Admittedly, Hungarian food is far from haute cuisine. Though the country has some traditional dishes that are delicious, they're not as widely popular as those from France, Italy, Greece, and more. It almost makes you think that having Christmas dinner in Hungary, be it in Budapest or elsewhere, is probably boring. But you know what? It's not! Thanks to the Hungarian treats that many locals serve during this time of the year, you can expect a delicious holiday season here! Thanks to these traditional sweets, you'll likely feel more excited for dessert than the main course come Christmastime!
Bejgli
For Hungarians, the holiday season means they'll have to bake as many
Bejgli as they can! This delectable roll pastry is the quintessential traditional treat of Hungary. So much so that you won't find a dinner table in the entire country that won't have it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! Filled with either walnuts or poppy seeds, they both actually hold different meanings according to Hungarian culture. If you filled your Bejgli with walnuts, for instance, it will help protect your home from evil spirits and bad luck. But if you filled it with poppy seeds instead, you're inviting prosperity and welfare. Fascinating, is it not?
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mákos Guba
If you're up for some Christmas pudding, however, you can always opt for Mákos Guba instead! One of the oldest
Hungarian treats out there, this delectable bread pudding is made with ground poppy seeds, milk, sugar, and
kifli, a local kind of crescent-shaped bread. You'll want your kifli to be as dry as possible in order to get a good consistency and texture for the finished pudding. And when it's time to serve it, don't forget the vanilla sauce! Other great toppings include melted butter, honey, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, and ice cream!
Source: Wikimedia Commons/ Przykuta
Szaloncukor
Candies wrapped in shiny paper practically defines Christmas during your childhood, doesn't it? At least, for Hungarians, it does! Ever since the 18th century, it's been a local Hungarian custom to make and share chocolate-dipped sweets wrapped in tinfoil in shimmering hues of blue, red, green, gold, and silver. These are called
szaloncukor, which actually translates to 'parlor candy.' They're the type that elders share with their grandchildren when they want to reward the little ones for behaving well. Or the kind you'll find at the nearest sweets store at the corner. Even beyond their sweetness, the candies are so charming that even you won't help but feel nostalgic, even when it's your first time tasting them.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Hókifli
Though holiday shortbread cookies are already common among the
Americans and the
Brits, the Hungarians put their own delectable spin on them. Every year, around Christmastime, people bake
hókifli to serve after dinner or to enjoy as an afternoon snack. Hókifli is a crescent-shaped shortbread cookie filled with walnuts and sprinkled with icing sugar. Just by looking at a freshly-baked batch, you'll already want to bite into that crumbly exterior, the crunchy roasted walnut inside, and lick off the powdered sugar that was left on your lips when you took a bite. The little ones will surely go gaga over these treats as well!
Source: Wikimedia Commons/ Christo
Mézeskalács
You've probably never heard of
Mézeskalács outside of Hungary before, but rest assured, you've likely seen one! In fact, there's a good chance you've already enjoyed the more common version of the treat and you didn't even know it! Are you guessing which one it is? Well, Hungary's mézeskalács is actually their own version of the gingerbread cookie. But instead of including ginger in the recipe, they actually use honey instead. This, of course, makes the flavor even sweeter. And instead of gingerbread men, their Mézeskalács are more commonly shaped as Christmas trees, snowflakes, and the like!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
While Hungarian cuisine isn't exactly the most popular in the world, there's no denying that it has its fair share of delectable treats, particularly the traditional desserts made for the holidays. Perhaps they're what will make your holidays sweeter this year!
Serving these delectable Hungarian desserts in your
luxury home here is a great way to spend the holiday season!
