It was pumpkin season in Hungary when I was visiting there in early October. On a ride through the countryside, bright orange pumpkins could be spotted in yards, laying in the warm sunshine, probably waiting to be carved into a jack-o-lantern. Signs at restaurants announced the celebration of pumpkin week. Restaurants in Hungary are very mindful of using local, seasonal ingredients on their menus.

A chalkboard sign outside of Anno Taverna Restaurant in Balatonszárszón, a little village on the south side of Lake Balaton in the Hungarian countryside, announced they were celebrating pumpkins that week. My two traveling partners and I pulled the car into the small parking lot and chose an outdoor table to enjoy the October sunshine while we had lunch.

My meal began with a bowl of pork knuckle and bean soup, hot and hardy. Then, a cucumber salad made with the freshest-tasting cucumbers I’ve ever eaten. Finally, a plate of deep orange pumpkin latkes studded with chewy green pumpkin seeds and flavored with a hint of nutmeg. Three hefty-sized crunchy rounds were topped with a big dollop of sour cream, a sprig of fresh rosemary and a few drops of greenish brown pumpkin seed oil glistening under the autumn sun. Around the outside edge of the plate was sprinkles of a mixture of dried bits of minced green and red peppers, cracked black and white peppercorns and coarse salt. That plate of food was a beautiful work of art, really. And the latkes, delicious.

I tried to recreate those pumpkin pancakes when I returned home. I was very satisfied with the results. If you’re interested in seeing my recipe, you can click here.

It was the perfect time for a food-lover like me to visit Hungary. Apples, pears, plums, almonds, walnuts and chestnuts were being harvested from the trees. Rose hips were being turned into delicious sauces and syrups.

Peppers from gardens were dried and ready to be ground, providing fragrant sweet and hot paprikas for Hungarian cooks to season meats and gravies.

Hungary is heavenly in October.

It seemed to be a good year for almonds.

Freshly shelled walnuts wound up in coffee cakes and strudels:

Roses are everywhere in Hungary. I noticed they were often planted at the end of each row of grapevines. And they were right at home in gardens throughout the countryside and growing wild along the side of the roads. Rose hip sauce was served with meat and sweet strudels.

I enjoyed such delicious apple strudel while I was in Hungary. They must make the best, with layers of thin, flakey dough wrapped around apple filling. It was just like the strudel I remembered my grandma making.

All of the fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts make October in Hungary the season to be eating.

After several days of meals heavy on meat, mostly the juicy, moist and very flavorful Hungarian pork, I decided it was time for a meatless dinner. The menu at the restaurant at Hilltop Winery at Neszmely offered four vegetarian entrees including Pancake (Palacsinta) with vegetables and blue cheese sauce, Spinach Dumplings with fresh parmesan and brown butter (this sounded good, but a little heavy for what I was looking for), Cream Spinach with fried eggs (this did not entice me), and finally, a Fried Camembert plate that included wild rice. This was the first time I’d seen wild rice on a menu since I’d been in Hungary.

Fried Camembert in walnut coat with blueberries in Pinot Noir, roasted apples, wild rice. That’s what the menu read. It piqued my curiosity. The warm, creamy cheese oozed from its coat of ground walnuts as the fork pierced through it. The cheese tasted much like Brie. The rich, musty, earthy flavor was a bit overpowering for me and I was only able to eat a little bit of one of the large wedges with its crunchy blanket of nuts.  Camembert is produced in Hungary, although I didn’t ask if the cheese I was served was that product.

The wild rice turned out to be white rice with a few kernels of wild rice mixed in.

The highlight of my meal at Hilltop was definitely the dessert, which I talked about in my previous post.

The dining room was a warm and cozy spot to have a relaxing meal while enjoying some of their buttery, full-flavored, dry Chardonnay

And, as the sun sets, you can sip wine and gaze out over the Danube River to see Slovakia on the other side.

