Dining in Hungary

Overview

If you’re headed to Hungary for your medical tourism vacation and you consider yourself something of a "gourmand," you’re in luck.  The acclaimed cuisine here is the most varied you’ll find in this part of the world.  It is, however, on the spicier side, and relies heavily on paprika which is an important ingredient in many soups, stews, and sauces. 

Local Cuisine

There’s a lot more to Hungarian cuisine than goulash, pronounced gulyas, than foreigners typically acknowledge.  The spicy soup made from beef, onions, and paprika, was originally reserved for poor peasants.  However, this dish received an enthusiastic thumbs-up from noblemen when the collapse of the Hapsburg dynasty threatened the future of Hungarian culture.  The dish has since evolved into a national symbol.  Goulash communism, for instance, was the name given to the sort of communism practiced by Hungary, to denote the fact that several unlike elements came together to form a single ideology. Many Hungarians eat the soup as a meal by itself.  

Thanks to the country's wide network of lakes, seafood is a fairly common staple in the Hungarian diet. You will often find fish chunks in the various stews and soups served throughout the country.  By and large, however, this is a meat and potatoes kind of country, and vegetarians will find the lack of greens a little discomfiting. The few greens that are around will inevitably find themselves thrown into the iron caldron, steaming with chunks of meat and meat-based broth.  The country is often called a sausage lover’s paradise, and deservedly so.  The sausages tend to be spicy, not too hard, and made from pork.  While holidaymakers of old tell horror stories of food that was cooked exclusively in animal lard, many of today’s restaurants have learned to use vegetable oil instead. If in doubt, ask the waiter. 

The locals also love their desserts.  Topping the list are items like dobos cake, a caramel coated light sponge cake with layers of chocolate cream and Hungarian strudels with a variety of fillings like apple and cottage cheese.  If your medical tourism vacation here includes some tooth work, you might want to watch out before tucking into these sinful concoctions. 

International Cuisine

If the rich stews, soups, and spicy sausages leave you unmoved, you can always stick with the countless international eateries.  You’ll find many of these in Budapest, although the choice in international fare will begin to wane if you head further into the country after your medical tourism procedure.