Cotton candy at carnivals. Hot dogs at a ball game. Popcorn at the movies. Some things are just traditional and because you love them so much you don’t mind paying a bit more than seems logical. Kürtőskalács at Hungarian festivals fall into that category. Fortunately for us, there are a few spots here in the city that sell them at a less-inflated, more everyday price. If you’ve ever had one of these slow-roasted pastries you know exactly why it’s a temptation to indulge a little too often. And if you’re one of the unfortunate ones, let us tell you what you’re missing.

So imagine if you can a long strip of a light yeast dough wrapped around a wooden tapered roll, brushed with butter and sugar, placed over heated coals, and then toasted until the sugar is carmelized. Perfection! But it gets better. While still warm, you can have additional toppings added … like coca, cinnamon, pecans, coconut, or vanilla. Oh sooo good.

Originally from Transylvania, Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) is famous as Hungary’s oldest pastry. It is such a delicious treat that it was used for special occasions like weddings and christenings. The size and shape of these cakes connect them to the legend that they were actually baked around the chimney pipe. Thankfully we don’t need a special occasion or even need to wait for a festival. We can simply hop off a tram at Petöfi Hid and pick up a morning treat at the Kürtőskalács stand there to go with our coffees.

Here’s a link to a recipe if you want to try it yourself, as for us we’re leaving it to the professionals. Kürtőskalács Recipe

Szamos Marzipan Museum and Confectionery
(Marcipán Múzeum Cukrászda)

Some times you just have to ignore the parental dictate to not play with your food. Or maybe there’s an exception to the rule when it comes to marzipan. Especially since some compare this confection to eating a sweet play dough. Regardless, not far from Budapest in nearby Szentendre there’s a museum that celebrates what can be done when you play with this food.

Marzipan consists primarily of sugar and ground bitter almonds, though occasionally it is flavored with rosewater. It may be best known as the overly sweet part of some wedding cakes. But flowers and such on a cake is nothing compared to what’s been created by two master Hungarian confectioners, Mátyás Szamos and Károly Szabó. Surrounded by “pictures” of Hungary’s kings and queens, is a 160cm tall model of the Parliament building. Elsewhere you’ll find international famous personalities (including a life-size Michael Jackson), and cartoon figures, dinosaurs and other animals, a fairy tale carriage, a pirate ship, and more. Everything is sculpted entirely from marzipan and some pieces took 200 hours to create.

Which may mean you will be longing for a taste after your tour is finished, so it may be a good thing that the entrance/exit to the museum is through a marzipan shop. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth you can easily spend more in the shop than you do for the admission to the museum since it’s fairly cheap.

Café Alibi is quickly becoming a favorite place … and that’s saying something considering that Budapest is known for its great cafés. Small tables, cozy nooks, and soft lighting create a relaxing and intimate atmosphere that encourages you to unwind, talk long, and enjoy. And unlike some cafés, Alibi has the menu to match. From the milkshake with fresh fruit to the coffees to the main courses, everything we sampled was superb. It’s easy to see why the café boasts that “there are so many satisfied and faithful customers, who can really feel that the Café Alibi is their haunt.”

This rather new place (it opened in 2000) is on Egyetem Tér which is between Váci utca and Kalvin Tér so even its outdoor seating has a great neighborhood feel to it. Check out their website for a glimpse at their menu, but sign up for their newsletter for a heads-up on the weekly specials–plus you get a free coffee.

For more information visit the official website: Café Alibi

Standing guard over the intricately concaved door of the Ják templom stand statues of Christ and ten of His apostles (the other two watch from the towers.) This former Benedictine abbey, currently it’s St. George Parish Church, was built at the beginning of the 13th century and is the most famous church of Hungarian Romanesque architecture.

However if you can’t make it to the Western Transdanubia area of Hungary soon, visit the small-scale replica that’s part of the Vajdahunyad Castle complex in the Városliget near Heroes Square in Budapest. Granted the interiors may not hold all the artistic treasures of Romanesque frescos and Gothic statues as the original, but you’re sure to find the same calming, cool quiet — unless of course a concert is being performed.

When a Hungarian once told me that the best sausage comes from Hungary, I thought it was just national pride talking. After all, I had tasted some fabulous sausages and they hadn’t been Hungarian. Now I know better.

