This is a list of dishes found in Hungarian cuisine.

Soups and stews

Name Image Region Description
Borleves A fresh and strong wine soup.
Csirkepaprikás
Paprikahuhn.jpg
A stew with a lot of sweet paprika, cream or sour cream called tejföl.
Csontleves
Alt Wiener Erdäpfelsuppe.JPG
A basic bone broth, usually served with spaghetti noodles, carrots, and turnips. It may also be served with stewed meat (usually pork), meat bones or parsley.
Főzelék
Fozelek.jpg
A type of thick Hungarian vegetable stew or soup, similar to pottage.
Gombaleves
Hungarian mushroom soup - Flickr - USDAgov.jpg
A soup made from various wild mushrooms, often added with sour cream, but not necessarily the same as the cream of mushroom soup.
Gombapaprikás A mushroom paprikash, which is a traditional vegetarian dish of the Hungarians.
Goulash
Bográcsgulyás2.jpg
A stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices.
Gulyásleves
Hungarian goulash soup.jpg
A Hungarian soup, made of beef, vegetables, ground paprika and other spices.
Gyümölcsleves
Gyümölcsleves.jpg
Southwestern Hungary A chilled, sweet soup with redcurrants, blackberries, sour cherries, apple, pear, quince or other seasonal fruit mix. It is fast cooked with cream or whole milk, some spices often accompanied with fruits, like cloves and cinnamon and sugar.
Halászlé
Fisherman's Soup
Hungarian soup 03976.jpg
A hot, spicy, and paprika-based river fish soup, originating as a dish of Hungarian cuisine, that is prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish.
Húsleves
Chicken soup
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A clear chicken or veal meat soup with soup vegetables and thin soup pasta called csipetke.
Jókai bean soup
Pasulj.jpg
A rich bean soup, with many vegetables, smoked pork hock pieces and noodles. It is often made to be spicy or some sort of hot chili offered with it.
Köménymagleves A fresh and hot caraway seed soup.
Krumplileves
Bramboračka 022.jpg
Made from potatoes in a broth, frequently with slices of sausage, carrots, turnips or sour cream.
Lecsó
Lecso.JPG
Southeastern Hungary A mixed vegetable stew, made of primarily tomato and paprika, also found throughout the Balkans and Central Europe. It is somewhat similar to ratatouille, but without squash and zucchini. A variety exists called tojásos lecsó (lecsó with eggs), which has scrambled eggs mixed in.
Meggyleves
Sour cherry soup
Sour cherry soup.jpg
A slightly sweet soup made with sour cream, sugar and whole fresh sour cherries, and served as chilled.
Pacalleves
Erdélyi pacalleves.jpg
A tripe soup eaten primarily by Hungarians living in Transylvania, usually seasoned with vinegar, sour cream, and garlic. May be eaten with bread and hot paprika on the side. Known as ciorbă de burtă for Romanians.
Palócleves
Palócleves - Gundel.jpg
Northeastern Hungary A soup similar to gulyásleves, but containing green beans and sour cream, and frequently flavoured with dill. It is invented by János Gundel, who is the father of the famed chef Károly Gundel, and named for Kálmán Mikszáth and his writings about the Palóc people of northern Hungary and southern Slovakia.
Paprikás krumpli
Paprikas krumpli in bogracs.jpg
A paprika-based stew with spicy sausage and potatoes.
Pörkölt
2009-09-gulasch-pörkölt-paprikas-1.jpg
A meat stew in a thick paprika-spiced sauce, similar to ragout; generally translated into English as goulash (not to be confused with goulash soup).
Sólet
Sólet.JPG
A Jewish-Hungarian stew made with kidney beans, barley, onions, paprika, and perhaps meat and eggs as well. It is similar to cholent.
Sóskaleves
0063 Schlesische Ampfersuppe, 2013.JPG
Made from sorrel leaves in a broth, often with boiled eggs as well. Similar to green borscht, but thicker.
Székelygulyás
Szeged goulash from pork.jpg
Transylvania A hardy pork and sauerkraut stew, often flavored with paprika, onion, and sour cream. Despite its name, it does not originally come from Transylvania (Erdély), and is instead named after the Hungarian writer József Székely (a friend and contemporary of Sándor Petőfi), who apparently asked a kocsmáros (tavernman) to mix together leftover savanyúkáposzta-főzelék (sauerkraut pottage) and sertéspörkölt (pork stew) to create it.
Tojásleves
Egg drop soup.jpg
Same as köménymagleves, except with scrambled eggs added. Similar to the Slovenian national dish, prežganka.
Vadgombaleves A wild mushroom soup that originated in southern Hungary.
Zöldségleves
Soup au Pistou.jpg
A soup with vegetables, such as peas, carrots, turnips, and parsley.