If you plan a trip to Budapest, be sure to allow enough time in Hungary so that you can take at least one mini-trip into the countryside to visit a winery or two.

Not only will you have the opportunity to taste some good Hungarian wines, you will most likely eat some delicious food.

Hilltop Winery is nestled atop a hill overlooking the Danube near the village of Neszmely. It is less than a two-hour drive from Budapest, heading to the northwest. The winery has a restaurant and on the floor above, some rooms for visitors to spend the night.

The views from the restaurant and the hotel rooms are quite spectacular. The wines are fragrant and fresh-tasting and the food served in the restaurant is impressive.

The dessert I chose to end my evening meal was created with thick layers of walnut filling, apple filling, and poppyseed filling with thin pastry separating each. I loved the way they sprinkled cocoa over a fork on the plate, a creative and eye-catching adornment. And, oh my, that dessert was so good. I’d say it is one of my favorite desserts that I’ve had in Hungary, but they’ve all been so delicious, I can’t really choose a favorite.

After a good night’s sleep, with the sweet aroma of fermenting grapes wafting through the screen door of the bedroom all night, it was time to go back down to the restaurant for breakfast. Once again, an impressive-looking plate. Very thin slices of ham provided a tray for sunny-side-up eggs. And look at the color of those yolks. It was a very satisfying breakfast, with a basket of fresh bread and a cup of cappucino.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there is only good, fresh, beautiful food in Hungary.

I haven’t seen a bit of butter since I’ve been in Hungary. Lots of bread, but no butter. Lots of chewy, crusty bread — but no butter.

In restaurants, there is always an impressive looking basket of bread served with meals. But no butter. No olive oil. Just creamy paprika gravy or hot goulash soup to soak up with the bread.

It seems, though, that Hungarians love to spread a thick slice of bread with pure lard, top it with thin slices of red onion and sprinkle a little paprika over the whole thing.

At a sausage festival at the Castle the other day, one of the vendors had a tall enameled tin filled with whipped lard. It was so light and creamy. Little paper trays were lined up on the counter, each tray carrying one big piece of bread, spread with lard and topped with onions and paprika. Yes, those were my teeth that took a big bite out of this slice. And before I knew it, I had eaten the whole slice. It really was pretty good. But, I’ll still take butter with my bread, thank you.

Oh, if only I could bring back a big shopping basket from Hungary. At home, I keep several cloth shopping bags in my car, ready to be filled with my purchases at the farmers’ market or with my groceries from the store. It’s one easy thing I can do in my efforts to help protect our environment. Here in Budapest, I see many shoppers carrying a basket.

This morning an elderly woman and I arrived at the grocery store at the same time, both disappointed to find the store was closed. She had her shopping basket hanging on her arm.

On Saturday morning at the organic farmers’ market in MOM Park on the Buda side of the Danube, even the youngest shoppers were filling their baskets with goodies.

This basket was carried through the organic market by two men, who filled it with fresh produce and hauled it away, probably to a nearby restaurant.

If you happen to forget to bring your basket with you, it’s easy to buy one there and fill it up with lots of fresh locally grown fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheese and handmade goods.

I loved the handmade baskets that a local woman was selling. Since a big shopping basket was out of the question for me, I decided on something else. See the woven tray at the end of the table with the beautiful fruit in it? That’s the one I bought. Easy to set in the bottom of my suitcase — along with several little bags of paprika. When I get home, though, I’ll check out my basket supply to see if there’s one I can add to the collection of shopping/market bags in the back seat of my car.

My Hungarian grandma made the best apple strudel I’ve ever had. Here in Hungary it’s apple season and apple strudel is showing up on many of the restaurant menus. Yesterday, on the Pest side of the Danube, I came upon the Strudel House. I ordered the sweet cottage cheese-filled strudel, mainly because it was served with a rosehip sauce, which I wanted to taste. During my two days in the countryside, I saw rose bushes heavy with hips. This restaurant served sauce they had made with freshly harvested rosehips. The sauce had the fragrance of fermented grapes, and I think the little cottage I stayed in that was nestled in the middle of a vineyard in the countryside had bed linens sprayed with the fragrance of rosehips.

