Summer food bucket list: what to eat at Lake Balaton

The ultimate summer spot in Hungary is definitely Lake Balaton. “The Hungarian sea” is beloved by locals and tourists alike. In the midst of a global epidemic, it is likely that many will opt for staying within the borders when it comes to summer vacation. If you are staying in Hungary and planning to visit Lake Balaton, these are the foods you should definitely try on your trip.

Fried hake

Eating fish in general is popular near basically any body of water, but for some reason, hake has become the most popular fish at Lake Balaton. I might not be the only person who only ever eats fried hake at Lake Balaton, which is crazy because this type of fish is not found in Lake Balaton at all – it does not even come from Europe. The dish is very simple: the hake is coated in flour then fried in oil. It is easy to eat because it has relatively few and small bones. Technically, you could make this dish at home year-round, but many people associate it with vacation, hot summer evenings, and deep orange sunsets. To find out more about hake, click the link for some interesting facts.

Fisherman’s soup

Different versions of fisherman’s soup evolved throughout history, but all of them are connected to our waters, meaning the Danube, the Tisza, and Lake Balaton. At almost any restaurant, you can try the Balaton region’s version or the more famous ones of Baja, Szeged, and the Tisza region. The secret of authentic Hungarian fisherman’s soup lies in the good quality fish (mainly carp), the shaving-horse, the bogrács (in case the meal is cooked outdoors), and in the onion and paprika.