Hungarian food - 25 classic dishes you must try

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: May 2026 | Hungarian food, what is it really? Hungarian cuisine is known for its spicy and hearty goulash, but you will also find many other exciting dishes here. Hungary is also a wine country and a country where people love sweet pastries.

What to eat in Hungary? - an overview

We have previously written about Czech food and Austrian food, and now we turn our attention to Hungarian cuisine. Hungarian food is flavourful, spicy and full of rich stews and classic dishes. Here are some typical examples of what to eat in Hungary:

• Meat: Beef, pork, and dishes such as goulash and pork sausages
• Accessories: Potatoes, pasta (nokedli) and various vegetables
• Bread: Light bread often served with soups and stews
• Simpler dishes: Lángos, soups and paprika-based dishes
• Drinks: Wine and pálinka are important parts of food culture

We have travelled several times in Hungary and appreciate everything from a classic goulash to street food like lángos at a local market.

Key ingredients in Hungarian cuisine

Here are some ingredients that are important in Hungarian cuisine:

• Peppers - used lengthwise and crosswise, both fresh and as a seasoning.
• Tea oil - a sour cream-like product similar to Russian smetana
• Meat - mainly pork and poultry, such as chicken, duck and goose, but also lamb, beef and rabbit.
• Kolbász (sausages) and salami
• Vegetables such as root vegetables, white cabbage, red cabbage, parsley root, beans and chilli.
• Acidified vegetables in the form of cabbage, cucumbers, minimelons, etc.
• East - including túró, trappista and soft cheese
• Spices - in addition to peppers, onions, garlic, parsley, cumin, marjoram, etc.

Typical Hungarian food - 25 classic dishes

Here we list Hungarian dishes that are interesting to try, including desserts, pastries and drinks.

1. gulyás (goulash)

It is the national dish of Hungary and perhaps the most typical dish in the country. Goulash is a stew or soup with meat and potatoes, or sometimes pasta, and vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, peppers or celery. The recipe may vary, but the common denominator is that the stew or soup is flavoured with paprika and cumin.

2. pörkölt (meat stew)

Pörkölt is a Hungarian meat stew, made from beef, pork, lamb, rabbit or chicken pork. To make pörkölt, onions and meat are browned together. The meat is then seasoned with paprika and other spices and cooked in water until tender. This dish is sometimes confused with goulash or paprikás.

3. Paprikás csirke (chicken in paprika sauce)

A classic dish of Hungarian cuisine consisting of chicken in paprika sauce. The paprika sauce recipe can also be used for veal or fish, for example.

So, what's the difference from goulash or pörkölt? According to Taste Hungary the difference is that you mix in cream or sour cream just before serving, which you would never do in goulash or pork.

4. Halászlé (fish soup)

Hungarian food is not only meat, but fish can also be on the menu. Halászlé is a spicy fish soup that is heavily flavoured with paprika spices. In this traditional soup you will also find large pieces of fish.

5. Hortobágyi palacsinta (Pancakes with meat stew)

A savoury pancake (crêpe) filled with meat stew, preferably seasoned with paprika. The dish can be served either as a starter, or as a main course.

6. töltött káposzta (cabbage dumplings)

A typical dish of Hungarian cuisine. These dolmas, which are filled with rice and meat, are the Hungarian equivalent of the Swedish cabbage dolmas.

7. Fözelék (vegetable stew)

A Hungarian speciality that can be compared to a stew, stew or thick soup. Fözelek is usually based on vegetables, but bacon or sausage can be added as a seasoning. It can be served as a simple main course at lunch, or as a side dish for dinner.

8. Nokedli (Hungarian pasta)

A type of pasta reminiscent of German ”spätzle”. Nokedli is a traditional Hungarian food that can be prepared fresh and eaten with many Hungarian meat dishes, for example.

