There is no doubt about it; Hungarians are very particular about how and what they snack on. But have you ever thought about recreating your favourite Hungarian treats at home?

Here are four video recipes for your favourite Hungarian snacks:

Túró Rudi

Ingredients:

500 g cottage cheese

100 g powdered sugar

zest of one lemon

8 g vanilla sugar

100 ml of water

6 sheets of gelatine

Recipe: Making Túró Rudi at home is easy. Put the gelatine sheets in 100 ml of water for a few minutes then add another 150 ml of water and put aside. As for the filling, add the powdered sugar, the lemon zest and the vanilla sugar to the cottage cheese then mix it well. Add the gelatine to it and let it sit in the fridge for an hour. Then portion your mixture onto clingfilm and roll it into a rod shape then put it in the freezer for another 2 hours. Finally, cut the rods up and dip them in melted chocolate.

Sport szelet (sport slice)

You can find the recipe here: Recipe of the week: Sport slice

Balaton szelet (Balaton bar)

Ingredients:

1 dl cream

13 dkg butter,

5 dkg powdered milk

20 dkg milk chocolate

dark chocolate for the glaze

8dkg powdered sugar

wafer sheets

Recipe: Pour the cream into a bowl that you are steaming, break the milk chocolate into the cream and melt it, let it cool down. Whisk the butter, the powdered milk and the powdered sugar. Mix this with the chocolate-cream mixture, use a hand mixer. Melt the dark chocolate for the glaze. You will need five wafer sheets for one bar. Spread the mixture on a wafer and place the next one on top of it. Continue until the fifth wafer sheet. Pour the melted dark chocolate onto your bar and spread it evenly with a silicone brush. Finally, let your Balaton bar cool in the fridge for at least one hour before eating.

Creamy cottage cheese with raisins

Ingredients:

A handful of raisins

1,5 dl hot water

1 bag of earl grey tea

2 tbsp. of rum

3 egg yolks

3 tbsp. sugar

a pinch of salt

1 tbsp. of starch

3 dl milk

half a stick of vanilla

25 dkg cottage cheese

Put the tea bag in hot water for 2-3 minutes then add the raisins and the rum. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes while mixing the egg yolks with the sugar, salt and starch evenly. Pour the milk into a pan, add the seeds of the vanilla sticks and let it come to a boil. Add tablespoons of the milk to your egg mixture slowly and then put it back into the pan and star warming it at medium heat. While stirring it frequently boil it until it reaches a pudding-like consistency then set aside to cool. When it cooled downmix in the cottage cheese with a hand blender. Pour off the tea from the raisins and put them in glass bowls then pour the creamy cottage cheese on them and put them in the fridge for a few hours to chill.

Horseradish is both a spice and a herb – it has numerous health benefits. Most people may associate it with Easter for the most part. However, Hungarian gastronomy offers several ways horseradish can be implemented into everyday meals while still keeping it special for Eastertime.

Eating grated horseradish could truly be part of your everyday diet. It helps with digestion issues and stomach problems, while it is also beneficial to blood circulation. Horseradish is rich in calcium, sodium, magnesium, as well as vitamin C. It has a spicy flavour, so you may need some getting used to it at first. In fact, some say it is similar to wasabi – in Japan, the botanical name of horseradish is “Western wasabi.”

Beetroot soup

Horseradish is a popular ingredient in meals that involve beetroot. Beetroot is already healthy in and of itself, but adding a teaspoon of horseradish to it really maximises the health benefits. In beetroot soups, apple also often plays a part as an ingredient. Funnily enough, apple and horseradish grated and mixed together also work well, and children often consume it this way. 

For the recipe to make at home, click here.

Grated horseradish

In Hungary, grated horseradish regularly accompanies certain dishes. It beautifully complements meats: you can eat it with beefsteaks or cooked hams. A popular way of eating it is with some sausages or Hungarian black pudding (hurka) and fresh bread. It really gives you that extra spice you might be craving, while the fresh bread can somewhat ease the intensity if you need a bit of a break. At Easter, it is a must on the dinner table, and you can add heaps of it to accompany the traditional eggs, hams, and whatever you feel like.

