Hungarian Christmas Foods

HUNGARIAN CHRISTMAS FOODS - For vlogmas episode three, I visited the beautiful Budapest Christmas Market to look for special foods Hungarians eat at Christmastime. The market is full of delicious foods but I was in search of treats that are saved for this festive time of year.

I asked a friend of mine, who is from Budapest, the first thing she thought of when she pictured Hungarian Christmas and she said, without hesitation, bejgli. Bejgli is a rolled pastry with a flaky exterior and creamy filling. It’s traditionally made with poppy seed or walnut. I opted for the walnut variety. It tastes really fresh and I liked the contrast of the smooth centre with the crunchy walnuts. It definitely tasted like Christmas and I wasn’t surprised that it’s a seasonal favourite. Marc said it reminded him of pumpkin pie! Don’t miss trying this at the Budapest Christmas Market or anywhere else at this time of year in Hungary.

The next Christmas treat I tried is called mézeskalács. These are cookies which are very similar to traditional gingerbread and you may see signs in English that translate to as much. But they don’t taste exactly like the gingerbread I know from home. These are extremely lightweight and feel light as a feather in your hand. They have the same spicy ginger taste but don’t have the density and chewiness of normal gingerbread. They’re more airy and flaky and, I thought, had a more neutral flavour overall. They’re special at the holidays and are known for the intricate and detailed decorations which are painted on with icing. I almost felt a bit guilty eating it - not guilty enough to stop me though!

The third very traditional Hungarian Christmas food I hunted down is simply called ‘Christmas candy’ or 'parlour candy' or, in Hungarian, szaloncukor. They are wrapped candies that look so cherry and bright that they’re also used to decorate the Christmas tree. Edible decor is always a good idea! I tried three flavours: cherry, orange, and honey. They were all delicious but honey was my number one favourite.

I loved making this video and sharing all the traditional Hungarian Christmas foods with you guys. I hope you enjoyed it as well! I’d love to know what you’d most like to try if you were at the Budapest Christmas Market OR tell me your favourite Christmas food where you're from. Leave a comment and let me know!

Subtitles available in English, Hungarian and Spanish! Click the 'CC' button (bottom right).

MY VLOGMAS 2017 SERIES
This December I’m doing Vlogmas on my channel! Vlogmas is usually where you daily vlog each day of December leading up to Christmas. I’m doing my own version where I’ll upload new videos three times per week on my regular schedule (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) and each ‘episode’ will be Christmas themed from my travels in Europe! I’ll be exploring Christmas markets - and trying all the special foods - in 6 different countries and learning about unique and sometimes crazy-sounding Christmas traditions. I absolutely love this time of year. I’m looking forward to experiencing all the different ways people celebrate and sharing it with you.

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