7 Traditional Foods to Try in Hungary! Hungarian Cuisine Guide

Looking for some traditional foods to try in Hungary? Here’s a list of mouthwatering Hungarian dishes you won’t want to miss!

When it comes to famous European cuisine, Hungary probably isn’t the first country that comes to mind. Along with being largely underrated, its fare is often overshadowed by nearby neighbouring countries, or mistakenly overlooked altogether.

But Hungarian food is so much more than just Goulash and paprika, although both are prominently featured. With influences from the Turks, Austrians, and Germans (amongst many others), Hungarian cuisine has evolved to include a unique complexity of flavours and an abundance of ingredients.

Most dishes are notoriously heavy and deliciously rich, often cooked in lard and topped with cheese curd or sour cream. A few staple ingredients used in most recipes include pork or beef, cabbage, potatoes, and, of course, the most ubiquitous of all Hungarian ingredients: paprika. Ranging from spicy to smoky to sweet, this vibrant red spice dominates most dishes and is used commonly as a condiment as well as a seasoning.

From handmade pasta and dumplings to tenderly cooked meats and savoury soups, with exquisite and indulgent desserts, Hungarian cuisine definitely doesn’t deserve to be overlooked.

Whether you’re travelling in Budapest or elsewhere in Hungary, the following foods are a delicious introduction to Hungarian cuisine.

This 4-hour Budapest Culinary & Wine Walk will take you to a patisserie, artisan chocolate shop, food market, and restaurant and you’ll get to try Hungarian wines! If you’re pressed for time in Budapest, this is a great way to feast on Hungarian dishes!

Traditional Foods to Try in Hungary

Lángos – Fried Dough

Lángos is the ultimate Hungarian street food: flattened, deep-fried dough topped with savoury ingredients, such as sour cream and grated cheese or garlic butter, although sweet versions are popular as well. 

Its flavourful toppings, crispy exterior, and soft chewy centre make for a really heavy (albeit delicious) snack.

Paprikás Csirke – Chicken Paprikash

Another traditional food to try in Hungary is Chicken Paprikash.

This popular and flavourful dish is made with chicken stewed in a creamy paprika sauce, sometimes topped with a dollop of sour cream, and often served alongside noodles or nokedli (Hungarian dumplings). 

The sauce is generally made with a sweet paprika, so it’s a great dish to sample if you’re sensitive to spice.

Gulyás – Goulash

Goulash is Hungary’s most well-known national dish, but traditional Hungarian Goulash is quite different from the variations you’ll find outside the country – it’s more of a soup than a stew.

Primarily made with tender chunks of beef, vegetables, and plenty of paprika, with some versions including csipetke (hand-rolled pinched noodles).

It’s hearty and comforting, with a distinct smoky, spicy-sweet flavour.

Halászlé – Fisherman’s Soup

Goulash may well be the most infamous Hungarian soup, but halaszle is just as much of a national staple, and equally delicious. 

It’s characterized by a fiery red broth, made from fish giblets, paprika, peppers and onions.

The ingredients are simple, but the flavours are complex – it’s spicy and savoury, with generous portions of melt-in-your-mouth freshwater fish fillets – usually carp, catfish, perch or pike.

Try it accompanied by a basket of sliced white bread and, you guessed it, more paprika – in the form of a spreadable hot paste.

Túrós Csusza – Curd Cheese Noodles

Another traditional food to try in Hungary is curd cheese noodles. 

Only four ingredients make up this basic and tasty dish: túró (a fresh, soft curd cheese), homemade egg noodles, fried bacon, and sour cream.

The noodles, cheese, and bacon are mixed together, topped with sour cream, and heated briefly before serving.

Lecsó – Vegetable Stew 

Lecsó is a versatile stew of tomatoes, onions, peppers and sweet or hot paprika.

It can be eaten for breakfast with a fried egg on top, served as a side dish, or enjoyed as a main meal with added kolbász (Hungarian sausage) or bacon.

Traditional Desserts to Try in Hungary 

Hungarian confections are much like their savoury counterparts – decadent and incredibly delicious.

Naturally, I couldn’t recommend just one, and you can’t go wrong with any of the following.

Hungary’s favourite cake is somlói galuska, made from sponge cake layered with chocolate cream, walnuts, rum and topped with whipped cream.

Kürtőskalács, or ‘chimney cake’ is baked rotisserie-style outdoors over charcoal, and topped with anything from cinnamon to walnuts, granulated sugar and caramel. 

Kifli are a great lighter option: crescent-shaped pastries filled with a sweet walnut or poppy paste, and Krémes – a massive portion of custard between layers of pasty – are perfect if you prefer something rich and filling.

Hungry in Hungary: Where (and How) to Eat These in Budapest

You’ve got the hits all lined up—lángos, gulyás, paprikás csirke, halászlé, túrós csusza, lecsó, and a parade of desserts. But half the magic is knowing where to try them, when, and how to order them.

First-Timer Playbook (Read This Before You Order)

• Lunch menus (“napi menü”) = value. Weekdays ~12:00–15:00 you’ll find 2–3-course set menus at local étkezdék (canteens) for less than a single à-la-carte main in the evening.
• Soups are mains. In Hungary, a “soup” like gulyás is a meal, not just a starter. Portions are generous.
• Paprika ≠ always spicy. “Édes” (sweet) is mild; “csípős” means hot. Ask “csípős?” (chee-pœsh?) if you’re heat-shy.
• Bread/cover charges happen. A small line for bread (kenyér) or szervizdíj (service, usually 10–15%) may appear on the bill; it’s normal.
• Tipping: If no service is added, ~10% is standard. In many places, you say the total you want to pay rather than leaving coins on the table.
• Water: Still water is “mentes”, sparkling is “szénsavas”. Tap water (“csapvíz”) is safe, but not every restaurant offers it.
• Order pace: Enjoy the café culture. No one will rush you out; you’ll usually need to ask for the bill (“számlát kérek”).

Dish-to-Doorstep Planner (What to Eat, Where to Find It)

One-Day Budapest Food Crawl (Row-by-Row)

Drink Pairing Cheat-Sheet

Pronunciation Help (Say It Like You Mean It)

What It’ll Cost (Rough Ballpark, So You Can Pace Yourself)

Touristy squares skew higher; side streets and canteens skew delightfully lower.

Now you have some ideas of traditional foods to try in Hungary during your visit. Bon appetit and Jo étvágyat!

What do you think of Hungarian cuisine?
Have you tried any of these foods?