Lángos

What it really is

Lángos is a Hungarian flatbread made from yeasted dough and deep-fried until crisp outside and tender inside. Garlic, sour cream and grated cheese are familiar toppings.

Lángos is a flatbread made from yeasted bread dough and deep-fried. It is commonly served hot, and sour cream and cheese are familiar toppings, although vendors offer many savory and sweet versions. The base bread contains wheat; the classic dairy topping adds milk allergen. This entry describes a topped version, but toppings are not fixed by the name and should be listed individually. Garlic may be rubbed on or added as a topping. Describe whether the bread is plain, garlic-seasoned or topped with dairy.

The dough is handled much like bread dough before frying, which helps explain its airy interior and browned outside. It is often eaten as a filling street-food portion while still hot. Garlic, sour cream and cheese make a familiar savoury combination, but plain lángos is also served and toppings differ by stall. Sweet toppings occur too, so the word alone does not tell a diner which style is on offer. Keep the bread and topping list separate in the description.

Describe whether the garlic is rubbed onto the hot bread or served in a sauce; that small detail changes both the flavour and ingredient list. Cheese and sour cream should be named as toppings, not hidden under a generic “traditional” label.

How it's served

• Serve hot, often topped with garlic, sour cream and cheese.
• Plain versions and other toppings are also common.

How to write it on the menu

• List toppings clearly; the traditional sour cream and cheese add milk allergens.
• This page gives a general description; confirm the actual ingredients with the kitchen.