Horseradish spread

Horseradish spread is a popular filling of ham rolls, especially at Easter. It is also popular whenever cold platters are served. However, you can eat it whenever you feel like, to be honest. This dish is another one of those sweet and spicy combinations that go so well together – the relative sweetness of ham is accompanied by the spicy kick of horseradish, resulting in a heavenly combination.

Pickled beetroot

The combination of beetroot and horseradish returns once again, proving how tried and true this taste combination is. Pickled foods are good for you in general. They help with digestion while also containing essential vitamins and fibres, not to mention how nice it is to still have some vegetables with your meals in the winter. They are a welcome addition to any diet, as despite being low in calories, they can make you feel full quite quickly. 

For a recipe to make at home, click here.

Favourite Hungarian ingredients – dill

In Hungary, summers can get really hot. It is a struggle to keep your house from warming up, and once it is hot inside, it is absolutely understandable if you do not want to stand in the kitchen for a long time or want extra heat from turning the oven on. Luckily, there are some Hungarian dishes that are easy to make and not necessarily need the oven, making them perfect for the summer.

Soup

Sour cherry soup

Recommending a soup for the summer may seem like an odd choice. However, sour cherry soup is actually the perfect dish to help you cool down, as it is meant to be served cold. You can even add fresh cream to it, or eat it with ice cream or whipped cream, making it extremely popular among children as well.

Sour cherry soup also has a fascinating history. The fruit has been familiar to Hungarians since before conquering the Carpathian Basin, but it is unknown when the soup’s tradition began. However, there is no doubt that by now, it has become one of the signature Hungarian dishes, especially when the weather is warm.

If you want a recipe to make at home, click here.

Main course

Potato paprikash

Potato paprikash is an ideal main course for the summer months. It is super easy to make: it takes less than an hour, so, you do not have to stand in the kitchen for too long. Moreover, you can make it from potatoes from your own garden, for example, and nothing tastes better than the food that you grew yourself. Alternatively, you can even make it outside in a cauldron together with family or friends, making it into a special event. You only need some vegetables, sausages and bacon if you like, and the must-have Hungarian ingredient: paprika.

If you want a recipe you can make at home, click here.

Hungarian lecsó

The Hungarian lecsó is also a good choice as far as summer meals go. It is essentially a vegetable casserole, so, you can make it from fresh ingredients from your garden. You can leave out the sausages and bacon, too, making it a vegetarian-friendly dish. Lecsó became popular only in the 19th century, with the spread of tomatoes and peppers – up until that point, people believed tomatoes were poisonous. Today, there are many varieties of lecsó. Many people add rice to it, while others eat it with eggs or sour cream instead. Or, the squash-dill version is also popular. Whichever version you choose, this vegetable-based dish will definitely make you feel content, even in the warmest months.

For a recipe to try at home, click here.

Dessert

Sport slice

In Hungarian cuisine, there are countless delicious dessert recipes. However, some of them are quite difficult and require time in the oven. This is where sport slice comes in: it is a heavenly chocolatey mixture that requires no oven time, just some cooling in the fridge. The ingredients are very basic – butter, biscuits, cocoa powder, and some rum – and you only need to mix them all together. So, it will be ready in no time, but the result will be a huge success – the perfect summer dessert.

For the recipe to try at home, click here.

Favourite Hungarian ingredients – sour cream

Dill (‘kapor’ in Hungarian) is an ingredient that is frequently used in Central and Eastern European cuisines. It is popular in Hungarian recipes, too, with its use varying from being a part of fillings to being used for pickling vegetables and making salads. It not only contributes to the taste of the food, but it also has numerous health benefits.

Dill is the solution for bloating, nausea, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and digestion-related issues. If you make tea from it, for instance, you can get rid of hiccups in a fast and pleasant way. You can simply make soup from it, or use it as a spice in various recipes.

Palóc soup

Palóc soup is an excellent alternative to Goulash soup during the warm summer months. Even though the name suggests a connection with the Palóc from northern Hungary, this dish has more to do with Kálmán Mikszáth, a Hungarian writer, than anyone else. The main ingredients are green beans, dill, and sour cream, providing the delicious, truly Hungarian taste. It is usually made with lamb, but you can substitute it for pork or beef if you like.

