Our last stop is at a bar for a pálinka, the traditional fruit brandy of Hungary. Plum flavor is the most traditional, so that's what we have. The group toasts each other and our happy tour guide, Máté. Throughout the tour he has provided us with bits of history and insight into Hungarian life and told the story with food. If anyone asked us what to do in Budapest this tour would be in our top 5. We roll home... stuffed and very happy. A nap is in order! |
On Saturday morning we walk four blocks from our apartment to the Rákóczi tér metro station to meet Máté, the guide of the Fat Boy Foodies Walk tour. We arrive at ten minutes to 9 am, and he is already there, smiling as we approach. There will be a total of 12 people on our tour today. We learn that Máté is a journalist who specializes in food and travel. He created this AirBnB experience and does it as his side-gig. We start by walking into the market building right behind the station. Máté leads the group into the back to a small spot specializing in lángos, the Hungarian breakfast and after a night of drinking food. It is fried dough brushed with garlic oil and topped with sour cream and shredded cheese. They are delicious - and I quickly feel that this is definitely going to be four hours of overeating. Our next stops are a few blocks away for sweets. A 10 minute walk takes us to Hungarian strudel (complete with a strudel-making demonstration) followed by another 10 minute walk to a bakery which specializes in a 7 layer Hungarian celebration cake. Yum! The sugar is kicking in as we walk to a butcher market which also has cooked sausages and other meats for sale. The hot sausages paired with mustard and fresh bread that we sample is great. This is followed by a stop at a butcher shop in another market where a have cold sausage (somewhat like pepperoni), cheese and bread. Terrific! Máté leads us a few blocks to a ruin bar. Ruin bars are famous in Budapest. They are old buildings which are dilapidated in cosmetics but structurally sound. They are the fun gathering point to have a few (or many) drinks late into the night. Máté tells us lunch is next at a very famous, old Hungarian restaurant. The owner, who looks to be in his 80's, sits at the register. The waitresses have all been here for a very long time. The place is packed, but they have set aside two tables for us. We are served bowls of soup with thin noodles followed by a pork goulash with Hungarian noodles. The food is very good and I notice people at other tables eating their meals and also taking away containers of food. It is understandable. I would like to have this waiting in my refrigerator for another meal! As we eat the line grows out the door.
1 Comment
3/31/2019 09:06:02 am
Being a foodie is something that I will always be proud of. I mean, there is not much that I could do in this world, but being able to appreciate food is one of them. I do not have any particular dream in this world, however, I am surely interested in trying out different dishes. Currently, I am saving money so that I could travel the world in search of the perfect dish. I hope that I get to find it soon.
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AuthorHi. I'm Anne. I wander around the world with William. Enjoy Some of our Favorite Links below
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