Meat dishes

Name
Other names
Image Region Description
Bécsi szelet
Wiener-Schnitzel02.jpg
Austria A Bécsi szelet is literally a "Viennese slice" in English.
Brassói aprópecsenye [hu] This dish is clearly named after Brassó, the former Hungarian name for Brașov, but it is unclear how, and various legends have arisen as explanation. It consists of diced pieces of pork and potatoes, which are pan-fried with onions, bacon, and seasoning (salt, pepper or paprika). This dish, despite the simple ingredients, need some practice to master.
Cigánypecsenye
Cigánypecsenye.jpg
A variant on pecsenye which literally translates as Gypsy roast. Consists of fried or spit-roasted pork cutlets, with thick bacon as well, which are spiced with paprika, salt or pepper. Usually served with roasted potatoes or french fries, or perhaps savanyúság (pickled vegetables) (pictured).
Fasírozott
Fasírtok.jpg
Flat, pan-fried meatballs, made from minced meat (usually pork, veal or beef), with paprika and salt added for taste. Often eaten with főzelék, or served with rice or french fries.
Pacalpörkölt
Pacalpörkölt.jpg
A pörkölt made of all special kinds of tripe.
Pecsenye
Hungarian Mixed Grill
Plankstek.jpg
A thin pork steak served with cabbage or the dish fatányéros, a Hungarian mixed grill on wooden platter.
Rakott krumpli
Rakott krumpli.jpg
A layered potato casserole with sausage, eggs, and bacon.
Rántott csirke
Rántott csirkemell krumplipürével és salátával.jpg
A chicken breast rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried; similar to Wiener Schnitzel. Another rarer dish, rántott galamb, is made the same way, except with pigeon.
Rántott hús
Wiener Schnitzel at restaurant Faro, Helsinki.jpg
Originally from Austria. The meat is tenderized, covered in eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs, then fried. Also known as Wiener schnitzel.
Rakott káposzta A layered cabbage dish which consists of cabbage, pörkölt, rice, sour cream, and spices. The dish comes from the Hungarians in Transylvania (Erdélyi).
Rántott sajt A flat cheese croquette, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried.
Stefánia szelet
Stefánia vagdalt.JPG
A loaf of ground meat or Stefania slices (Hungarian meatloaf with hard boiled eggs in the middle, which makes decorative white and yellow rings in the middle of the slices.
Szűztekercsek
Roulade.jpg
A pork tenderloin filled with spicy tomato puree, spinach, etc.
Szűzpecsenye
Varkensfricandeau.jpeg
Literally means virgin roast and the pork tenderloins, which are usually prepared the same as above. May also be made into szűzérme (lit. virgin medallions; pork medallions) or szűztekercs (rouladen; thinly-cut tenderloins, stuffed with minced meat, vegetables and other things).
Töltött paprika
Punjena paprika
Punjena Paprika.JPG
A dish made of stuffed peppers, with a mix of meat and rice in tomato sauce, the ingredients consisting of green or red capsicums, eggs, spices, salt, tomato, minced meat, and rice.
Túrós csusza
Túróstészta.jpg
A traditional Hungarian savory quark cheese noodle dish made with small home-made noodles or pasta, which is called galuska.
Vesepecsenye
Grilled beef tenderloin with port wine sauce, roasted rosemary potatoes, carrots and zuchini.jpg
Beef tenderloins, usually seasoned with paprika and salt.

