Dispatches from Hungary
Food, Wine, Travel, and Culture from Hungary
Sziasztok!
It doesn’t feel quite real that it is already November, and the sun is setting before 4:30pm. It was a whirlwind autumn, which followed a summer characterized by heatwaves and drought. We felt the real consequences of this weather in our vineyard. Many grapes never ripened, and other bunches had very small grapes. Because of the drought, the deer consumed around 60 percent of the grapes this year (our vineyard is right next to a forest). But the quality of the grapes we did get was very good, and we have a few barrels of wine fermenting in the cellar right now.
I’ve alluded to our new project in Erdőbénye—the little village in the Tokaj wine region where we make our wine and spend a lot of our time. Earlier this year we bought the Csillag Fogadó, an old building on the main street, which long ago was the family home of a Jewish family who had a butcher business and a wine wholesale business. For the past few decades it has been a guest house, but was in desperate need of some renovations and some re-thinking. That is what we’ve been working on over these past months. But as often happens in renovation projects like these, the work was more than we planned, new issues arrive constantly, and there are lots of twists and turns.
We pushed hard to have a soft opening for Erdőbénye’s annual wine festival, Bor, Mámor, Bénye, which we managed to do. At the festival we had a full house in the guest house, and we debuted our wines with our brand-new label design (see the photos above). I’ll be sharing more about this exciting new project as we go. In the meantime, the renovations continue. And we’re planning a proper full opening in the spring.
Taste Hungary Updates
We spent a wonderful week with a group of travelers in early September on our inaugural Wine and Food Pilgrimage in the Northeastern Volcanic Hills of Hungary (running again in September 2027). We made so many memories introducing them to Hungarian home-cooking, our favorite winemakers, and, of course, the magical Tokaji esszencia, which we sipped from crystal spoons.
We have several week-long immersive tours planned for 2027 (and a few are already sold out). If you are interested in a very last-minute trip, we have space left on our December tour (December 6-13) “Winter in Budapest – Christmas Sparkles, Chanukah Candles, and Holiday Feasts.”
We are very excited about our collaboration with photographer Tim Clinch for September 2027. Wine & Food In Focus: Exploring the Food and Wines of Hungary, Through the Lens will be an eight-night photography workshop with Tim combined with a tour designed by us. The experience will take a small group of guests through Budapest, Eger, Mátra, and Tokaj. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced photographer, Tim will help you hone your skills and improve your storytelling. I first met Tim back in 2012 when he took my portrait in a café in Budapest while he was shooting for an article in Condé Nast Traveller on Budapest and Tokaj. The idea for this joint workshop/tour came about last year when I travelled to Bulgaria for one of his workshops.
It’s been awhile since I’ve sent out a newsletter, and I have been re-thinking about what I’d like to do with this newsletter. So I am re-launching this newsletter with a new concept (and also a new newsletter provider, so let me know if you have any issues).
From now on, I’ll be using this space to share information about our beloved Budapest and Hungary—particularly the food, wine, culture, and places we love. We often create tours which include nearby or neighboring countries, so sometimes I’ll also stray further afield. Occasionally I’ll use this space to announce upcoming Taste Hungary trips and other new tours which might interest you. But, from now, Dispatches from Taste Hungary will be more about sharing life in Hungary.
I’ll send this newsletter out weekly, and each newsletter will feature either a recipe (twice per month), or a more in-depth piece of writing about wine, food, or travel relating to Hungary. Each newsletter will feature a selection of our current inspirations, including: upcoming food and cultural happenings in Hungary, where we’ve been eating and drinking, and Hungary-related things to read, watch, and listen to. For now, these writings will be free, but it’s possible that this could change in the future.
If you’ve been with us for a while (or even if you are new here), I’m curious about what kinds of information you would like to see in this newsletter? Are you interested in recipes, travel guides, wine articles, or something else? I would love to hear your thoughts ([email protected])!
In the meantime, I am sharing a recipe for szilvás gombóc (plum dumplings), one of my all-time Hungarian favorites. Make them if you can still get plums at your market, and if you cannot get plums, use a spoonful of plum jam instead.
Recipe: Szilvás Gombóc
Yield: 24 dumplings
Plum dumplings (szilvás gombóc) are delightfully half-sweet and half-savory, and can be served either as a dessert or a main meal (usually preceded by a soup). If you have a sweet tooth, you will love this Central European wonder that is the sweet main course. It straddles the line between sweet and savoury. Similar fruit dumplings in potato dough are made in Germany, as well other countries of the former Habsburg Monarchy, where they have a long history. Apricot dumplings are common in Austria (marillenknödel), and I’ve had delicious plum dumplings in Slovenia. “In pile dwellings from the Stone and Bronze Ages (around 2000 BC) food remains have been found that prove that meat and fruit were already wrapped in dough at that time. Dumplings were first mentioned in writing in parchment documents dating back to the year 1000,” according to the Austrian Register of Traditional Foods. “At the end of the 18th century sugar and potatoes became cheaper, and fruit dumplings became a widespread part of everyday cooking. From the middle of the 19th century, the first plum and apricot dumplings made from potato, curd or choux pastry can be found in local cookbooks.”