If you want a recipe to make at home, click here.

Leavened cucumber

Hungarian leavened cucumber is an integral part of Hungarian cuisine. Besides complementing most dishes (a nice plate of layered potatoes, for example), it also has numerous health benefits. For instance, if you suffer from anxiety or nervousness, you should definitely try it. It also helps the metabolism and can strengthen the immune system. Now that you are convinced of all the health benefits, try making your own at home, following THIS recipe.

Stuffed cabbage

Stuffed cabbage is known for the delicious combination of meat, cabbage, and sour cream. However, in Transylvania, they love it so much they prepare a version of stuffed cabbage that does not contain meat and is thus fast-proof. The stuffing is then made from wild mushrooms, onions, carrots, summer savoury, and dill. This is covered by cabbage leaves and baked in the oven.

To read more, click here.

Pancakes with a cottage cheese-dill filling

As we have mentioned before, cottage cheese is a must when it comes to Hungarian gastronomy. So, it is no surprise that dill mixed with cottage cheese would result in a delicious combination. And since we know that pancakes are not exclusively eaten as dessert (just think of Hortobágy-style pancakes), why not use this combination as a heavenly pancake filling? You can also make strudel with this tasty combination. Of course, you can add a generous amount of sour cream on top to make it even better.

Hungarian pumpkin pottage

Naturally, dill cannot be left out of a good Hungarian pumpkin pottage. It is an excellent dish for the summer, as it helps you freshen up, and you can prepare it in no time. Tasting it is also likely to be a trip down memory lane, as pumpkin pottage is a popular dish served in school canteens. You can use it as a garnish for various meat or fish dishes. Or, you can eat it as a main dish with some eggs sunny side up, or some Hungarian meatballs (fasírt). 

Favourite Hungarian ingredients – caraway

Making homemade jam (or ‘lekvar’ in Hungarian) is a traditional Central European custom. Even though nowadays, you can buy the most exotic jams in stores, nothing beats the homemade version. Hungarian gastronomy relies on the use of jam, too, and some of the most famous Hungarian desserts prove this as well.

‘Lekvar’ is not exactly the same as jam, which usually refers to the Western and Northern European alternative. While ‘lekvar’ is a homogenous mass that is made 100% from the ripened fruit and some added sugar, jams contain pieces of fruit and can be made without cooking, too.

The first use of the word ‘lekvar’ can be dated back to the 1350s. Since then, it has conquered most of Central Europe, including Hungary, and the preparation of it has a long tradition. It is most often made of apricot and plum, but other varieties exist, of course.

Rákóczi cottage cheese cake

Some ingredients seem to go better with homemade ‘lekvar’ than others. One such ingredient that is the base of the Rákóczi cottage cheese cake is cottage cheese. The sweet mixture of the apricot jam together with the cottage cheese layer and the beaten and piped egg whites make this dessert absolutely irresistible. Perhaps this is why, nowadays, you can not only get these flavours in the traditional form of the Rákóczi cottage cheese but also in muffins, as an ice cream flavour or even as mousse in a cup.

If you want to try the traditional recipe, click HERE.

Zserbó cake

It is not a coincidence that zserbó once again makes this list. One of the truly irresistible combinations is the walnut filling together with some homemade apricot jam and chocolate. The layer of ‘lekvar’ may be subtle at first, but as the cake gets older (which actually only makes it better – is another benefit of the dessert), the flavours get more set and more accustomed to each other. Just like the Rákóczi cottage cheese cake, zserbó can also appear in the forms of bonbons, pancakes or ice cream. If you want the traditional recipe, though, click HERE.

Sacher torte

Even though Sacher torte is a famous Austrian dessert, it is very popular in Hungary, too. In addition, just like the strudel, this dessert also calls to mind the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which led Hungary and Austria to share some of the signature dishes. The first Sacher torte was prepared in 1832, proving once again what a delicious combination chocolate and apricot jam is. Because Hungarians liked the cake as well, it is now considered a traditional peacetime dish.

Even though the original recipe is still kept a secret, you can find a good alternative HERE.