Dumplings and others

Name Image Region Description
Császármorzsa
Császármorzsa.jpg
Shredded, sweet crêpe pieces with sugar sprinkled on top. Often served with jam (apricot or peach, usually) as well.
Diós tészta Boiled egg noodle dish served with ground walnuts and sugar, often with lekvár (jam) or honey.
Galuska
Spätzle-02.jpg
Hungarian boiled dumplings used in soups and stews.
Grízgaluska
Grießklößchen.jpg
Hungarian boiled semolina dumplings used in a soup.
Körözött
Liptai túró
Quark liptauer cheese.jpg
A spicy spread made from fresh white cheese mixed with sweet paprika and onions.
Liptai túró
Liptauer.jpg
A spicy cheese spread with paprika, carraway, and onions.
Libamájpástétom
Foie gras with sauternes.jpg
A luxury food pâté made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened.
Gránátos kocka A home-cooked, simple egg noodle dish, made with potatoes and paprika powder. Often served with pickled gherkins or other pickled vegetables on the side.
Májgaluska leves Small liver dumplings used in different soups, as in a liver ball soup.
Mákos tészta Very famous and common, an easy egg noodle dish, made with ground and sweetened poppy seeds. It has a distinct look and taste.
Padlizsánkrém
Vinetta
Baba Ghanoush.jpg
A Transylvanian mashed eggplant salad made of grilled, peeled, and finely chopped eggplants.
Pásztortarhonya
Pásztortarhonya.jpeg
Literally translates as shepherd egg barley. A hearty dish consisting of egg barley, potatoes, onion, kolbász, and paprika, sometimes also with bacon and other vegetables.
Rizi-bizi
Risotto.jpg
A Hungarian risotto, which is white rice mixed with green peas, served as a side dish.
Szilvásgombóc
Plum Dumplings
Galuste cu prune 03.jpg
Szilvásgombóc and Nudli, which are sweet plum dumplings and small noodles, rolled in sweet fried breadcrumbs or streusels.
Tarhonyás hús
Egg barley
Tarhonya-3.JPG
A kind of large Hungarian "couscous", which is a big pasta grain, served as a side dish.
Töltött káposzta
Töltött káposzta, 2.jpg
A cabbage roll made from pickled cabbage, filled with a light minced pork meat and rice mix. It may contain minced paprika and be served in a tomato sauce with sour cream, but this is not always the case (as in the picture). It is frequently eaten around Christmas and New Year's, but can still be eaten year-round.
Töltött tojás
Deviled egg closeup.jpg
A hard-boiled egg that has been shelled, cut in half, and filled with a paste made from an egg yolk mixed with other ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard.
Túrógombóc
Túrógombóc-2013.JPG
Hungarian sweet quark cheese dumplings that are served as a side dish.
Vinetta
Salată de vinete.jpg
Transylvanian mashed eggplant salad made of grilled, peeled and finely chopped eggplants.

Breads and pancakes

Name Image Region Description
French toast
Bundás kenyér.jpg
Literally "bread with a fur jacket", a savoury French toast or Gypsy toast or bread fritter, a breakfast food or sometimes as a side dish.
Császármorzsa
Kaiserschmarrn-mitPreiselbeeren.jpg
A shredded pancake, which has its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was very fond of this kind of fluffy shredded pancake.
Csúsztatott palacsinta
Pfannkuchen mit Zucker.jpg
Layered crêpes with sweet cottage cheese, raisins, jam, and walnuts, similar to the Mille crêpe.
Gundel palacsinta
Gundel Palacsinta at Gundel.jpg
Hungary Literally named Gundel crêpe. It was created by and named after Hungarian restaurateur Károly Gundel. They are stuffed with walnuts and served in chocolate sauce, and often flambéed (with rum). They traditionally also come with candied orange peels.
Hortobágyi palacsinta
Hortobagy palacsinta.JPG
Alföld A savoury Hungarian pancake, filled with meat (usually veal) as the meat is prepared as a stew and the minced meat is fried with onions and spices, like the pörkölt or the paprikás dish, using veal, with or without mushrooms, chicken, or Hungarian sausages.
Bread
Kenyer 3 kgos kemenceben sult.jpg
A Hungarian bread that tends to be big, round, and with a hard and thick crust.
Kifli
Kifli.jpg
A traditional European yeast roll made into a crescent shape, which can be either salty or sweet.
Lángos
Lángos groß.jpg
Fried bread dough, often served with sour cream, garlic, and cheese.
Palacsinta
Kapros-ordás palacsinta, 4.jpg
A stuffed crêpe, usually filled with jam. Other fillings that exist are sweet quark cheese (túró) with raisins, Nutella, vanilla pudding, or meat. Some more specific/elaborate variations on the palacsinta are listed in the next few rows.
Perec
Riquewihr 052.jpg
A type of Hungarian baked pretzel made from dough most commonly shaped into a twisted knot.
Pogácsa
Hungarian Pogácsa.jpg
A type of bun, round puffed pastry, available with bacon or cheese, traditionally cooked on the fire.
Rakott palacsinta
Pancake2.JPG
Layered crêpes with sweet cottage cheese, raisins, jam, and walnuts.
Vekni
Baguette.png
The other freshly baked bread type that consists of a long loaf with a crispy crust, either thicker or thinner, like the baguette.
Zsemle
Bread rolls
Bread rolls.JPG
Round small breads, eaten as cut in half, with butter, cold cuts, or jam, often for breakfast.

