What is Hungary famous for? Apparently, the majority of the people believe that Hungary is only Budapest, and although it is true that it´s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, is not the only thing you can appreciate in the country.
Today we are going to tell you which are the most famous things in Hungary…It will surprise you:
1) Goulash
Of course, this list needed to start with one of the most famous Hungarian things, which is the goulash soup, or how they call it in their language “Gulyás”. Our first trip to Hungary was when we were just 13 years old, and I remember that we tried the goulash soup in a restaurant, and it felt like the best dish in the world. Our mum begun showing interest on its recipe and now she cooks it at home almost every week. It´s delicious.
The goulash soup was invented in the 17th/18th century, since then its popularity has been increasing a lot and nowadays although it´s cooked in different ways, is an international dish common in many other countries. You can easily find it in Austria, Slovakia, Check Republic and Serbia.
About the way it´s done we can tell you that it´s basically a soup of meat and vegetables with spices like paprika. Simple but good!
2) Paprika
We could be considered Hungarians because we love Paprika and we actually use in many dishes, but I mean who doesn´t love paprika, right? Well, in Hungary they are crazy about paprika, believe us when we say that they use it in every dish, no matter if it´s fish, meat, a soup or whatever.
Of course, although paprika is one of those things associated with Hungary, its origins are not in this country, paprika was discovered in Mexico. It´s true that since the day it was introduced by the Ottomans in the XVI century, they have not been able to stop using it in their cuisine. If you visit a Hungarian market, you will realize about the passion they have about paprika.
Tell us in the comment section bellow at the end of the blog, are you a paprika lover? If you do, what do you prefer, spicy or sweet paprika?
3) Rubik´s cube
I bet you all have seen at list once a cube of Rubik, right? At least tell us that you have heard about it! This famous smart game, toy, puzzle, or however you want to call it was invented in Hungary and of course it needed to be in our “What is Hungary best known for?” list.
This 3-D puzzle was created in 1974 by the Hungarian professor and sculptor Ernő Rubik. It started to be sold on shops in 1980, and the most surprising thing is that 40 years later it´s still very common. It´s for sure one of the most famous things from Hungary but Imagine how popular it became all over the world that it even has a role in one of the best movies ever “The pursuit of happiness”.
In our case, we do have it at home, but being honest, we have never been able to complete it. Tell us, have you ever done it?
4) Hot Springs
We talked about hot springs on our article from Japan, but yes, Hungary is a great competitor on this subject. The majority of the people know about the Hungarian hot springs because is the second most popular tourist attraction of Budapest, but there are actually more than a thousand hot springs all over the country.
We must admit that we are not big fans of hot springs, not because we don´t like it, but mainly because we feel like there is many people in an area that is very hot and can be a little bit suffocating.
Anyway, if you do like it right down these two names: The first one is Lake Hévíz, which is the biggest natural thermal lake available for simming, and the second one is Széchenyi Thermal Baths, which is the one where people play chess. Hot springs are definitely one of the most popular things in Hungary.
5) Hungarian Parliament
One of those unique things in Hungary is their parliament or also known as the National Assembly. When we visited Budapest, we got very impressed by the magnitude of the building, plus, the fact that it´s located right by the river makes it perfect for photographers (Well and just to admire the view).
The parliament is the tallest building of the city and the largest in the whole country. A random but very curious facts about the monument is that its architecture got blind before it was finished…Scary right?
We could say that the house of the National Assembly is our favorite monument of the country, have you ever visited it?
6) Puskas
You probably didn´t know this, but Hungarians are very good at sports. Of all their sport players we have to highlight a footballer that become one of the best players in the history of the best club in the world “Real Madrid”, yes, we are talking about Ferenc Puskas.
Of course, he is also the best player in the Hungarian history, but it´s something to admire to become such a good player in a country that is not as competitive as Italy, Brasil, France or others.
All over the country they adore him and as a representation, you will find souvenirs of the player in almost every gift shop. Alfonso got to buy a football scarf of him and the Hungarian colors.
Do you know any other famous things in Hungary?
That´s it! These are just 6 of the million things that Hungary is known for. As you can see, although it´s not a very big country, it does have some things that are known internationally. Before living, we would like to ask you about other cool Hungarian things you have heard about.
Hope you have enjoyed reading this article, and if you have any question or suggestion, please let us know.