Well, the strudel had flakey layers surrounding the cottage cheese filling, the rosehip sauce was a delicious complement and one perfect scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream put the dessert over the top. It was a late-night treat. It wasn’t as good as the one my grandma used to make, though.

Whether I’ve been to a tiny pub, a cozy neighborhood restaurant, or a famous fine-dining establishment, I’ve discovered they all pay attention to the little things that make the meal memorable. Flowers are stil blooming here, and they are used often on the tables in one way or another. Plates are garnished creatively, with fuits, vegetables, fresh herbs, flowers or powdered seasonings that make the food look especially beautiful. Even a simple cup of cappucino never arrives at the table unadorned. And I’ve had plenty of cappucino since I’ve been in Budapest. It’s taken the place of my cup of American-style brewed coffee each morning. And now I’m hooked on it. It’s become my beverage of choice in the morning, afternoon and evening.

It’s the little things that can make such a big difference.

On a visit to the countryside around Lake Balaton, I visited a farm that raises indigenous Hungarian animals. There was also a very meticulously-kept herb and flower garden. What fun it was to browse through the garden and enjoy the wonderful fragrance of fresh herbs. I had never seen curry growing before, so of course, had to snap a photo.

As my friend Gabor drives me up and down the hills and through the small villages around the Lake, we see rows and rows of grape vines, the leaves turning bright shades of red, yellow and orange. The sun shines brightly, the temperature is in the warm 60′s. Leaves on the trees are colorful, apples are big and red, just waiting to be picked. Pumpkins in Hungary are deep orange, and they are being picked from the gardens right now. Many restaurants have created pumpkin dishes and desserts to celebrate the season. Almonds, walnuts and chestnuts are dropping from the trees.

It is all much more beautiful than I ever imagined.

It’s autumn in Budapest and the sun continues to shine, and I continue to walk to burn off all the calories I am taking in. So far, I have not purchased a bus pass or used any kind of public transportation. The city is not hard to navigate, as long as you have a good map, although the street names are not easy to pronounce in Hungarian. It is a very difficult language to learn, but I am picking up words here and there and try to use them in my communciations with the locals. Many do speak some English, but I find that those who do not speak or understand English get very irritated when I can’t communciate with them.
The food continues to make me happy, but I have been disappointed by a couple of things in Budapest. First of all, smoking is permitted everywhere and few restaurants provide non-smoking space. I am amazed at the number of people, of all ages, who smoke, smoke, smoke. Coming from Minnesota, a completely smoke-free state, I have become spoiled and the smoke here is beginning to really bug me.
I have been pleased to see that bike routes are provided in much of Buda and Pest, where they use half of the sidewalk as a marked bike-way. What has surprised me, though, is what seems to be biker’s complete disregard for pedestrians. Bikers come quietly up from behind, sometimes almost running right into pedestrians, without a word about being "on your left." To be fair, though, I have heard a little ding from a biker or two.
As long as I’m venting, I will also tell you I’ve been very disappointed at how unfriendly Hungarians seem to be. Maybe it bothers me because of my Hungarian background. I visited with a young Hungarian man who says it also bothers him. It is not just because I am a tourist that I experience this behavior. He says he is treated the same way. Remember, I am not staying at a hotel where staff is more than likely trained to be courteous and friendly. I am interacting with those who work in small markets, coffee houses, and other small neighborhood businesses. Not all, but most of those I’ve been in contact with, have not seemed happy to have me visiting their neighborhood. But I love the guy who runs the coffee house/restaurant just up the hill from my apartment. He sees me every morning. It’s where I get my espresso and work on my blog posts. And he has very friendly people working with him.
It’s been great fun exploring Buda and Pest and coming upon little restaurants serving wonderful Hungarian meals. A lunch at Markus Vendeglo in Buda started with a delicious bowl of Hungarian-style bean soup, with bits of pork and homemade smoked sausage mingled with beans in a broth rich with paprika. A plate of breaded pork cutlets stuffed with smoked sausage, onion and cheese and tender little Hungarian dumplings also found its way to my table.
Many, many footsteps later, I had a late dinner at Arany Hordo on Castle Hill in Buda. The waiter convinced me to sip a special drink made of Hungarian white wine, apricot palinka,(Hungarian-style brandy), and some kind of Hungarian bitters. The highlight of my meal was a delicious salad of grilled cottage cheese, although not like the cottage cheese we know, with very fresh-tasting slices of cucumber, red onion and tomatoes. It seems every restaraunt I’ve visited has been very meticulous about making the plate look beautiful. Garnishes are not taken lightly. After that huge salad, I still had to find room for the entree, which was parslied potatoes, tender, thin slices of pork, topped with crispy fatback. It was so good, but so bad for my arteries.

