EAT IN ASIA / Destinations / Other destinations / Europe / Romania
Top Hungarian and Romanian drinks and sweets
Sweets and drinks come at the far end of the meal or are a great light snack during the day. So, it is impossible to be in Hungary or Romania and at least once not to have them. But, what to choose? What is the best? What is the most traditional? Here are some tips for you!
Sweets
So awaited from the beginning of the meal! Do you still have a place for some of them? If not, try them during the lunch or while having a break in sightseeing (If you are curious about what to eat in a touristic place in Romania, read the post). Enjoy the heath of the Sun or relax and warm you up in a cozy restaurant when it is snowing outside. Every reason is good to have a piece of something sweet (Here you can find more posts about sweets and desserts around the world and about sweets in Romania especially).
Chimney cake – Kürtöskalács
Kürtöskalács known as chimney cakes are popular both in Romania and Hungary. Also, other Central Europe countries have them too. Take an example of Poland, Latvia, or Ukraine. Chimney cakes are extremely popular during the Winter season, especially close to the Christmas time. However, most places sell them the whole year round, so there would definitively at least one place where you could get them. The name of the cake comes from the shape it has. It looks a little bit like a pipe or a chimney. So, both sides are opened, and the dough is only outside. It has no inner filling; the only garnish is on the outer side. The basic and the most traditional version of a chimney cake, is the one rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon.
Although it is the simplest option, it is one of the best. Aromatic cinnamon and some sugar sweetness combine ideally with the dough. Other versions of Kürtöskalács include rolling them in coconut flakes, small and colorful candies, crushed walnuts, almonds, or peanuts. Finally, comes the Kürtöskalács in chocolate. The whole chimney cake is dipped in a warm, milk chocolate, and either garnished with candies, nuts, or coconut; or served plain. Kürtöskalács is about twenty to thirty cm long, and has a diameter of about ten cm. You can eat it alone or share it with your friends or family. It is easy to divide and to eat bite by bite, as the cake is a pipe made from a one long dough stripe. Just tear part by part without being afraid of crushing the whole kürtöskalács.
Lespedes
Lespedes were partially described in the previous post (Top Hungarian and Romanian local food) as an option for a good and local breakfast. As said before, lespedes are both sweets and not sweets. Depending on the filling that is inside it, lespedes can either be sweet or savory. Sweet lespedes are a great idea for a quick snack during the day, but also are great to have them on local markets. They are mainly with chocolate, nuts or with a bread spread similar to Nutella. The dough is something in between the one prepared for pancakes and calzone. However, it is definitively not crunchy. The dough is delicate and tender, but thicker than the one used for pancakes. Also, the shape is similar to the one of calzones.
Papanasi
Papanasi exist in almost every menu in any Romanian restaurant. So, there is no excuse for you not to try them. Papanasi are local deep-fried dumplings served with sour cream and jellied forest fruits. This is the most traditional and the most popular version, however, many places have their own variations. Forest fruits can be replaced by berries, cherries or any other red or dark fruits. Instead of a sour cream topping, some mascarpone-style white cheese might be used. Finally, a scoop of vanilla ice-creams or whipped cream might come with it. Sometimes, before adding the whole topping, dumplings are sprinkled with a finely grated white, powdered sugar. Papanasi are huge and it is hard to eat them after a full meal. They are delicious, have a soft and fluffy dough and an ideally, slightly fried outer crust.
Drinks
At the far end come drinks. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be ideal after a meal or in a break during your sightseeing. Some of them, you might enjoy while relaxing yourself with friends in a pub, restaurant, or a bar in the evening. Just sit, chill and sip delicious Hungarian Unicum, Romanian wine, typical Hungarian Tokaj or just have a pint or two of a local beer or a bottle of a craft one. The more you try, the thirstier you get, so be cautious! Especially be careful with Unicum!
Unicum
That is a must! You cannot leave Hungary without trying it! This herbal liquor or spirit is wonderful. The spiciness of herbs and the high alcohol content is smoothed by the sweetness of the liquor. Unicum has nothing in common with harsh spirits that might cause fire in your throat. In consequence, it might be misleading you and a couple of shots might cause a blackout. Unicum comes in three varieties. The first one is the most traditional on – plain Unicum. Except for herbs, nothing more is added. This flavor is the strongest and also the feeling of the alcohol is the stronger. Another very popular flavor is Unicum Szilva – a plum liquor. In this one, the taste is a little bit milder and plum notes are appearing at the end. Finally comes Unicum Barista – Unicum with a coffee flavor. This one is the milder one, and coffee aromas are easily noted. It seams to have a lower alcohol content and is especially liked by women. The Unicum liquor has a long tradition, and the receipt is secret and very well protected. Apart from the great taste, it has also medical benefits, well, some say so. As it contains a lot of herbs and spices, it is often drunken after a fatty meal or a during gastral problems.
