SPECIALISED PROGRAMS

Traditional Hungarian Cuisine

To understand Hungarian cuisine, we have to take a peek into the past. Today’s Hungarian cuisine is a synthesis of ancient Asiatic components mixed with Germanic, Italian, and Slavic elements. The food of Hungary can be considered a melting pot of the continent, with its own original cuisine from the Hungarian people.

Hungarian cuisine today shows great regional variety – and this promises a lot of excitement for gastro-curious travellers. Just take a look at the Northern parts of the Great Plain. This is where our most famous dish, the Goulash soups comes from, developed by the local herdsmen. Don’t compare the Hungarian goulash to other kinds of goulash you might have eaten elsewhere, by the way – the original one is a rich and spicy soup, best made out of the meat of the Hungarian Grey cattle. The area has given birth to the Hortobágyi pancake as well, a savoury crêpe filled with veal, today usually served as a starter. Or the slambuc, a hearty dish cooked on open fire out of potatoes and noodles, flavoured with some nice bacon. The region is proud to give home to Hungary’s finest plums (in Szatmár) and apples (Szabolcs) – no lack of great pálinkas for the folks of the Eastern Plain.

Wines in Hungary

When it comes to Hungarian wines, it’s Tokaji that pops up in most heads first, but there is so much more to be discovered.

Hungary has always been best known for the sweet wines created in the region of Tokaj in the North East of the country. Tokaji Aszú was the drink of choice for everyone from Louis XIV through to Beethoven and Peter the Great, it’s the Wine of Kings, and the King of Wines.

Hungarian winemaking has diversified a lot over the past years, with small wineries offering „artisan” wines all over the country.

Pálinka

Pálinka is the alcoholic drink made only from fruit or pomace grown in Hungary and some parts of Austria. By law, no additional ingredients are acceptable, except pure water. Really good pálinka is smooth and fruity and has an alcohol content of around 40%. There are hundreds of types of Pálinka, using many different fruits, the best distilleries are Agárdi, Gyulai, Zwack, Brill, Márton és lányai, Panyolai, Tarpai, Bestillo and Bolyhos.

Pálinka in small amounts is a medicine, in large amounts a remedy, so Hungarians say.. Our grandfathers liked to start the day with a small glass of good pálinka and were convinced that they owed their health to the benevolent effects of the distillate. Well, we’re not sure about that, but to be honest, we don’t even care – it just tastes too good.

We can offer cooking classes, wine-tastings and pálinka-tastings all over the country, because every town or village has it’s own specialty.

Budapest Wine & Dine Package Day to day program

1.Day – Arrival
Arrival in Budapest, check-in hotel

2.Day – Sightseeing Budapest and Wine-tasting
Sigthseeing tour Budapest (Gellert-hill, Castle District,Heroe’s Square, Basilica)
Free time in the city center
Regional Wine-tasting with Dinner in a famous restaurant

3.Day – Cooking Class and Royal Palace Gödöllő
In the morning a cooking class of a Hungarian specialty and we eat what we cooked
Free time in the city center
Arriving in Gödöllő for a tour of the Royal Palace, coffee break after the tour back to Budapest

4.Day – Visegrad and the Danube
Half day excursion to Visegrad – visiting the former Royal Palace of Visegrad
In the evening a beautiful dinner-cruise on the Danube in Budapest

5.Day – Departure
Departure from Budapest

Budapest Wine & Dine Package includes:

• 4 x accommodation with buffet-breakfast in 3-star or 4-star hotel
• guided sightseeing tour
• entrance fee Royal Palace Gödöllő
• entrance fee Royal Palace Visegrád
• Dinner-cruise
• wine-tasting with dinner
• cooking-class

Culinary Budapest Package Day to day program

1.Day – Arrival
Arrival in Budapest, check-in hotel

2.Day – Sightseeing Pest and Market Hall
Sigthseeing tour Pest (Heroes’ Square, Basilica)
Visiting the Market-Hall, typical Hungarian lunch
In the evening a beautiful dinner-cruise on the Danube in Budapest

3.Day – Buda and Törley Champagne Cellars
Sigthseeing tour Buda (Gellert-hill, Castle District )
Free time in the city center
In the afternoon visiting of the Törley Champagne Cellars with tasting

4.Day – Szentendre, Visegrad and Medieval times
Half day excursion to Szentendre and Visegrad– visiting the former Royal Palace of Visegrad
Medieval lunch in Visegrad
Wine-tasting with Dinner and live Hungarian music

5.Day – Departure
Departure from Budapest

Culinary Budapest Package includes:

• 4 x accommodation with buffet-breakfast in 3-star or 4-star hotel
• guided sightseeing tour ( Pest,Buda,Szentendre)
• Hungarian lunch in Market Hall
• Dinner-cruise
• Champagne-tasting in Törley Cellars
• entrance fee Royal Palace Gödöllő
• entrance fee Royal Palace Visegrad
• Medieval lunch in Visegrad
• wine-tasting with dinner

Wine-tour Package Day to day program ( standard for various wine-regions )

1.Day – Arrival in the wine region
Arrival in the city, check-in hotel

2.Day – Sightseeing and wine-tasting
walkingtour in the city
visiting a wine-cellar, tour and introduction of wine-region, wine tasting
Wine-tasting with Dinner

3.Day – Wine-production tour
visiting a wine-cellar, production-tour and wine tasting
Wine-tasting with Dinner

4.Day – Departure
Departure

Wine-tour Package includes:

• 3 x accommodation with buffet-breakfast in 3-star or 4-star hotel
• 2 x wine-cellar visit with lecture and tasting
• 2 x wine-tasting with dinner