The weather here is still pleasant for dining outdoors. Many restaurants have cute, cozy outdoor spaces as a dining option. In the evening, when the air holds a little chill, lap blankets are on each of the outdoor chairs, just in case you get a little cold.
There will be much more walking in the days ahead, you can count on it!

It seems all food is delicious in Budapest. I visit to Firkasz Restaurant in Pest did not disappoint.

I started my meal with a seeded cheese spread served with grapes and very fresh walnut halves. The spread was a blend of three cheeses and sour cream, studded with black sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. The walnuts were slightly toasted. Slathered on to slices of fresh rye bread, and washed down with Hungarian red wine, it was quite delicious.

Thin slices of beef tenderloin, grilled and served over paprika potatoes was a satisfying entree.

The meat was juicy and tendeer, the potatoes perfectly seasoned and layered with sauteed slices of onion.

The dessert I chose is one that is offered in every restaurant I have visited. Somloi Galuska is sponge cake soaked in

rum syrup, layered with walnut paste, cocoa, pastry cream, topped with thick whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate. Mmmm. Quite a meal. Real Hungrian flavor.

I miss my morning coffee. Here in Budapest, there is no American-style steaming hot cup of dark roast coffee. The little coffee shop down the hill, around the corner and then back up the hill from my apartment, serves the same thing every other coffee shop offers: espresso, latte or cappucino. My apartment is equipped with an espresso pot and finely ground coffee, but I still miss a big mug of hot coffee first thing in the morning.
The sun shines bright on the Buda hill and the weather is perfect for walking and exploring. A short walk from my Buda apartment gets me to the chain bridge. There is a wide walkway on both sides, making it safe to walk over the Danube River to get to Pest. Central Market Hall is on my list of places I must see. It is a huge, stunning old brick building,full of steel beams and huge windows with light streaming in over the Hungarian sellers with their fresh produce, meats, sausages, breads and sweet bakery. The vendors take up all of the main floor. One friendly butcher gave me a taste of fried pork fat that he pulled from one of the bins overflowing with the crunchy stuff. He first had me take a bite of the chunk of fat and then offerd a bowl of salt to me for dipping the melt-in-your-mouth fat. Oh, yes, I know I would have enjoyed it if the fat had been hot and maybe eaten with some bread, but at room temperature, not so much.
On the second floor of the Market Hall, the aisles were crowded with people looking for some lunch. This is where there are stalls selling cooked Hungarian sausages and langos, disks of fried yeast dough topped with all sorts of things. I enjoyed a warm langos with garlic, sour cream and shredded white cheese. I added a squat, round red pepper stuffed with sauer kraut to my lunch. It was served cold. I think it would be a great side to a grilled summer meal.
I’ll be visiting the great Market Hall at least once more during my stay in Budapest.