Hungarian Comfort Foods: discover the favorites of the cold months!
As winter approaches, more and more "heartwarming" dishes appear on tables in Hungary. These dishes are not only delicious, but also offer a glimpse into Hungarian culture. In this article, I will introduce you to five classic Hungarian comfort foods—using simple vocabulary so that even A1–B2 level learners can easily follow along.
Goulash soup—A Hungarian classic
Goulash soup is perhaps the most well-known Hungarian dish. It is warm, spicy, and a great choice on cold days. You've probably tried goulash in other countries, but in Hungary, we eat it specifically as a soup, as a first course, which is less common or not at all common elsewhere.
Ingredients:
beef
potatoes
carrots
paprika powder
"Today I had goulash soup at the university cafeteria."
Túrós csusza – Simple, but very Hungarian
This is a pasta dish with cottage cheese, sour cream, and crispy fried bacon on top (or without bacon in the vegetarian version). It is very filling and quick to prepare.
Ingredients:
cottage cheese/curd cheese
sour cream
pasta
cheese (grated cheese)
"Hungarians make a lot of dishes with sour cream and cottage cheese."
Cabbage pasta – A simple winter favorite
Cabbage pasta is one of Hungary's popular winter comfort foods. It is inexpensive, quick to prepare, and surprisingly delicious. It consists of grated, sautéed cabbage and pasta — a truly nostalgic dish for many Hungarian families. A real topic of debate among Hungarians is whether it should be eaten with salt and pepper or with powdered sugar on top, i.e., sweet. Both versions are common, and how it is eaten varies from family to family.
Ingredients:
cabbage
pepper
Powdered sugar
Pasta
"We eat cabbage pasta with salt and pepper, while my cousins eat it with powdered sugar."
Paprika chicken – Creamy and spicy
This dish is made from chicken cooked in a creamy or sour cream and paprika sauce and is usually served with homemade nokedli. It is a truly Hungarian dish, which, along with goulash, is one of the first Hungarian dishes you should try.
Ingredients:
chicken
sauce
gravy
cream
paprika
dumplings
"Chicken paprikás is my favorite Hungarian dish."
Chestnut purée – A winter dessert
Sweet chestnut purée with whipped cream – easy to make, but very tasty. Available in most pastry shops throughout the winter.
Ingredients:
chestnuts
whipped cream
"Chestnut purée is a typical Hungarian dessert."
Which dish would you like to try, or which ones have you already tasted and how did you like them? Are there any similar dishes in your own country? Write your comments below!
As winter approaches, more and more "heartwarming" dishes appear on tables in Hungary. These dishes are not only delicious, but also offer a glimpse into Hungarian culture. In this article, I will introduce you to five classic Hungarian comfort foods—using simple vocabulary so that even A1–B2 level learners can easily follow along.
Goulash soup—A Hungarian classic
Goulash soup is perhaps the most well-known Hungarian dish. It is warm, spicy, and a great choice on cold days. You've probably tried goulash in other countries, but in Hungary, we eat it specifically as a soup, as a first course, which is less common or not at all common elsewhere.
Ingredients:
beef
potatoes
carrots
paprika powder
"Today I had goulash soup at the university cafeteria."
Túrós csusza – Simple, but very Hungarian
This is a pasta dish with cottage cheese, sour cream, and crispy fried bacon on top (or without bacon in the vegetarian version). It is very filling and quick to prepare.
Ingredients:
cottage cheese/curd cheese
sour cream
pasta
cheese (grated cheese)
"Hungarians make a lot of dishes with sour cream and cottage cheese."
Cabbage pasta – A simple winter favorite
Cabbage pasta is one of Hungary's popular winter comfort foods. It is inexpensive, quick to prepare, and surprisingly delicious. It consists of grated, sautéed cabbage and pasta — a truly nostalgic dish for many Hungarian families. A real topic of debate among Hungarians is whether it should be eaten with salt and pepper or with powdered sugar on top, i.e., sweet. Both versions are common, and how it is eaten varies from family to family.
Ingredients:
cabbage
pepper
Powdered sugar
Pasta
"We eat cabbage pasta with salt and pepper, while my cousins eat it with powdered sugar."
Paprika chicken – Creamy and spicy
This dish is made from chicken cooked in a creamy or sour cream and paprika sauce and is usually served with homemade nokedli. It is a truly Hungarian dish, which, along with goulash, is one of the first Hungarian dishes you should try.
Ingredients:
chicken
sauce
gravy
cream
paprika
dumplings
"Chicken paprikás is my favorite Hungarian dish."
Chestnut purée – A winter dessert
Sweet chestnut purée with whipped cream – easy to make, but very tasty. Available in most pastry shops throughout the winter.
Ingredients:
chestnuts
whipped cream
"Chestnut purée is a typical Hungarian dessert."
Which dish would you like to try, or which ones have you already tasted and how did you like them? Are there any similar dishes in your own country? Write your comments below!