Sweets and cakes

Name Image Region Description
Aranygaluska
Arany-galuska.jpg
Baked dough balls with butter, raisins and nuts, often served with vanilla custard.
Babapiskóta
Biskotten-02.jpg
Low density, dry, egg-based, sweet sponge biscuits roughly shaped like a large finger.
Bejgli
Bejgli1.jpg
A cake roll eaten at Christmas and Easter.
Birsalmasajt
Quince cheese
Dulce de membrillo.jpg
A quince cheese, or quince jelly made of quinces.
Csiga Literally "snail" - a rolled pastry that comes in many different coatings and flavors, usually walnut, poppy seed, chocolate, and vanilla pudding.
Angel wings
Faworki 021, February 2010.jpg
Crispy and light Hungarian Angel Wings; a twisted thin fried cookie made of yeast dough, dusted with powdered sugar.
Dobostorta
Dobos cake
Dobos cake (Gerbeaud Confectionery Budapest Hungary).jpg
A sponge cake layered with chocolate paste and glazed with caramel and nuts.
Eszterházy torta
Eszterhazy-Torte 01.JPG
A Hungarian cake (torta), named after Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha (1786–1866), a member of the Esterházy dynasty and diplomat of the Austrian Empire.
Fánk
Bismarck doughnuts
Langosch.jpg
A traditional Hungarian pastry, similar to a doughnut with no central hole, but it has a round, sweet, and fired taste, topped with lekvar.
Flódni
Flódni.JPG
Jewish-Hungarian A cake with four different fillings, which are poppy seed, walnut, apple, and plum jam.
Gesztenyepüré Cooked and mashed sweet chestnuts with sugar and rum, topped with whipped cream.
Halva, Transylvanian sweet
PistHalva.jpg
A sweet confection, made with sunflower seeds, of Turkish origin.
Képviselőfánk Hungarian Cream Puff made from choux pastry and filled with vanilla cream. Literal translation - 'Ambassador Doughnut'.
Krémes
Kremna rezina.jpg
A puff pastry top, custard cream and whipped cream filling, and is finished with powdered sugar.
Kuglóf
Kouglof.png
A traditional Austro-Hungarian coffee party cake, traditionally baked in a distinctive circular Bundt mold.
Kürtőskalács
Kurtoskalacs.jpg
A spit cake specific to Hungary and Hungarian-speaking regions in Romania, more predominantly the Székely Land.
Lekvár
Fig jam on a dish.JPG
A very thick, sometimes coarse jam of pure ripe fruit originating in central and eastern Europe.
Lekváros bukta
Buchteln.jpg
A baked dessert filled with jam, túró, or ground walnuts.
Lekváros tekercs
Swiss roll
Swiss roll.jpg
A rolled up soft sponge cake filled with jam.
Linzer Torte
Foto.Linzertorte.JPG
A tart with a crisscross design of pastry strips on top.
Madártej
Ujuvad saarekesed.jpg
A floating island dessert, made of milk custard with egg white dumplings floating on top.
Mákos guba
2012-12 Mohnpielen anagoria.jpg
Silesia Kifli and finely ground poppy seeds boiled in milk and sugar.
Mézes krémes
Hungarian Honey Cake (Mézes krémes).jpg
A Hungarian honey cake that is covered with vanilla or chocolate.
Piskóta
Vicenzovo Italian Ladyfinger.png
A thin, light, sweet, delicate, and crispy cookie.
Rétes
Strudel.jpg
A type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet.
Rigó Jancsi
Rigojanci.jpg
A cube-shaped sponge cake with dark chocolate glaze.
Somlói galuska [hu]
Somloi-galuska.JPG
Budapest/Fót A sponge cake with raisins, walnuts, served with rum, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.
Szaloncukor
Szaloncukor2.jpg
Flavoured candies which hang on the Christmas tree, eaten at Christmas.
Törökméz
Nougat
A sweet sticky white nougat paste cooked with sugar, egg whites, honey, bits of walnuts, spread between two wafer sheets.
Túrós lepény Dessert bars made from sweetened túró. A variant called kapros-túrós lepény also exists, which has added dill.
Túró Rudi
Rudi akt.jpg
A sweet quark cheese that is called a "túró"-filled chocolate bar.
Vaníliás kifli
Vanillekipferl Weihnachtsgebaeck.JPG
Small and crescent-shaped biscuits, that are originally made with walnuts, but also with almonds or hazelnuts. They get their typical flavor from a heavy dusting of vanilla sugar.
Vargabéles Hungarian strudel or noodle pie.

See also

References