When it comes to Farsang (“Carnival”) we can't help but think of masked balls, Busójárás and naturally – ahead of the lenten fasting period – great feasts. A mandatory dessert of the period, which ended on Shrove Tuesday is the special carnival doughnut. The tradition of this classic treat is slowly regaining momentum here in Budapest, while already at the Vienna shop of Wiener Salon people stand in endless queues for these tasty doughnuts. The doughnuts have now arrived at Corvin Quarter, we tried them, and we now understand the huge buzz around these Farsang treats.

Farsang symbolises the end of winter; it begins on January 6 (Epiphany) and ends on Shrove Tuesday, followed by Ash Wednesday, when the lenten fasting period ahead of Easter begins. The highlight of this period is Farsang Farka (“Carnival’s Tail”), which falls between February 15 and 17 this year. It's a time filled with carnivals, masquerade balls and hearty meals in preparation for the traditional fast.

The flagship of the Farsang period is definitely the Carnival doughnuts: there is no better ones than grandma’s, but still in Budapest we simply could not find a version that wasn't dripping in fat and sugar. Until now.

There’s a famous pastry chef in Vienna who has been baking cakes that are well known throughout the city for at least fifty years now. Amazingly, he sells up to 50-60,000 of these delicious donuts around this time of the year, says the son of Mr Groissböck, Nicolas, who is fluent in Hungarian. Nicolas has opened a typical Viennese-style ice cream parlour in Budapest with the recipe of the famous doughnut in his hands. We tasted his special doughnuts, and now we understand the hype.

Multiple batches are made of the famous doughnut in the centre of Corvin Quarter each and every day. The doughnuts are always made fresh, and are both crisp and soft at the same . In addition to the homemade apricot jam version that comes with a hint of rum, we can also ask for the chocolate version. The desserts are light and airy, and the best part is we cannot taste that oily flavour. The fresh doughnuts are 250 forints, which can be considered a rather friendly price, especially if we compare them to the more expensive and greasy fast food versions.

In an earlier article, we already wrote about how Wiener Salon is an excellent choice at any time of the day: the

home-roasted coffee, the fresh kornspitz, the Viennese sausage, the ham and the soft-boiled eggs all contribute to a better start to the day, while the homemade ice creams – that will be available from March – are perfect for a hot afternoon.

But now, thanks to Wiener Salon, the carnival doughnut might soon become as popular in Budapest as it is already in Vienna. Even though the Farsang period is already over, do not hesitate to try the delicious dessert! You will not regret it.