Hungarians are very proud of their traditions. The state does everything possible to preserve folk crafts and ancient industries. To understand the consequences of such a policy, just look at Nagyvásárcsarnok — the Central market of the capital, located on Vaci Street.
The assortment on the shelves of merchants fascinates with its variety. The finest Hungarian lace, pottery, crystal, author’s costume jewelry, jewelry, wine, wooden toys, chocolate, handmade sweets, premium care cosmetics, alcoholic beverages. What to bring from Hungary as a gift with such a huge selection?
Experienced travelers are advised not to rush and start shopping with a visit to a cafe, tasting dishes of national cuisine. This simple method will help you collect your thoughts after the belly festival and find out where to start shopping.
Foie gras
Goose or duck liver pate, including canned pate, is not a purely French invention. An aristocratic dish 1,000 years ago in Hungary was common. It was prepared for the holidays by well-to-do peasants. To give the liver a special taste, the birds were placed in cages, fed well, and not allowed to run and fly.
This secret was known even by the ancient Egyptians, and in ancient treatises you can find information about the healing properties of the liver of fattened birds in this way. In the past century, it has been scientifically proven: it is a storehouse of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, helps prevent cardiovascular and immune diseases.
In Hungary, foie gras production and preparation technologies are strictly regulated by law, which completely eliminates the risk of purchasing a low-quality product in retail outlets, restaurants, cafes, and bars. Foie gras comes in 2 types: from pressed minced meat and containing whole pieces of liver.
The second version of the pate is more expensive, but it is even more refined. The national Hungarian dish is perfectly combined with Tokaj wine, fruit, onion jam. Locals manage to eat their favorite pate even with Hungarian chocolate.
Paprika
Gourmets call the seasoning one of the symbols of Hungarian national cuisine. Real paprika is different: super-spicy (Erős), sweet with a slight sharpness and fruity aroma (Különleges), reminiscent of oriental hot spices (Édesnemes), sweet-spicy symphony of mouth-watering aromas (Rózsa).
Hungarians smoke and marinate hot peppers (paprika savanyúság) in various ways. Experienced travelers advise: in order not to make a mistake with the sharpness of the seasoning, you need to pay attention to its color. The rule is simple: the more tender it is, the sharper the pepper. In any case, real Hungarian paprika is properly dried and ground hot pepper, which preserves its useful taste and health-improving properties in dishes.
It is an excellent antidepressant, a remedy for viral diseases, various colds. Conventionally, all options for packaging paprika can be divided into 2 groups: practical and souvenir (gift). In the first case, the spice is placed in bags, in the second-in beautiful linen bags or tin cans decorated with plant ornaments, images of men and women in national clothes.
Tihany cheese
Competitor of French cheeses. Hungarian Tihany is characterized by softness, tenderness and special charm. Cheese with white mold is made only from natural ingredients. It does not contain dyes, all sorts of dangerous chemical additives for health. Homogeneous cheese mass has a piquant taste. To emphasize it, manufacturers add local spices to many Tihany varieties. Cheese mass can also be mixed with onions, garlic, herbs.
Soft cheese is traditionally served with wine. There are versions that it is named after the eponymous peninsula on the lake, where world-famous sights are located: Tihany Abbey, monuments to the Hungarian King Andrew the White and his wife Anastasia of Kiev (daughter of the legendary Yaroslav the Wise), the local echo. The latter is recognized even by skeptics as a very mystical phenomenon. And gourmets draw their own analogy and consider the aftertaste of Tihany cheese … also an echo.
Salami Pick
The famous trademark is more than 150 years old. The founder of the production, Mark Pik, a Jew, worked as an ordinary butcher, but he had an ambitious dream: to make the Hungarian sausage variety world-famous. To establish mass production, he borrowed money, invited Italian specialists to create the largest factory in Europe.
His family supported the ambitious project, and most importantly: the idea of producing sausage from local raw materials (meat and paprika) provided the residents of Szeged (the town where the company is located today) with stable incomes, and the trademark — world fame. The fate of the Pik family was not so rosy, but it was her recipes that became the basis for the production of modern premium sausage.
The real Hungarian “winter” salami is completely different from the sausages of the same name, which are produced under this name in the states of the former USSR. Its basis is lean pork, fat, hot pepper. After smoking, the meat mixture placed in the shells “ripens” in the cellars for 3 months, becomes covered with a white noble mold.
The resulting product is stored for a long time, you can take it with you on the road even in the summer heat. It won’t be lost. Hungarians equate the secret of the combination of spices added to it with a state secret. And another sign of a real Pick Salami sausage: it must have a medallion on it-confirmation of the authenticity of the product.
Marzipan
The country is home to the” king of marzipan ” Karoy Szabo, whose culinary technologies are recognized as classics. In the capital of the state and in the most remote locality, none of the tourists will be able to forget about the delicacy. And in the suburb of Budapest (Szentendre town) is one of the most famous marzipan museums.
