Budapest
BUDAPEST
The capital of Hungary, Budapest is actually a union of three cities,
Buda, Pest, and Obuda, which joined in 1873 to form, among other things,
what is, arguably, the pastry and coffeehouse capital of the world.
Reputedly the city of "romance, wine and Gypsy music," Budapest is also
the city where the pastry and confection makers happily cater to at least
two million connoisseurs. All of Hungary's great dishes and regional
specialties may be tasted here in fine restaurants, coffeehouses (cukraszdas)
and stand-up strudel shops where strudels may be sampled crisp and warm in
a great variety of sweet fillings: fruit, nuts, noodles with cheese, poppy
seeds, and even with savory fillings of cabbage, potato with onion and
cheese, and many others.
As mentioned above, it is Budapest that staged a festival to honor a cake
– the incomparable dobos torta – and even opened a museum dedicated
to the history of catering and the gastronomic arts.