Wine
Do I have to say anything more? Yes, wine is great both in Romania and in Hungary. Sweet, semi-sweet, dry or semi-dry. Different areas, different weather conditions and different soil, make a significant difference in grape varieties and tastes. Add to that the humidity, number of days with sun and rain and a natural, environmental protections from wind. All that cannot stay without any influence on grapes crops.
Try Hungarian wines from the Eger region, especially do not forget about Egri Bikavér – bull’s blood from Eger. This type of red wines is usually a semi-dry one and is a blend of different grapes’ varieties. It is delicate and has a mild note with no dominant aroma.
And now it is time for Romania! Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Pinot Noir. Which is your favorite? And let’s go a little bit further. If you had to make a list of European countries that produce good wine, which countries would you list? Definitively you will have on your list Italy, France, Spain, Germany, maybe Hungary. But hardly ever, you will put on that list Romania. And that is a big mistake! Romania has a lot to offer to all sommeliers and wine lovers. White, rose and red. Dry, semi-dry, sweet, or semi-sweet. With a burgundy, scarlet, pale rose and clear yellow color, Romanian types of wines are incredibly numerous. Finally, during cold days and nights, nothing will warm you up as much as a cup of a good and aromatic mulled win.
Tokaj
If you are in Hungary, you have to try white wines from the area of Tokaj. That is a must, especially when you visit the country in Summer. Have some refreshing glasses of a Tokaj wine served in the restaurant garden and enjoy a relaxing view of hilly mountains, slopes with vineyards and a chilling, local atmosphere. What to need more? Select your favorite winery, grape variety, and a taste. Do not limit yourself to only one of them. Remember that the same winery can produce different wines from the same grape variety depending on the year of the harvest. If you are curious about some our wine tasting experiences, read more about alcoholic drinks, especially about other local wines. Especially, check these about Lebanese Beaujolais Nouveau, Chateau Musar, and Kefraya wineries.
Coffee
Another Turkish influence in the Hungarian and Romanian cuisine (Here you can find more about Turkish coffee and how to make Turkish coffee). While in Hungary coffee is served with more celebration and more brewing techniques is popular, in Romania, coffee is usually treated as a quick and a simple drink. Of course, the brewing process is carried on properly, with usage of a coffee machine. However, the commonly available coffee list is usually shorter than the one in Hungary. Nonetheless, in both countries, in most places do not expect to have a list as you might have in Starbucks. Remember, that here, in Romania and Hungary, people are concentrated on the coffee aroma and its natural flavor, so any extra syrup is something that kills coffee’s original aromas. Cappuccino, latte, coffee with milk, americano and espresso are available in almost all places. If there is no coffee machine, then a filter coffee is served, so do not worry that you might get it brewed in your cup or glass and then you would have to drink it cautiously not to go till the lower layer with coffee leftovers from brewing.
Mainly Arabica coffee is used, so it is milder in the aroma and with a slighter sourness. It is usually relatively strong and has a dominant coffee taste, even if it served with milk. One more tip – if the coffee aroma is too strong for you, apart from adding more milk, choose milk with more fat. The lower the fat content is, the waterier the milk is, and in consequence, it less alleviates the strength of the coffee.
Read more about the coffee around the world, and check our posts about coffee in Portugal, coffee in Costa Rica, coffee in Vietnam or about coffee in Mexico.
Beer
Yes, finally, there is beer. If you have such an option – try local beers. Soproni is the most popular one in Hungary. It has a long tradition and has been brewed since the end of 19th century. The most popular is a classic one, but there are also other types like Soproni 1895 or Hoplager. Apart from that, there is dark beer – porter, a wheat beer - Búza, IPA and a very popular Meggy beer. Meggy is a cherry beer slightly like a Belgian Mort Subite.
Do not forget about craft beers. Many smaller bars offer a wide selection of limited and unique beers both from the bottle and from the tap. Remember, that as the production scale is smaller than the one of top brands, crops are wiser picked, the fermentation undergoes other processes, and the distribution is quicker. Remember also, that these craft beers usually cannot be stored for a long time. However, do not be afraid of that, pubs usually do not order a lot of them, so they are all the time fresh. In some pubs different beers are available on different days, and after one beer finishes, another set is order. Thanks to that, the beer selection is wider, they are fresher and the properly carbonated.
