Hungarian Goodies: keeping food heritage alive, far from home
Paula Szente brought traditional Eastern European cuisine — Kürtőskalács, Gulyás, Lángos — from Transylvania to a Saturday stall on Gauvin Road.
The Marché Dieppe Market celebrates cultural diversity across 17 nations. This installment features Paula Szente from Hungarian Goodies, a vendor at the Saturday Market who prepares traditional Eastern European cuisine.
Paula hails from Romania, where Hungarians constitute an official minority, particularly in Transylvania. "In the past, it used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that’s why there are a lot of Hungarians there."
Originally a teacher in Transylvania, Paula immigrated to Canada seeking better opportunities. "I could see no good future for my kids there… Here, if you work hard, you can achieve things."
Upon arriving in Canada around 2014, Paula established Hungarian Goodies at the market. Her signature offerings include Kürtőskalács (chimney cakes with walnuts, coconut, sesame and chocolate) and Gulyás (a spicy soup featuring Hungarian paprika). She also prepares Lángos, deep-fried flatbread discovered in Canada through a visiting Hungarian woman, creatively adapted with local ingredients like maple bacon.
"It’s a different world. But you get used to it… in the end it’s a win for everybody."