Street of Hungarian Flavours 2023

Hungarian stew in a very large metal pan

The Street of Hungarian Flavours/Magyar Ízek Utcája festival offers a taste of local gastronomy for 3 days, 18 – 20. August:

  • Sunday,
  • Monday, and
  • Tuesday.

The event is in Buda, on the Upper Bank of the Danube between Várkert Bazaar and Döbrentei Square.

Entry is free.

Visitors can sample traditional local delicacies including

  • the Nation’s Cake (Huncut Szilva Herceg), and the
  • 3 winners of the Bread Baking Contest

Venue

  • Between Castle Bazaar/Várkert and Döbrentei tér in Buda
  • Entry: free ( you have to pay for food and drinks)

Getting There

people sitting on benches placed on the street in Buda near Chain Bridge

By walk only. No public transport due to the programs and the fireworks on 20. August.

Opening Hours

  • 19. August, Friday, 10.00 – 24.00
  • 20. August, Saturday: 10.00 – 24.00
  • 21. August, Sunday: 10.00 – 24.00

Why Go?

The festival is the biggest gastronomy event in Budapest – apart from the Christmas Fairs at Vörösmarty tér and the Basilica.

goulash in a large metal kettele over open fire

A perfect place to sample local food and drinks:

  • Goulash
  • Mutton stew Karcag style
  • Stuffed cabbage Szatmár style
  • Sausage flavoured with ginger
  • The new bread – 20th August is also the day when bread made from the first grains of the year is blessed
  • The Nation’s Cake and sugar-free cake in 2022: Little Chestnut (Kicsi Gesztenye), a low-calory (only 204 kcal) and low- carbohidrate chestnut cake.
  • Traditional pastries and cakes: Sekler Cake (Kürtös Kalács), strudel
  • Wine and craft beer

The location, Várkert Bazaar is one of the newest attractions of Budapest: a series of ornate, 19. century palace buildings with a lush garden.

a colonnaded walkway and a park
Várkert Bazaar & Gardens

Várkert Bazár Is Home To

  • Exhibitions,
  • Concerts,
  • Dance performances,
  • Holiday fairs (Christmas, Easter) all year round.

The scenic view of the Danube and the landmarks lining the Pest bank is just amazing from here.

Hungary’s Birthday Cake – Plum, Chocolate, Red Wine

The Street of Hungarian Flavours has been part of the August 20th/St Stpehen’s day festivities for many years now.

A whole Hungary's Birthday cake 2022 cake on round, white cake holder, to the left a slice of the cake placed on a wooden board with 2 cinnamon bars placed next to it
Mischievous Plum Prince Cake

The festival is also the venue where you can first taste Hungary’s Birthday Cake. Each year the guild of Hungarian Confectioners announces a contest to make a special cake from traditional local ingredients.

A jury then chooses one over 2 rounds and the winner torte is first sliced on the Street of Hungarian Flavours.

This year the Mischievous Plum Prince Cake/Huncut Szilva Herceg made

  • Without flour but with
  • Rich plum chocolate mousse spiced up with a dash of red wine from Eger
  • Between hazelnut sponge layers

Sugar-Free Cake For The Health Conscious

For those who watch their weight or avoid sugar in their diet can have a slice from the sugar-free Cake named Granny’s Favourite.

  • White chocolate-pistachio crunch layers filled with
  • Raspberry coulis,
  • Mascarpone mousse,
  • Enhanced with hibiscus flower and rosehip coulis.

A slice of this delicacy contains only 238 kcal and 11,9 g carbohydrate.

St. Stephen Day’s Bread

Besides the Nation’s Cake you can also savour the wineers of the St. Stephen’s Day Bread Contest:

slices and pieces ofof rye bread on toothpick placed on a plate for tasting
St. Stephen’s Day Bread
  • A white sourdough bread called Várhegyi Deres made by the Kurdy Family Bakery. It is a crunchy white wheat bread with a dash of corn and leavened for 12 hours with fesh sourdough.
  • The 2nd bread is a honey apple rye bread with 70% rye flour and 24-h sourdough and seasoned with apple chips and honey.
  • The 3rd you can taste on the festival is a whole sourdough bread made from spelt flour, rye flour and oat flour but the baker also added sunflower seeds, oat flakes and pumpkin seeds.

Other Programs Nearby

  • Air and Water Show (Danube, parliament) – from 09.15 till 10.00 on 20. August
  • Csárdafesztivál At Vörösmarty Square – The country’s best inns will be cooking plus there will be dancing and folk music too – so you can dine and wine to your heart’s content there!
  • Folk Art Festival in Buda Castle, 19 – 21. August
  • Fireworks at 21.00, August 20th

TIP: Browse also our other program recommendations in August!