backyard with so so result (I will continue to experiment with it as I keep telling myself I’m not a quitter:)) Langos I made several times and it’s pretty easy to recreate at home as it is palacsinta! Thanks for the post.
That’s really great that you can prepapre some of these dishes at home. Don’t give up with the kurtoskalacs, I’m sure you’ll eventually perfect it!
I had the best corn on the cob from a stall close to the start of the Children’s Railway in Budapest. I still drool over it.
I used to love langos, but it has to be one of the unhealthiest foods around.
Isn’t it a pity that the tastiest foods are also bad for your health!!