Best season to travel to Hungary

Paprika Harvest

Add some spicy "red gold" to your visit in Hungary

Best time: September–October

Paprika Harvest
Paprika Harvest
Paprika Harvest
Paprika Harvest

Franciscan monks brought not only knowledge and religion to different lands; it is said that they also brought paprika to Hungary. Today we cannot imagine many key Hungarian traditional dishes without its flavour—goulash, fishermen's soup, some types of palinka, and many others.

Paprika is called "red gold" by locals. It grows across the whole country, but Szeged and Kalocsa are the main regions with huge plantations. The paprika harvest starts after September 8th, and may last until October. Some farmers prefer manual​ harvesting, and some tend to use mechanical harvesters.

For many people, ​paprika is simply a very spicy plant, but Hungarians can distinguish various tastes, smells, and textures.