It is in this area that another famous confectionery house Szamos is opened, named after the Parisian chef. Szabo’s descendants own candy factories in the capital, but new businesses in Szentendra and Budapest (as well as everywhere else in the state) have also been created favorable conditions. Samosh factory specializes in the production of chocolate (in honor of the delicacy, it has a separate museum).
One of its most popular souvenirs among adults and children: marzipan mass. Treats from it can be made independently. Those are just as delicious as the masterpieces of famous confectioners. The factory has its own points of sale in the capital, an online store. The delicacies created by her cooks can be seen in the best cafes and shopping centers.
If you want to see how professionals create delicious food, go safely to Szentendre. Here, only transparent glass separates the confectioners in the shops and visitors. And a few other reasons to visit the factory: only in its museum you can see Cinderella’s carriage, figures of world-class stars, famous politicians, fairy-tale characters created from chocolate and marzipan.
Chocolate ChocoMe
An exclusive treat is the dream of true gourmets and anyone who wants to compare ordinary chocolate with handmade masterpieces. The ChocoMe brand is very young by European standards. It is just over 10 years old and is already recognized in Switzerland. This fact speaks for itself. Moreover, Hungarian chocolate is very popular in the Principality of Monaco, whose residents and guests, it would seem, will not be surprised by anything.
The brand was created by an ordinary economist Gabor Messaros. He once decided to make the dream of a new Hungarian world-famous product a reality and mastered a new profession of chocolatier. Each ChocoMe tile is hand-made by our specialists.
Production team: two dozen master chocolatiers. They perform all the procedures themselves: from mixing ingredients to packaging products. Handmade elite chocolate fillings: grains, flowers, nuts, fruits, berries, gold and silver flakes. Today, ChocoMe produces more than 100 types of fine chocolate.
Buying it in the capital is a 100% guarantee that you will get the original. And yet, experienced travelers advise not to skimp on a sweet souvenir with combined toppings. They get a special flavor in handmade chocolate, and, believe me, coarse sea salt is perfectly combined with nuts, berries, candied delicate flower petals.
Esterhazy Cake
The delicacy is often called the legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The attitude of local residents to it is not the simplest. Hungary has been fighting for its independence for centuries, and has repeatedly tried to secede from the empire. However, Hungarians speak about the same Empress of Austria Sissi with great respect, souvenirs with her image can be seen everywhere in Budapest.
The famous Esterhazy cake is named after the prince, a representative of the ancient princely family of the same name, equated to this day in the European hierarchy to monarchical dynasties. Esterhazy, like his ancestors, served in the active army. He entered the history of the Old World as one of the outstanding politicians. The prince was a foodie, and it is very symbolic that the famous Hungarian cake is named after him.
There are a lot of recipes for Esterhazy, but the right dish can be prepared only from natural ingredients. The classic delicacy consists of 5 meringue cakes connected with butter cream (with the addition of cognac). On top of the delicacy, it is customary to cover with icing sugar and apply a chocolate mesh pattern.
Zwack Unicum liqueur
Hungarians often call the famous herb-infused bitter liqueur their pride. Tsvak Unique was created by the court physician of the Austrian Emperor. For a long time, the privilege of using a healing drink to improve the functioning of the stomach, strengthen the body, and treat colds was available only to representatives of the Habsburg dynasty.
It is the descendants of the court doctor Tsvak who own the secret of making the drink. The Unique liqueur produced when the Communists came to power had nothing in common with the miracle cure. Only after the fall of the socialist system in Hungary began to produce the original Zwack Unicum again.
Important to know: the Italian bitter liqueur of the same name is also real. There are 3 main drink options and two additional ones. All of them have a pronounced bitter taste and, indeed, stimulate the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.
In the new century, a lot of scandalous stories were associated with a well-known brand. The fact is that the drink has a “close relative”: the German liqueur “Jaegermeister”. However, these are completely different drinks. And one more nuance: real Zwack Unicum is bottled in a special glass spherical container. Its color and wall thickness allow the alcohol to retain its medicinal properties longer.
Palinka
Many tourists compare the alcoholic drink with brandy or fruit vodka, and thus offend Hungarians very much. It has analogues in neighboring countries, but Hungarian palinka tastes different from the closest “relatives”. Eco-friendly fruits are used for the production of the drink.
The Palinka fortress is fixed at the state level and regulated by law: it can vary from 40-43° depending on the implementation option. Each region of the state is famous for its own types of palinka, among the fans of which there are many monarchs.Fruit vodka has
medicinal properties, if it is used in moderation and correctly choose the appropriate type of drink.