Kolbász is the Hungarian word for sausage and is generally made of ground pork, salt, garlic, pepper, and paprika. (Don’t confuse it with kielbasa, the Polish sausage as it lacks that most excellent ingredient: paprika). Of course the ingredients may vary a bit depending upon each manufacturer’s “trade secret blend.” The friss (fresh, i.e. unsmoked) kolbász is delicious when cooked with sauerkraut and served with mashed potatoes. Personally I lean more towards the smoked kolbász because of its spiciness and how great it tastes during an outdoor adventure.

The best known and most popular version of this type is Csabai. It is typically spicy, and tastes of paprika. Csabai kolbász is distinct not because of the place it is made (Békéscsaba), but rather the way it has been made, its ingredients, and the use of spices. In 100kg of the finished sausage, there’s 1200-1800g of spices (including sweet and spicy paprika) that have matured in flavor during the smoking process.

The dominant flavors of the medium-degree spicy Gyulai kolbász are aromatic Hungarian red paprika, pepper, garlic and caraway, complemented by the savory effects of traditional smoking. A combination that won it the gold dipoloma at the World Exhibition of Food in Brussels and has helped it maintain its popularity to the present day.

And of course, there’s the famous, and exportable, Pick Szeged brand. It has been around since 1869 and notes that the cool air of the Tisza River ensures the best climate for producing their award-winning salami and kolbász.

I am still taste-testing my way through all the different options and levels of spice. But the majority of butchers I asked about their favorites said the Temesvari (made in Domaszek) because it is usually more spicy. So that’s next on my list–and it’s a long list thanks to the numerous varieties, brands, and smokiness vs. spiciness combinations. And there’s the numerous ways to enjoy it … in a snack size while out on the trail; sliced and served with bread or cheese at a party; on top of a magyaros pizza; or cooked in a family dinner of potatoes, green peppers, and cheese, … Oh, so many wonderful options!

And while in Hungary you can pick up kolbasz at your local market, I’d hit the Central Market first just to see how many great options you have to choose from.

The Astoria Hotel’s Mirror Café & Restaurant boasts of its “unique blend of antique and fresh, traditional and modern,” and rightfully so. Unlike many of Budapest’s other elegant cafés, the Mirror survived the wars and communist regime fairly unscathed. Yet this is not its only source of pride, for the true blend of the traditional and modern comes from the kitchen in its fusion of Hungarian and international delicacies. The duck was a favorite amongst our group. Visit the café’s website, to view its menu (both the site and menu are available in Hungarian, English, and Deutsch.) And while such delicious foods and sophisticated ambiance do not come cheap, the café’s coffee and dessert menu is comparable to Centrál Café and cheaper than many of the tourist-geared coffeehouses (kávéház) on the nearby shopping street Váci utca.

So if you’re near the Astoria stop on the piros metro (Red M2), the newspapers and magazines in Cafe Mirror beckon you to come and relax with a cappuccino or hot chocolate and torte. If it’s around meal time, why not try one of the fusion dishes and experience this delightful blend of traditions.

For more information visit their website: Astoria Café Mirror

Don’t wear uncomfortable shoes. A stroll on Széchenyi-island in Városliget, Budapest could be short, but why when you can walk wide tree-lined paths. Play catch in its park. Stop on the foot bridge over a narrow part of the lake (yes, it’s man-made, but so what, it’s nice) and enjoy the feeling that you’re not really in the middle of a large, busy city. You can even rent a row-boat in the summer if you’d like. Or ice-skate in the winter.

Of course, one of the main attractions is the Vajdahunyad Castle. It’s not a genuine castle, but rather a complex of buildings that incorporate architectural styles from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. Ignác Alpár designed it as part of the millenarian celebrations in 1896 (It had been 1,000 years since the Magyars had migrated to Hungary)

Originally intended as temporary exhibition pavilions, the castle proved to be so popular with the public that between 1904-6, it was rebuilt using bricks to create a permanent structure. The architectural styles follow each other chronologically, so that Romanesque is followed by Gothic, then Renaissance, and then Baroque; yet the individual styles are masterfully linked together to give the impression of a single cohesive design. Even still, the architectural student will note that authentic details from twenty renowned buildings of historical Hungary are present. Budapestens named the entire complex after the main Renaissance replica (the Hungarian castle in Vajdahunyad, Transylvania) which is seen prominently from across the lake.

