Hungarian Christmas dinner: How much will it cost this year?

Hearty, meaty and absolutely delicious – Hungarian cuisine has captured the hearts of many. Our traditional Christmas dishes are also widely consumed all over the world. However, the price of festive staples such as fish soup, stuffed cabbage and beigli has risen significantly due to inflation.

Hungarian Christmas is getting more pricey

Everyone is aware of the current skyrocketing prices, but we may not remember how much we paid for certain products last year. Telex.hu has looked at the figures of how much we paid for the most popular Hungarian Christmas foods in 2021 and how deep we have to dig in our pockets this year.

Stuffed cabbage, cabbage, rice and salt have become considerably more expensive. However, you can save a lot, if you choose to mince the meat and pickle the cabbage in your own kitchen. One beloved ingredient, sour cream, will be likely missed from many Christmas tables this year as its price has risen by 30 percent compared to last year.

Traditional Hungarian fish soup requires few ingredients, but all of these ingredients became more expensive. Onions are 162 percent more expensive, while the price of carp has risen by HUF 1,200 (EUR 2.99) per kilo. Unprocessed whole fish is much cheaper, so those who can be bothered can save money. In 2021, a four-quart fish soup cost HUF 3,262 (EUR 8,13), but this year we have to pay HUF 4,743 (EUR 11,82) for the same thing, which means a 45 percent increase.

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Fried meat and mashed potatoes are also must-have dishes in the festive season. The prices of these items stayed more or less the same thanks to the price freeze on cooking oil and chicken breast. In the case of mashed potatoes, potatoes and milk are also price-sensitive products.

However, if we look at beigli, the price of butter has increased dramatically, from HUF 4,000 (EUR 9,97) last year to HUF 10,000 (EUR 24,92) this year. Opting for whole poppy seeds and grinding them at home, as well as using a fat and butter mixture, can help to cut costs.

Words of wisdom

In 2021, the price of a classic Hungarian four-course Christmas meal amounted to HUF 11,122 (EUR 27,71), while in 2022 it will cost us HUF 15,668 (EUR 39,04). This means that the entire Christmas menu costs almost 41 percent more than last year.

It is worth comparing prices in different supermarkets and keeping an eye on special offers. Besides, you can also do some preparation at home to save a couple of forints.

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Source: telex.hu