9. Túrós csusza (cheese and pasta dish)

A traditional Hungarian dish of pasta, preferably home-made. The pasta is mixed with butter, crumbled cheese and bacon, and topped with tej oil (Hungarian sour cream). The dish is then quickly heated in the oven before serving.

10. Fatányéros (Plank steak)

Did you know that plank steak is a traditional Hungarian dish? According to Wikipedia, this dish was served at the famous restaurant Wampetich (later Gundel) in Budapest as early as 1900. In Sweden, the dish became most popular in the 1970s.

11. Foie gras

Both foie gras and duck liver are a delicacy served as a starter in many Hungarian restaurants. The liver is often served with a fruity side dish.

12. Driving school

A soft cheese flavoured with paprika. Körözött is sometimes served with salami and other cold cuts, as a small appetiser.

13. langos

A kind of round ”cake” made of yeast and deep-fried dough. Langos can be served with various accompaniments such as sour cream, sheep's cheese and onions. You can often find langos at markets and similar places.

14. Fruit soup

Cold fruit soup is very popular in Hungary. The soup can be eaten as a starter, but is also suitable as a dessert. One of the most popular fruit soups is Meggyleves, which is a sour cherry soup.

15. Beigli

A roll cake filled with walnuts, poppy seeds or chestnut paste in sweet yeast bread. The roll cake is very popular and can be found on everybody's table in Hungary at Christmas and Easter.

16. almás rétes (apple strudel)

A pastry consisting of very thin wheat dough, such as puff pastry or shortbread, and apple filling. The filling usually consists of dark raisins, ground cinnamon and granulated sugar.

17. palacsinta (Hungarian pancake)

A thin crepe-like version of pancake. The pancake can be served with walnut cream and chocolate sauce, or for example with apricot jam or cherries.

18. Buchteln (pastry with jam)

Sweet buns made from dough, and filled with jam and poppy seeds or quark. The pastry is usually baked in a large pan to keep it together.

19th Somlói Galuska

A layered dessert made with sponge cake dough, walnuts and whipped cream.

20. Cocoa Csiga

Similar to a Swedish cinnamon bun, but with a filling flavoured with cocoa and sugar.

21. Dobos Torte (chocolate cake)

A Hungarian speciality named after a famous Budapest pastry chef, József Dobos, who created the cake in 1884. It is a five-layer cake with thin cake bases filled with chocolate buttercream and covered with a thin layer of caramel.

22. Kürtöskalács

A dough roll is made from sweet dough that is wrapped around a cone-shaped baking skewer and rolled in granulated sugar. The spin or roll is toasted over hot coals and during the process the sugar caramelises and forms a shiny, crispy crust. You can find this roll everywhere in markets in Hungary.

23. Tokaji (Tokaj wine)

Special sweet wines from the Tokaj-Hegyalja region, and the wines that come from here are called tokaj or tokajvin. These sweet wines are made from grapes affected by noble rot and have a special flavour (very good if you ask us!).

24. Palinka

Palinka is a spirit made from distilled fermented fruits. In order for a drink to be called ”palinka” it must be 100 percent fruit distillation, at least 37.5 percent alcohol, and all ingredients must come from Hungary.

25. unicum

Unicum is a Hungarian bitter that can be drunk before or after a meal. The drink is produced by the Zwack company, based on a secret recipe that includes more than forty different herbs.

Hungarian food in restaurants and shops

Hungary has developed into a very interesting food destination, with everything from traditional home cooking to international cuisine. In addition, there are many innovative restaurants that use local ingredients and develop classic cuisine into something modern and exciting.

READ MORE: 7 restaurants in Budapest you don't want to miss

If you want to take some Hungarian delicacies home with you, you can find them in the Large market halls in Budapest. Read also more about beer and breweries in Budapest.

More about food in other countries

Here you can find more stories about food in different countries:

• Polish food - 25 Polish dishes
• Czech food - 20 Czech dishes
• Slovak food – 25 Slovak dishes
• German food - 25 German dishes
• Austrian food - 15 Austrian specialities