Do: Budapest’s Secret Food Tour

It all started with a fat man. And I have to say, it was accurate foreshadowing. Last Saturday morning I searched for the orange umbrella at the Fat Policeman statue and found my guide for the Secret Food Tour in Budapest. After the group rubbed the statue’s belly for good luck, we were off to experience all the flavors of Budapest during our three hour tour. Along the way I met new people, learned new things about Budapest, and…ate waaaay more than I could have hoped for, haha.

Some friends were confused when I told them I was going on a walking tour of Budapest…I’ve lived here for almost two years, after all. But this was different! This time, there was food involved. And now I am forever convinced of the value of a food walking tour. What better way to get to know a city?

Secret Food Tour was my first food tour ever, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Were we talking tiny samples of cheese and crackers? Or large portions?Always the optimist, I skipped breakfast in anticipation and let me tell you…that was the right move. By the end we were all moving in slow motion, stuffed with delicious foods.

I won’t tell you the locations…(it is a secret, after all), but still, I can’t keep all this drool worthy food to myself! Read on for a glimpse into a secret food tour!
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We started at a cafe for the warm pick-me-up we all needed. This was accompanied by our first bite—a túrós táska. I’ve tried these all over the city, but this one was my favorite incarnation, by far! The pastry was thick and the cottage cheese filling was fresh and it all went down so nicely with my cappuccino.

The next stop may have been my favorite–a local market hall packed with tasteful vendors. You see, part of me just aspires to a lifestyle where I can sit around and eat from charcuterie boards all day, and in that market, I got to live the fantasy. Agnes selected the meats fresh for us, and then one of the vendors helped set our private table. (I loved seeing the relationship between SFT and local vendors!) Agnes explained all the cuts to us, recommended parings of the chutneys and surprised us with pálinka. Looking back, I can see that I’ve passed this place multiple times and just never knew what it was! But now, it’s definitely one place I’ll adopt as one of my regular stops.

Another plus of this tour was the inevitability of food bringing people together. Three hours chatting over full tables of food and laughing over pálinka and comparing food babies makes things feel more like a party than a tour. In the beginning we were a group of strangers. By the end we were allies sharing our lángos so that we wouldn’t burst.

We wove around the city, from local food stands to chic bistros to bakeries, and even ended with a wine tasting with a sommelier! As we moved from place to place, Agnes shared bits of Hungary’s history with us, and giving me an even deeper understanding of Budapest’s complicated story. And even though I was already familiar with Hungarian cuisine, taking the tour with Agnes showed me more variety and context. In all my time eating in Budapest I’d never learned how much food can tie into history. (Like how at one point, eating gulyás was a political statement against the Austrian empire!)

With all the variety, there were things I devoured (helllooooo lángos), but also things I never would have tried on my own (ginger chicken liver pâté, I’m looking at you). Even though I fancy myself pretty familiar with the city, Agnes still showed me places I had no idea about! Her passion shone through–she showed us places that she was excited about, that showed off her love for the city.

I’m intrigued to think of what the experience would be like in a country that I’m unfamiliar with. Secret Food Tours has over 45 destinations, so I guess there’s lots of opportunity to find out!

On this tour, I saw new places and got a different perspective on the foods I’ve become so familiar with. Currently writing this feeling stuffed, I have to say that I now resemble that fat policeman statue more than I did before the tour. And from all the delicious food we ate on Budapest’s Secret Food Tour with Agnes, I can definitely say that rubbing his belly brings good luck.
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Thank you to the partnership with Secret Food Tours that enabled me to go on this tour. All opinions are my own!