Wander around a Christmas market and you may encounter an alarmingly-large snack that enjoys favoured status among locals. The Langos (pronounced Lan-Gosh) may only be second to sausages as the food of choice at outdoor events.
- Giant frisbee-sized fried dough
- Tastes way better than it sounds
- Not likely to be recommended by nutritionists
- See also: Food from Vienna
So what’s a Langos?
Like much traditional food, the precise recipe for a Langos depends on where you are and who you ask. In Vienna, you deep-fry a flattened piece of dough (leavened or potato-based), then coat the result in garlic paste.
This is not as bad as it sounds. Though, needless to say, you won’t find any mention of Langos in a healthy eating guide (other than next to a warning label).
The Viennese Langos is a large, flat, round, crispy snack which can be quite warming and filling on a cold winter’s night. And, as a bonus, you can always use it as a protective shield if it rains.
The snack has its origins in Hungary. There the name appears to apply to various versions, but all generally thicker than the Vienna equivalent and with more toppings (particularly cheese and sour cream). Some specialist Langos food trucks you might find at Viennese festivals commonly offer a range of such toppings, too.
The Langos appears regularly at outdoor events, such as Christmas markets, football matches, and funfairs. The best ones are those where they make the dough fresh on-site before frying. The ready-to-fry Langos dough is fine, but rarely as good as the fresh version.
Finally, one word of caution: these monster snacks are almost impossible to eat without getting sticky fingers or faces. Bring wet wipes.
Bon appétit.