10 desserts that remind Hungarians of home

Previously we wrote about some main dishes that stick with Hungarians for the rest of their lives, but it is worth mentioning that desserts might have an even bigger impact on you. Check out ten of the most important desserts that Hungarians have grown up eating and are still their favourites. 

Somlói galuska

Almost no Hungarian can say no to Somlói galuska, one of the most mysterious desserts of the nation. This dessert is comprised of a plain sponge cake, a chocolate flavoured one and a walnut favoured sponge cake, with lots of cream, rum-soaked raisins and chocolate sauce, making it an eloquent and extraordinary culinary experience. Somlói was first made for the World Exhibition in 1958, and

the highly successful original recipe is still a secret, that is why there are so many different, but very similar versions of it.

Krémes

Although krémes is not originally from Hungary, there is a Hungarian take on it which is highly popular, and that was praised by CNN as one of the best cakes in Budapest. The secret? The original, presumably French, recipe was transformed into two layers of crispy sheets of pastry, between which you will find a usually 8 centimetres tall vanilla custard. Try it for yourself whenever you are in Hungary – every confectionery serves krémes.

Mákos guba

This heavenly dessert was already featured in the first Hungarian cookbook in 1695 and its popularity has not declined one bit. Mákos guba is made from leftover crescent rolls or other raised pastry, poppy seed and vanilla custard. It is one of the most important Christmas meals, served either as a dessert or as a standalone meal.

Mákos guba is a very tasty, refined dessert, which is luckily not too filling,

so that is why it is served shortly before the Christmas dinner or as the first course on the very long list of Christmas desserts. As we wrote before, every single meal served at Christmas has symbolic meaning, and so poppy seeds were thought to bring money to the house.

Carnival doughnut

Just like krémes, doughnuts are popular everywhere in the world, but for Hungarians it has a special meaning, linked to tradition: it is eaten usually during the Farsang period and the Busójárás festivities. The carnival season was regarded as the period of finding love, during which girls gave a doughnut with a ribbon tied to it to the boy they wished to marry. Doughnuts are delicious, filling and cheap, and Hungarians know that it is best when grandma makes it with apricot jam.

Pancakes

Hungarian pancakes are a lot like crêpe, they are essentially very thin pancakes, filled with farmer’s cheese (with raisins, cinnamon or lemon zest), plum or apricot jam and then rolled. As far as I can remember, pancakes are the favourites of every Hungarian child, and for many, it still brings back the careless days of our youth. If you are looking for a more eloquent version of it, try the famous Gundel pancake, which is filled with a walnut, vanilla, raisin, orange and rum cream, topped off with chocolate and rum sauce.