For example: apricot oil perfectly strengthens the immune system, but it is not used to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. For the second purpose, a drink made from grape pomace is better suited. To get a high-quality palinka, you need at least 3 to 6 months of its aging. An interesting nuance: the bottles where the finished drink is poured are also a kind of souvenir: they are distinguished by a fantastic variety of shapes.
Törley Sparkling wine
The company of the same name occupies a leading position in the Hungarian market. Törley products are well known to gourmets of the Old and New World. The founder of the production, Jozsef Terlen, belonged to an ancient Austrian knightly family, whose descendants abandoned the military career and chose winemaking. He, like many European winemakers, adopted French champagne production technologies.
However, Terlin also developed his own unique methods, which allowed his sparkling wines to acquire a special taste and be recognized even in Champagne. His nephews inherited his business. During the communist rule, the factory was nationalized, but the production of sparkling wine was not stopped.
Today TM Törley belongs to a German concern, and Hungarian wine, as well as 100 years ago, is aged and stored in cellars. In the process of making a drink, specialists mix wines obtained from different grape varieties. Today, the plant produces products using traditional (secondary fermentation in bottles) and transvasional (the process takes place in metal vats) methods.
Tokay wines
World-famous spirits are collectively named after the region where they have been produced for many centuries. Tokay wines are not red: they are only white. According to Hungarian legislation, drinks are allowed to be produced from 6 grape varieties. Most Tokai wines in the region are made from the Furmint grape variety. In total, there are 8 types of tokay.
The strongest of them is Szamorodni Tokaji (native wine). Száraz Tokaji (native dry wine) is one of its varieties. The drink is created using a unique technology, whose important stage is a short aging of grapes under a yeast layer. And the elite Tokaji aszu is one of the 8 types of Tokaj wines. Berries from bunches for it are collected manually.
Each of them should be covered with a noble mold. Only in this case, winemakers will be able to get a premium sweet drink, for which a special classification of sugar levels has been developed. How to understand it? Just look at the label with the image of puttognos (wooden containers for harvesting grapes). The number of icons varies from 3 to 6 (as the degree of sweetness of the drink increases).
Zsolnay and Herend Porcelain
Less than 200 years ago, a new page was opened in the history of the state’s industry: the beginning of the production of handmade porcelain. Soon Hungary, whose masters initially only copied European and Oriental designs, began to create unique sets for crowned heads and the richest people on the planet. Among the brands of Hungarian products, a special place is occupied by Zsolnay, Herend.
The Zholnai porcelain manufactory dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Experts often say that its unspoken motto is “Diversity!”. Today, the manufactory has the status of a joint-stock company, and its masters do not stop experimenting with forms, colors, and do not limit their creativity to dishes and sets.
Especially popular among tourists are Zsolnay dishes, figurines, accessories, whose style solutions are limitless. Herend porcelain combines 2 main qualities: elitism and traditionalism. Thanks to them, he is very popular with politicians, world stars, representatives of ruling dynasties.
It is recognized even in Asia, where Japanese porcelain was and remains the standard. The Herend brand combines Western and Eastern traditions. Business cards are painted with such porcelain: butterflies, flowers, birds, gilding.
Crystal Ajka-Crystal
Another standard of luxury. Hand-made crystal, even if you see it only once in your life, will never be confused with “stamping”. Elite products are made according to ancient technologies. To get masterpieces, masters use transparent colorless and multi-colored glass mass. They cut out patterns on ready-made items exclusively by hand.
The only difference between modern crystal and old: raw material processing technologies have become more advanced, they allow you to apply unique ornaments of any degree of complexity to dishes and accessories. Masterpieces created under the Ajka-Crystal trademark can be found in royal palaces, billionaires ‘ villas, and collections of haute couture houses. An important advantage of this crystal: it is exclusive and versatile at the same time. Ajka-Crystal harmoniously fit into any interior style.
Miska kancso ceramic jugs
Jugs-mugs are often called the hallmark of the country. Amazing dishes are easy to recognize: it is made in the form of a figurine of a charming shepherd or a brave hussar. These are very romantic souvenirs, because they have special holes where you can hide notes with declarations of love. Such products are made by hand. Masters put a special meaning in the images, often leaving folk proverbs and winged expressions on the dishes.
For example: on many jars you can see the image of a snake. A very ambiguous symbol. It serves as a hint that the wine poured into the jug has healing properties, but it can harm the body if you get very carried away with alcohol. Miska kancso belong to the category of ritual tableware: Hungarians still make it, buy it for certain events in families (children’s births, baptisms, weddings, meetings of important guests).
Rubik’s Cube
The iconic puzzle toy of the 80s of the last century was invented by architect-engineer Erne Rubik. He was born, raised, and educated in Budapest and began a teaching career at a university. Rubik faced a pedagogical problem: students did not perceive well information about the basic principles of three-dimensional planning.