While the Castle and grounds are themselves worth the stroll, especially when accompanied by an ice cream (available at several of the entrances), there’s other treasures to be found. In front of the castle is a statue of Alpár depicted wearing the robes of a master architect from the Middle Ages. Possibly better known is the statue in honor of the unknown author of Hungary’s first history books, /*Gesta Hungarorum*/. Superstition says that if you touch the pen that the statue Anonymous, also called Magister P, holds you’ll receive good luck. Also part of this picturesque retreat is the Museum of Agriculture, which has been housed here since 1897 and is the largest in Europe, and Ják Templom (look for more on this quaint church later.)

It has been said that Hungarian cuisine is like traditional German food, but with the addition of hot peppers. My favorite example of this is the delicious Hungarian pepper stuffed with sauerkraut (hordos kaposzta). There are many pepper options to choose from, but the most commonly stuffed, and the best tasting in my opinion, is the apple pepper (almapaprika). It is a rather hot and spicy side dish that complements well chicken paprikás (paprikás csirke) or paprika potatoes (paprikáskrumpli).

You can find Hungarian Pepper Kraut at almost any of the major grocery stores, farmers markets, and even booths by the side of the road. One of the best places to pick some up, however, is the basement of the Central Market. There are a number of local vendors there selling stuffed peppers in all shapes, sizes, colors, and heat levels. Just ask for “káposztával töltött almapaprika.” If you like it extra hot add “nagyon csípõs” and they should hand you a jar with the red apple pepper.

If your in Hungary and want to buy Hungarian pepper kraut try:
Central Market Hall – Budapest

You just don’t know where to look first when you enter a Tiszta Szoba. Dozens of plates on the wall create a motionless kaleidoscope. A ceiling high stack of bedding that reminds you of peppermint candy . Or the never-ending tulip pattern that weaves its way about the bright blue furniture. The collection of so many colorful objects in a small room can be overwhelming, yet knowing that you are surrounded by a family’s heritage and pride is even more awe-inspiring. It’s not as if mom and dad popped into a local Ikea or Tecso (think Wal-Mart/ Target), even if there was one (there’s not), and stocked up on colorful plates and furniture just for fun. No, these pieces are made by hand and passed from generation to generation. Which is why we felt privileged to visit one family’s Tiszta Szoba (literally “clean room”) during our visit to the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania. This area is one of the few places that this Hungarian tradition is preserved.

A traditional Cifra Szoba (fancy room), as it is also known, is typically furnished with painted furniture with the mákófalva motif of the upside down tulip, is decorated with embroidered pieces and painted plates that were wedding gifts, and stores the family’s costumes for festivals. And even though it creates a riot of colors– admittedly red is dominate–it’s easy to see why one would collect all these hand-made treasures in one room. An outsider might see it just as a way to preserve a folk-art tradition, but if you could have seen the pride of our hostess you would know it’s more than that. It’s not cold history, it’s loved memories.

Take a step backwards in time and experience something of a Hungarian fairytale–complete with living folk art traditions, organic farming, and unspoiled natural beauty–simply by visiting a village in Székelyföld and the Hargita Mountains.

The traditional rural architecture with its porches, carved wooden peaks, and decorative Székely-style gates are among the first items that will capture your attention. As you spend more time here you’ll also notice that Hungarian folk art in the forms of painted furniture, pottery, embroidery, stove tiles, and even straw hats are still being produced by the local cottage industry. In the fields around the villages, farming is still generally being done in the traditional way using natural fertilizers, horse and plow, simple tools, and human labor. For a while even these eastern Transylvanian villages are not untouched by modern life, you’re still more apt to see horse-drawn carriages than cars.

The exceedingly beautiful Hargita Mountians, with peaks as high as 1,800 meters, dominate the heart of Székelyföld. Most of this land is still natural, covered in forest, and totally wild with the exception of a few villages, thermal spas, and ski resorts. There are some developed trails, as well as a number of old lightly-used wagon trails that are good for day hikes and backpacking trips alike. The Homoródalmás area offers over 125 caves for spelunkers to explore and many cliffs for rock climbing. Horseback riding, mountain biking, snow shoeing, and cross-country skiing are also possible in the Hargita.

This region is like a perfectly preserved Hungarian country paradise, awaiting vacationers who are seeking mountain adventures, who love farm-fresh Hungarian cuisine, and who want to get in touch with time-honored folk traditions.