Hunglish.orgCome the Yuletide season in Hungary, certain edible goodies are made plentiful; stuff like hot spiced wine, kalács, and especially saslik.
Written by Scott Savoie
If you ever find yourself in Hungary during the Christmas season, try to make it to one of the Yuletide markets that spring up around town. The booths at such markets offer handicrafts and gifts that you don't seem to see except around the holidays.
Things like warm spiced wine can really put you in the holiday spirit. Or just drunk, depending on how many you have. Kalács cooked over an open flame also has a unique smell that adds to the holiday atmosphere. But my favorite treat at these outdoor markets (and not just around the holidays) is saslik.
“Saslik” is Hungarian for “meat on a stick.” Meat on a stick, of course, is an idea as old as civilization itself and so was not invented in the Carpathian Basin, although some Hungarians might argue otherwise. It is pretty much just a shish-kebab.
Saslek is pretty good, though, and there is definitely something special about walking around the Christmas stalls gnawing on charred flesh and onions.
One wonders what these vendors do the rest of the year, and how they manage to set up shop in December only to disappear for 11 months before returning the following year. Who buys hot spiced wine in July?
No matter: I for one am glad they do it, making Budapest a special place during the holidays.