To Hungarian children, of course, it’s all about Mikulás. But for the grown-ups, Christmas celebrations in Hungary focus a lot on the culinary delights. Here are a few of the highlights.

Vanilla Kifli are a common treat made for Christmas in Hungary.

Halászlé (Fish Soup)

As a relic of the earlier church tradition of fasting for Advent, it is still traditional for fish to be eaten by many Hungarians families on Christmas Eve.

Roast Goose

Goose is quite popular in Hungary and many families will prepare the dish for Christmas dinner. Frequently it is stuffed with a mixture of apples and prunes or even sweet chestnuts.

Ham

Ham is likely to feature at one stage or another on the table during the Christmas season. It can be eaten cold, or roasted in the oven. In some rural villages of Hungary, pork butchering still takes place.

Beigli (Poppy Seed Roll)

Beigli is one of the most famous indulgences of Christmas in Hungary. This rich sweet bread contains walnuts, sugar and sultanas. Another popular variation is using poppy seeds as the main filling.

Vanilla Kifli (Crescent Cookies)

Crescent shaped cookies made from ground nuts with confectioners’ sugar sprinkled on top.

Szaloncukor (Candy)

A traditional Hungarian candy that is often hung on the Christmas tree as decoration. It is made of fondant, covered by chocolate and wrapped in shiny coloured foil. The tradition started in the 19th century. It was named Szaloncukor because the tree usually stood in the parlour, the most luxurious room in the houses of the nobility and middle-classes.

Mézeskalács (Honey Cakes)

Similar to gingerbread these cookies are made with honey and spices. Some have decorative shapes which are glazed with red icing and include colorful designs or messages.

Mákos Guba Mézzel (Poppy Seed Bread Pudding with Honey)

A particular favorite around Christmas, this dish contains bread with milk, honey, sugar, and poppy seeds. Originally, poppy seeds were used as a fertility charm to ensure a plentiful harvest in the coming year.

Forralt bor (Mulled wine)

This popular hot spiced wine is served during the cold winter months throughout Europe. It is made with red wine and seasoned with cinnamon, cloves, citrus and sugar. At the markets, vendors will offer various additions to the mulled wine, such as a shot of rum, amaretto, or elderberry cordial.

Related posts:

1. Traditional Czech Christmas Foods
2. Hungarian Christmas honey cookies
3. Hungarian poppy seed bread pudding

Poppy seed rolls are traditional sweet breads known throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Overview

There are many types of cake and bread rolls that are made throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

One of the most popular is the poppy seed roll. These specialty treats are filled with walnuts or ground poppy seed in the center with a flaky golden crust around the edges. The dough is often flavored with lemon, orange zest or even rum.

In Hungary, these rolls are known as “beigli.” Elsewhere such as in Croatia, there known as “makovnjaca” (poppy seed roll) and orehnjaca (walnut roll). In Poland, their called “makowiec.”

You can also buy ready made poppy seed or walnut filling if you want to spend less time preparing the rolls.

Below are a few links for different recipes on how to make these delicious and unique rolls.

Recipes

Hungarian Walnut Roll Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions – Desszert.com
http://desszert.eu/en/Bejgli-Hungarian_Walnut_Roll

Croatian Poppy Seed Roll Recipe – The Wordwide Gourmet
http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/makovnjaca-croatian-poppyseed-roll

Croatian Poppy Seed Roll Recipe – Canadian Living
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/cooking_school/cooking_class_croatian_poppy_seed_roll_recipe.php

Polish Poppy Seed Roll Recipe – The Fresh Loaf
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/makowiec

Poppy Seed Roll Recipe – Taste of Home
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Poppy-Seed-Roll

Walnut & Poppy Seed Rolls – BBC Good Food
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8970/walnutpoppy-seed-rollsbeigli

Related posts:

1. Christmas poppy seed rolls
2. Poppy seed filling
3. Hungarian poppy seed bread pudding