Traditional Hungarian cuisine is dominated by onion and pepper. It would be easy to explain the topic like this, but then what is the difference between a pörkölt and a goulash? And what’s langosh anyway? And bird milk?

This little guide gives an explanation of Hungarian dishes for learners of the Hungarian language. Then all you have to do is taste these delicacies!

Gulyás (Goulash)

Goulash is a very famous Hungarian soup. It contains large pieces of beef, potato, vegetables, and a lot of ground paprika. It was originally made by cattle herders (gulya´s), which gave it its name.

Pörkölt (Stew)

This is made from roasted meat (beef, pork, chicken), tomatoes, peppers and onion and is most often served with nokedli (Hungarian dumplings). It is important to roast the meat as it gives it a special taste. The stew is sometimes cooked outdoors in a cauldron.

Paprikás csirke (Paprika chicken)

Perhaps one of Hungary’s best-known dishes, (thanks to the film When Harry Met Sally) is actually a chicken stew cooked with sour cream.

Halászlé (Fish soup)

Traditional Hungarian halászle is a paprika-flavoured fish soup with thick slices of freshwater fish. This type of soup used to be made by fishermen outdoors from freshly caught fish. Its varieties are the fish soup of Szeged and Baja, in which they also put soup noodles.

Lecsó

Letcho is made from onions, tomatoes and peppers, but you can also put (letcho-)sausage and eggs into it. Nutritious and healthy food and easy to prepare. Similar to the French ratatouille.

Töltött káposzta (Stuffed cabbage)

This is a traditional, delicious Hungarian dish, but it can also be found in the cuisine of the surrounding countries. Large cabbage leaves are stuffed with meat and rice, cooked, and served with sour cream on the top. It uses sauerkraut, which gives the food an even more memorable taste.

Töltött paprika (Stuffed peppers)

Whole peppers stuffed with a rice and minced meat filling, are cooked in a tomato sauce. This is usually served with boiled potatoes – kids love it!

Disznótoros

This comprises blood sausage – called veres hurka, liver sausage – called májas hurka, and sausage – called kolbász. Both the hurka and the kolbász are usually made from pork with different seasonings, but the main difference is that the hurka is preserved by cooking it and the kolbász is smoked. Finally, all three are eaten fried with potatoes, braised cabbage, pickles, and sometimes with bread

Túrótöltelék (Cottage cheese filling)

Etypical use is that desserts are filled with it: you can fill pancakes, strudel or other cakes with túró . It is often mixed with sour cream.

Túrógombóc (Cottage cheese dumplings)

Cooked dumplings made from sweet cottage cheese, which are rolled in toasted breadcrumbs and are usually served with vanilla sauce or sweet sour cream. You can also eat it for dinner.

Túrós csusza

A flat, wide pasta mixed with savoury cottage cheese and fried bacon. A sweet version of cottage cheese pasta is usually made for children.

Körözött

This is made from cottage cheese, sour cream, onions and ground paprika. It is very simple and very delicious. You eat it on a slice of bread.

Túró Rudi

A bar-shaped sweet made of cottage cheese covered in chocolate, which is also available in different flavours or with a jam filling.

Rántott hal, csirke, sertés, borjú (Fried fish, chicken, pork, veal)

Hungarians usually fry all types of meat. These dishes have a coating made of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs, and then the meat is fried in oil.

Rántott zöldségek (Fried vegetables)

Like meat, many vegetables can be fried the same way. The most popular dishes are fried mushrooms, cauliflower, pumpkin (patisin) and fried zucchini. Fried cheese is also very delicious.

Főzelék

What is a főzelék? Not soup or sauce! According to Wikipedia, “Főzelék is a type of dish made from vegetables that are consumed as a side dish. It can be made from almost anything, such as peas, potatoes, spinach, pumpkin, green beans, beans, cabbage, kale, lentils, yellow peas, or, less commonly, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, etc. ” This is also a characteristic dish of the Hungarian cuisine.

Krumplifőzelék, burgonyafőzelék

The king of the Hungarian school canteen is very simple and delicious. It’s made from potatoes, and there’s nothing more to it than that. What you still need to add is the meatball!

Borsófőzelék (Főzelék made of peas)

This főzelék needs a thickening with milk or sour cream, so it’s not as heavy as the potato version. It usually goes with fried sausage or frankfurters.

Tökfőzelék (Főzelék made of squash)

This főzelék is usually not very popular with children, but moms and grandmothers are very happy to cook and eat it. They put stew on top so the kids will have something edible in it too…

Rakott krumpli (Potato casserole)

A potato casserole is a dish made of layers of sliced potatoes, eggs, sausage, sour cream and cheese. The layers are stacked on top of each other, hence the name “rakott”.

Rakott karfiol (Casserole with cauliflower)

This is made in the same way as the layered potatoes, only here the layers of cauliflower, minced meat, rice and sour cream are stacked on top of each other.
Similar dishes are kale casserole, casserole of green beans, zucchini casserole or layered pasta casserole. It only depends on our imagination.

Lángos

Salty leavened dough fried in hot oil, most commonly topped with cheese and sour cream. Typical street food on the beaches of Lake Balaton, and in markets all over the country.

Pogácsa (Scone)

Savoury scone for dessert after lunch. It’s very delicious, every family has its own scone recipe. Öften you find cheese in it or on the top.

Kürtőskalács (Chimney cake)

This is a sweet cake dough that is usually baked at fairs and markets and looks like a chimney. There are many varieties, especially the cinnamon, walnut, cocoa and coconut versions are popular.

Madártej (Bird milk)

This dessert got its special name from the fact that it is made from quite a lot of eggs and milk. It is actually a vanilla sau- ce or custard, topped with soft egg whites floating on it. It is eaten cold.

Szaloncukor (Christmas Sweets)

This chocolate is a typical Christmas sweet, Hungarians decorate their Christmas trees with them. Available in many flavours, the jelly, fudge and marzipan varieties are most popular.