Fried Flatbread · Market Staple

Lángos

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Its name comes from láng, 'flame': it was originally baked at the mouth of a wood-fired bread oven, next to the flames, and only later became the deep-fried snack sold today.

Lángos is a disc of yeasted dough deep-fried until puffed and golden, then topped hot with sour cream, grated cheese, and often garlic butter or garlic water. It's sold at markets, fairs, bus stations, and lakeside stands all over Hungary.

Why it's made this way: It started as a way to use leftover bread dough in the residual heat of a cooling brick oven, before becoming a fried-to-order market food in its own right.