Somlói sponge cake

The Somlói sponge cake is another dessert in which the walnut-apricot-chocolate trinity appears. Considering how well-known and liked it is, it might surprise you that it was first made for the 1958 world exhibition. It was an instant hit, of course, and has become a favourite Hungarian dessert since then. It is not a simple dish, as it has three different layers of sponge – one vanilla, one chocolate and one walnut -, it has a vanilla cream filling, too, syrup to soak the layers of sponge, and apricot jam as well. In addition, it is mostly served with a good dollop of whipped cream and chocolate sauce. There is no need to get intimidated, though, because if you follow THIS recipe, it will be absolutely worth it.

Hungarian (carnival) doughnuts

Although it is not carnival season, the Hungarian doughnuts must be included here as they are either filled with ‘lekvar’ or eaten with some homemade ‘lekvar’ on the side – at least in the countryside. Carnival doughnuts most probably have Austrian origins, and they mostly got popular in Hungary in the 19th century. However, some sources have earlier mentions, too, dating back to 1603. It is undeniable, though, that by now, it is an integral part of carnival season in Hungary. Nevertheless, it cannot only be eaten that specific time, so, if you feel up for it, click HERE for some fun origin stories and a delicious recipe.

Favourite Hungarian ingredients – sour cherry

Hungarian gastronomy is not only famous for the delicious main courses such as chicken paprikash or stuffed cabbage that are rather filling but also for the tasty Hungarian desserts. Like in many other countries, some of the most popular Hungarian cakes and sweets are made with chocolate or cocoa powder.

If you want to a good recipe for homemade chocolate, click HERE.

Rigó Jancsi

Rigó Jancsi is a real chocolatey delight that definitely satisfies anyone with a sweet tooth. With a chocolate sponge, a chocolate cream filling and a chocolate glaze on top, it simply does not get better than that. However, the story connected to it is bittersweet at best. Jancsi Rigó was born into a poor gypsy family. However, he was a talented musician and managed to rise to fame by playing the violin. He met Princess Clara Ward and seduced her, the two falling in love and getting married. Even though their love proved not to be eternal, the cake Jancsi Rigó requested specifically to be made for his wife is still a Hungarian favourite.

For the recipe to make at home, click HERE.

Zserbó cake

Zserbó cake is partly popular because of the delicious mixture of jam and walnuts, but the chocolate glaze on top is what elevates the dessert to divine heights. An additional benefit is that as time goes by, the zserbó cake actually gets more and more delicious as the pastry softens and gets tastier. It is a traditional dessert especially at Christmas or Easter, but you can eat it whenever you feel like. You can also try to make it yourself, following this recipe.

Dobos cake

One of the most well-known Hungarian desserts is the Dobos cake. By now, it is popular and loved all over the world, which also means that several variations exist. However, the recipe for the official Dobos cake was finalised in 2017 in a ministerial decree, according to which Dobos cake has a circular shape, with five layers of pastry and five layers of Dobos cream, with the pastry and cream being equally thick. The top is the famous golden brown Dobos top made by caramelising sugar. To learn more about the history and the recipe, click HERE.

Sport slice

Sport slice is one of the signature Hungarian chocolate bars. The delicious mixture of chocolate and rum first appeared in the traditional green packaging in 1953, when Népstadion (now called Ferenc Puskás Stadium) was opened. Over the years, there have been many variations and limited edition flavours, but the true secret of the success of the sport slice lies in its simplicity. You only need biscuits, some milk, butter, cocoa powder, rum and brown sugar to satisfy your chocolate cravings in a fast but delicious way.

For the recipe to make at home, click HERE.

Six-layered / Hatlapos

Many Hungarian desserts are famous for their numerous layers. This is the case with the Dobos and zserbó cakes, too. Even though the six-layered (hatlapos) cake does not have a varied mix of ingredients like the zserbó, the alternating layers of the chocolate cream and the soft pastry with the sprinkle of icing sugar on top is still so delicious that you get addicted once you get a taste. It is also one of those desserts that gets better and better as the filling starts to seep into the pastry and softens it a bit.

For the recipe to make at home, click HERE.

Favourite Hungarian ingredients – fish