To explain a complex topic to students, he brought wooden cubes with multi-colored faces to the audience and began showing them how to create a single object from them. The designer continued to experiment after the lectures… then he put a mechanism inside his creation that allows the faces to move. Rubik patented the invention and decided that a visual aid for students could make a great puzzle toy.
He guessed right or calculated everything correctly. The Rubik’s Cube turned out to be the best-selling toy in the world. 20% of the world’s inhabitants have had experience assembling a puzzle face in the last century. The cube is still a popular Hungarian souvenir. In Budapest, literally at every turn, you can find different versions of the puzzle toy, whose formats range from 2x2x2 to 12x12x12.
Marbushka Board Games
Even in the era of all kinds of virtual tournaments, games from a well-known Hungarian brand remain popular. The products are made from environmentally friendly materials and meet the most stringent European requirements for the safety of children’s toys. Exciting Marbushka games are great for families. They do not know the age limits, because adults are very happy to join the children, remember their childhood.
The famous brand was created by Beatrix Bohoni and Laszlo Zeld, the source of inspiration for them was their daughter’s requests. Thanks to a friendly family, games were born that develop logic, imagination, and imaginative thinking among the younger generation. They not only immerse children and adults in the fairy-tale world, but also help them learn more about various professions, holidays, representatives of flora and fauna, water expanses, motor vehicles and much more.
Viktoria Minya perfume
Hungarian woman perfumer, after whom the perfume is named, made a kind of revolution in the industry, abandoning conventions. Victoria has created a brand that is associated with provocativeness, sex appeal, and elitism. The perfumer is an ardent opponent of universal fragrances. She boldly experiments with woody, floral fleurs, mixes coniferous, herbal, fruit, wine notes.
In her creations, you can easily guess the influence of Eastern traditions, because Victoria actively uses spices and incense in perfume compositions. The brand is often called Parisian (the perfumer’s workshop is now located in France), but in Budapest, connoisseurs of elite perfumes always have the opportunity to purchase original products.
It is important to know: the master develops sketches of bottles for her perfume herself. Luxury perfumes are easily recognized by the sparkling crystals inside the bottles and boxes for it. They are created by hand with the use of natural snakeskin – such a very unambiguous hint of temptation, seduction.
Omorovicza Cosmetics
Relatively young TM is rapidly gaining popularity in the Old and New World. The founders of the Hungarian brand decided not to reinvent the wheel, but to take advantage of the centuries-old experience of folk cosmetology. So there were born a line of new gentle skin care products made on the basis of thermal water. Its springs have healing powers.
Hungarian thermal water accelerates regeneration processes, rejuvenates the skin, helps to get rid of wrinkles without surgery, and improves the body’s metabolism. To enhance the effect of natural ingredients of branded cosmetics on the skin, special combinations of components have been developed.
They speed up the transport of useful trace elements, vitamins, and minerals to different layers of the skin. One of the confirmations of the recognition of the quality of Omorovicza products by professionals is the fact that SPA salons at elite hotels, where millionaires, billionaires, and world-class stars stay, cooperate with this brand.
Zador Soap
The name of a premium cosmetic product and the world-famous Zador Castle is not a coincidence! The Zador manufactory is located in a village near a powerful defensive structure. The workshop is located in a traditional large Hungarian house, where all the interior items are made of natural wood, there is comfort, an abundance of white light, and peace.
Zador Zador soap is brewed from organic raw materials and added to the product during the manufacture of water from the thermal lake Hevis, rich in useful substances, trace elements, minerals. Tools for making soap today use almost the same ones that were in France more than 300 years ago.
It was from this state that the technology of triple grinding of raw materials, reusable rolled almost finished soap, came to Hungary, so that its structure became uniform. The resulting cosmetic products have a delicate aroma of flowers, medicinal plants, berries, fruits growing in the vicinity of the castle. Thanks to the unique combination of components, the soap promotes the treatment of dermatological diseases, perfectly rejuvenates the skin.
Lavender
Products created with its use are very popular among tourists and local residents. A bag of dried lavender is a very practical souvenir. It allows you to get rid of moths, mosquitoes, prevent the appearance of harmful insects, improves the energy of the apartment (house), drives away evil spirits, treats diseases of the central nervous system, respiratory system, relieves insomnia.
Local craftsmen make bags for your favorite plant from natural materials, decorate them with artful embroidery. In Budapest, you can buy everywhere and high-quality lavender essential oil, packaged in interesting bottles. In Hungary, innovative and traditional technologies are used together to produce this product.
The combination of methods allows you to preserve as much as possible in the essential oil useful minerals, vitamins, trace elements of the substance that have a beneficial effect on health. Other lavender souvenirs are also popular among travelers: soaps, shampoos, handmade candles. And lavender honey, syrup, tea impress even the most capricious gourmets. Another nice point: prices for such goods in the capital are quite affordable.
