Bizarre Foods get Real in Budapest

We love it when TV hosts from abroad come to Budapest to sample the culture and cuisine, then present it back to the world like a new discovery from some distant, unknown land. They all assume a similar attitude when confronted with a kitchen that is so different than that of its Slavic and Balkan neighbors: awestruck, confounded, impressed, and relived all at once. This is particularly true when it comes to famous cooks and foodhounds who are profiling Hungarian cuisine while trying to get their mouth around a fat véres huka (blood sausage), while forcing their tongue to do the acrobatics required to pronounce the Hungarian language.

This is true of American Andrew Zimmern, who hosts the popular show Bizarre Foods on US cabal TV's Travel Channel. Maybe it is because he is on his second trip to Budapest that he has forsaken such ‘bizarre’ delicacies as kakashere pörkölt (rooster testicle stew) and zúza pörkölt (gizzard stew) in favor of more conventional Hungarian dishes like stuffed cabbage and chicken paprikash (the only bizarre thing here is that they are not more popular worldwide).

Chicken paprikash

That said, the host does make an effort to cover the range of price points, from a ‘street food’ lángos (fried dough) to a pricey dessert cake called Solmóli galuska from the city’s one-time most esteemed restaurant, Gundel.  In the in-between space we see visits to local treasure Rosenstein, where traditional Hungarian Jewish cuisine is served; to a hip new ‘Party District’ restaurant called Getto Gulyas that specializes in old-school Hungarian goulash and stews.

Somlói galuska

One of those interviewed proclaims that there is a ‘culinary revolution’ underway in Budapest. And he is right. Old dishes are being revamped for modern tastes, while Hungarian Millennials are seeing the value local cuisine as street food. It is fair to say that the the food scene reflects the city as a whole: vibrant, traditional, progressive, and always inventive.

We invite you to have a look at the latest Budapest installment of Bizarre Foods, which can be consumed in bite-sized portions below.

Flatpack Films is based in Budapest, Hungary. We are a film company that offers an inspiring and professional work atmosphere for our local and international clients. Since our inception, our focus has been providing the best of the best in terms of local production resources, locations, cast, and technical teams to ensure that whatever the production we facilitate, we do to highest standard possible.