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Best Hungarian Food and Treats at the Budapest Christmas Market Fair

Best Hungarian Food and Treats at the Budapest Christmas Market Fair

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We looked at shopping for local Hungarian crafts in the last post about the Budapest Christmas Fair and Market, click here to read about it.

budapest christmas market fair hungarian food

Plenty of seating at the market at picnic style tables.

But what about when it’s time for a shopping break?  One of the best things to do in Budapest is to eat your way through all the delicious Hungarian specialties.

The Budapest Christmas Fair and Market makes it easy to do by putting the best of Hungarian food all in one place. There are almost too many delicious Hungarian food and drink options to choose from– you may need to make a couple of visits to sample them all.

budapest christmas market fair hungarian restaurant

If you can’t find a seat, there was always room to stand at a tall table.

hungarian sausages budapest christmas market fair hungarian foodThe smell of Hungarian sausages on the grill wafted all the way down the street.

sausages hungarian sausages budapest christmas market fair hungarian foodDid I mention the Christmas market had lots of sausages?

hungarian sausages budapest christmas market fair hungarian foodSausages ready to eat, with all the fixings, Hungarian style.

best hungarian food stuffed cabbage budapest christmas market fair We tried these yummy cabbages stuffed with pork and rice.  They were also available with a duck filling.

best hungarian food pork budapest christmas market fair Giant trays of Hungarian specialties like these ham hocks simmered over open flames.

best hungarian food  budapest christmas market fair hungarian food  budapest christmas market fair The vendors carefully attended to the simmering dishes, stirring and seasoning as they cooked.  Everything was freshly made throughout the day.

hungarian food  sausage budapest christmas market fair

If you hadn’t had enough Hungarian sausage at the market, there was plenty of smoked and dried sausage to take home.

eating at  budapest christmas market fair

The selection was dizzying.

hungarian vegetarian food  budapest christmas market fair

Yes, there were actually some veggies available.

hungarian wine budapest christmas market fair

The Budapest Christmas market had all possible drink options covered– I saw gluwein, grogg and punsch all on offer.

best hungarian drinks  budapest christmas market fair

Some vendors even offered what looked like a full bar.

hungarian potato pancakes budapest christmas market fair

These potato pancakes looked good but ended up being overcooked on the outside and greasy on the inside.  This was the one miss of all the Hungarian foods we tried.

hungarian pizza budapest christmas market fair ham hocks budapest hungarian menu budapest hungarian christmas menu The menu of all the Hungarian food and treats available at the Budapest Christmas market.

hungarian desserts apple strudelAt night, the crowds grew along with the festive atmosphere.

hungarian food budapest christmas market fair

We each tried a slice of delicious Hungarian pizza. Again, it was hard to make a selection with so many options available.

hungarian pizza budapest christmas market fair  bestEach pizza was freshly made.

hungarian pizza budapest christmas market fair baked

This guy worked tirelessly, stoking the stove and cooking the pizzas. hungarian pizza oven

The most fun Hungarian treat were the chimney cakes (in Hungarian, the kürtőskalács).

hungarian chimney cake budapest chrismas market dessert The cakes originated in Transylvania, which at one point was part of Hungary, but now of course is part of Romania.

hungarian chimney cake budapest christmas market fair Thin pastry is wound around a wooden cylinder, rolled in sugar, then placed over hot coals.

chimney cake budapest christmas market fair The treats are alternately left to sit, then picked up and rolled over the coals.

hungarian chimney cake budapest christmas market fair making hungarian chimney cake budapest christmas market fair cinnamon sugar chimney cake

DSC04581 chimney cake bestThe finished product (about $7) is then rolled in different flavor options like cinnamon, walnuts and almonds. Voila, you have a chimney shaped hallow treat that is absolutely delicious and addictive.

What are your favorite Hungarian foods?  Share in the comments below!

To read our other post about shopping the Budapest Christmas Market for crafts, click here.

Want to read about more Christmas markets?
Is New York City’s Union Square Holiday Market worth checking out?

Munich, Germany’s Medieval Christmas Market: Corny or Cool?

Details:
Budapest Christmas Fair and Market Souvenir Shopping Details:
The market runs late November through the end of December.
Located at Vörösmarty Square, at the end of Váci utca

All photos Copyright 2013 by Souvenir Finder, all rights reserved.  No photos may be used in any way without express permission of Souvenir Finder.

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brooklyntvlasiche

Thursday 23rd of April 2015

I don't eat tons of meat, but this market is definitely making me hungry! The chimney cake looks a "must-eat."

Kristin Francis

Saturday 25th of April 2015

There are plenty of vegetarian options too-- the giant sauasages just made for better photos. Chimney cakes were delicious for sure.

wanderingeducators

Wednesday 16th of April 2014

Those chimney cakes are extraordinary.

Kristin Francis

Sunday 20th of April 2014

We planned our day around getting a chimney cake! It was our last night and we didn't want to get more $$ out so we thought we had jsut enough left for two chimney cakes, but were just a tiny bit short so we had to share! My friend still maintains that the Romanian chimney cakes are the best.

Amy

Monday 30th of December 2013

All looks delicious as I'm eating my lunch!

Kristin Francis

Tuesday 31st of December 2013

Amy, I should not be reviewing these photos late night as they are making me consider a snack when I really should be going to bed.

Rolling Harbour

Thursday 19th of December 2013

Suddenly I feel incredibly hungry! RH

Kristin Francis

Tuesday 31st of December 2013

Haha there should be a warning in the title! Thanks so much for your comment!

lmjapan

Thursday 19th of December 2013

Everything looks so good but especially those sausages! I've never tried Hungarian ones before but I can only imagine how delicious they must taste, especially in the cold weather!

Kristin Francis

Tuesday 31st of December 2013

Thanks so much for stopping by! I didn't get to try the sausages, but I almost feel like I did looking through my photos. I did try the goulash though and it was spectacular! Perfect for the weather, which was ridiculously cold.