To make szilvás gombóc, you sprinkle the plums with a bit of sugar and cinnamon, then wrap them in a potato dough, boil them, and then roll them with sweetened browned breadcrumbs. A potato ricer is really helpful for achieving the smoothest dough. These dumplings are best with a smaller plum, such as Italian plums (prune plums). If fresh plums aren’t available you can substitute a spoonful of plum butter (szilvalekvár). You can also make these with apricots.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 ¼ pounds / 2 kilograms starchy potatoes
1 egg
¼ cup / 50 grams butter, at room temperature,
9 ounces / 250 grams flour (plus extra for rolling the dough out)
1 teaspoon salt
For the stuffing:
24 Italian plums, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the coating:
1 stick / 110 grams butter
1 ¾ cups / 200 grams plain bread crumbs
1 ½ tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (plus extra for serving)
½ teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes (in their skins) in salted water, until they’re cooked through. Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes, and then push them through a ricer into a large mixing bowl. If you don’t have a ricer, use a potato masher, but be sure to mash them well so they are free of lumps. Set the bowl aside for the riced/mashed potatoes to cool.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of it over the plum halves, and reserve the other half.
Add the egg, butter, flour, and salt to the potatoes, and knead the mixture until all of the ingredients are well combined. Form the potato dough into a ball, and divide it into four pieces. Sprinkle some flour on your counter, and roll one piece of the dough out into a rectangular shape that is about 1 centimeter / ½ inch thick). Cut the rolled dough into six evenly-sized pieces.
Form the dumplings by placing one square of dough in the palm of your hand, and then putting two plum halves in the center. Bring the four corners together and pinch them together tightly to close the dumpling. Pinch all openings tightly together and be sure the plums are completely covered by the dough (otherwise the dumplings could break as they are cooking). Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Tip: If your kitchen is very hot, keep the extra dough pieces in the refrigerator while you’re not working with it.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add some of the dumplings, but don’t overcrowd the pot. Depending on how large your pot is, you should cook these in two or three batches. Be sure that the water is boiling, but not too vigorously (or the dumplings could break more easily). Cook for 12 minutes, or until the dumplings are completely cooked.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs, sugar, and salt. Stir the mixture to combine all of the ingredients, and gently sauté (stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn) until the crumbs are lightly and evenly browned.
To serve, roll the dumplings in the bread crumb mixture until they are well coated. If there are any extra crumbs, sprinkle them on top. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and a little confectioners’ sugar over the top.
Reading, Watching, Listing
I love watching movies filmed in Budapest (and there are many of them), even when Budapest is a stand-in for another country! So the main reason I watched Mayday (Apple TV) was because a good portion of it was filmed in Budapest. The movie is an action/comedy set in the 80s, with the scenes in Hungary meant to be Communist Russia. The movie is kind of goofy, but I loved recognizing many of the streets around the Opera House, the streets on the Buda side next to the Danube, and especially Hősök tere transformed into a huge Soviet parade ground with tanks and military vehicles.
Here is some more on the severe and historic drought that was a major part of our summer. According to the experts this will be something that we’ll have to live with in the coming years. This Guardian article details the catastrophe in photos. The drought also threatened Hungary’s only nuclear power plant. Also, we had many clients who were headed to Hungary on river cruises cancel their bookings at the last minute due to the low water levels in the Danube (NOTE: As a tour operator, I recommend to always get the travel insurance, especially in these uncertain times).
This is life in Hungary. And we don’t just stockpile jars, but plastic ice cream containers, sour cream tubs, bottles, and plastic bags. Basically anything.
I’m currently reading a novel by László Krasznahorkai, the Hungarian writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2025, and so I loved listening to this interview with his Swedish translator. His books are known for their very long and unusual sentence structure, and I can’t imagine the diligence it would take to translate these, while keeping Krasznahorkai’s voice intact.
Eating, Drinking
Rosenstein, one of Budapest’s iconic restaurants, was closed for several months for a major renovation of the dining room. We went for dinner after it re-opened last month, while my parents were in town for a visit. The menu, thankfully, is more or less the same, and we had a fantastic dinner, as always. Rosenstein is a family favorite, and the five of us often go there for dinners on special occasions. Though we never request it, without fail, we always get sat in the small private room that holds one table exactly big enough for us all. This time was no exception, and we loved the new decor of “our” room! Through November 14th Rosenstein will be celebrating Szent Márton’s Day with special goose dishes on the menu.
Sadly the market at Rákoczi tér has been feeling pretty dead for quite awhile. But now there are a few casual restaurants inside which make it worth visiting. We recently had a very good quick lunch at GIM-TTEOK Korean Street Food, a little family-owned place with a brief (but tasty lunch menu).
Fennen, The rooftop bar at the Bem Kimpton Hotel is lovely (as is the hotel itself), and the cocktails are delicious. Considering that we live just a few blocks away, we should have gone to try it sooner.
Happenings in Hungary
Celebrate Szent Márton Day in Etyek tomorrow (November 7th)! Following the tradition, the village’s wineries and restaurants will be serving the season’s new wine along with goose specialties. Every venue has its own menu and program, so plan accordingly.
This weekend (November 7-8) The Whisky Show will be on again at the Corinthia Hotel. For anyone into learning about (and tasting) whisky (and other spirits), this is a great opportunity. For the cost of a ticket, you can spend the whole day tasting hundreds of products from the exhibitors (just dont forget to spit)!
The Puskin Cinema, one of the gems of Budapest’s handful of art-house cinemas, is celebrating its 100th birthday with showings of some classic films from its history through the end of the month. A few are in English.
Experience Hungary With Us
Explore our 2026 and 2027 destinations and trips; book one of our daily wine tastings, food tours, or wine day trip; or plan a private journey in Hungary! Contact us at [email protected].
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