Thursday, May 13, 2010

Travel Bite: Great Market Hall, Budapest


On my trip to Eastern Europe two years ago, I went to Budapest for a few days and stayed down the street from the Great Market Hall. This incredible action- and pepper-packed market is on the Pest side of the city, which is separated from the Buda side by the Danube River.


The airy, three-story building was opened in 1897 and restored in the 1990s. The basement has a small supermarket, fishmongers and game, while the ground floor (shown here) has produce vendors, baked goods, spices, and other food items.


Peter Piper would have a field day with all the peppers here. There are strands, paprika powders and pastes everywhere you turn.


Pete could pick all the pecks of peppers he pleases—pickled or plain.


This section should have been called Grape Market Hall.


Mushroom mama here had the mother lode of shrooms at her stand.


This strudel maestro was composing a luscious apple aria.


While Pretzel Logic played at a shop nearby.


These were too pretty to eat, so I just watched.


Poppy seeds are popular in these parts.


Not so much in these parts.


The second floor has Hungarian arts and crafts, including embroidered items, peasant shirts, dolls, and tourist tchotchkes.


Upstairs there's also a food court with no shortage of meats and peasant fare.


Did I mention the meats and peasant fare?


Hot stuff: come to pappy. Wait. pappy is the hot stuff (pappy-rika).


If you leave here Hungary, you have only yourself to blame.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Adair! Yours was the first site I visited also. Your irreverent humor makes me grin. I'll be back often!

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  2. Looks like an incredible market! Peasant fare is my favorite; especially those pickled pepper in the last shot.

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  3. haha! I thought Hungarians were great artists , not peasants! Love these chicken feet you photographed so pointedly.

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  4. Went to Hungary, Budapest, and out of all there is to see, I loved the Market the most. I would go back just to spend hours in the market and make sure I had enough room ro all I wqanted to buy. I gave the papricka as gifts to friends, and had none for myself. Stupid me.

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  5. I thought Hungarians were great artists

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