Halászlé — History of Hungarian Fish Soup in a Polish Fish Restaurant since 1980

Why Halászlé in a Polish Baltic fish restaurant?

Short answer: Michał Socha's trip to Hungary in the late 1970s. It was an era when foreign travel from communist Poland was rare — but Michał, co-founder of Kergulena, loved discovering foreign cuisines. In Hungary he encountered Halászlé (pronounced „hah-las-lay") — a soup cooked for generations by fishermen on the Danube and Tisza rivers.

He returned with a notebook full of recipes. From season 1980, Halászlé has been on our menu without interruption. 45 years of tradition — and one of the dishes our regular guests order most often.

„It was a lesson from Hungarian fishermen: waste nothing. Every bone, every head, every fin — it all goes into the pot. Paprika juice, onion, tomato, and time. Halászlé isn't a dish you cook in 15 minutes."— From Michał Socha's notes, c. 1980

What exactly is Halászlé?

Halászlé (literally: „fisherman's soup") is a traditional Hungarian fish soup, characteristic of fishing regions on the Danube (Baja, Szeged) and Tisza. Main features:

• Lots of paprika. Sweet and hot — in the traditional version, it gives the entire characteristic red colour and depth of flavour.
• Lots of onion. Up to 1 kg of onion per 1.5 kg of fish — cooked slowly until it dissolves into the broth.
• Long cooking time. The classic version takes 3-4 hours — broth from heads and bones, then the fish input.
• No cream. This is NOT „borscht with fish" — Halászlé is thickened by vegetables and paprika, not dairy.

In Hungary, it's usually served with tarhonya (dried egg pasta) or fresh bread. We serve it with croutons from our bread.

Why no carp here? Baltic adaptation

This is the question guests ask when they know the original version. Traditional Halászlé uses carp (Cyprinus carpio) or a mix of freshwater fish from Hungarian rivers (catfish, bream, pike-perch). Carp is cheap, locally available, and has an intense flavour that holds up to long cooking.

In Niechorze, the situation is different:

• We're on the Baltic — we have access to sea fish, not freshwater fish.
• Carp has different associations in Poland — mainly Christmas, while Halászlé is a seasonal dish (we cook it April to September).
• Cod and salmon have a more delicate flavour — they balance the soup's paprika base better, without overwhelming it with a heavy freshwater taste.

So since 1980 we've been making Halászlé with cod and salmon. A deliberate adaptation — faithful to the original (paprika, onion, long cooking), but adjusted to what's actually fresh on the Baltic.

Hungarian Halászlé vs ours — comparison

Element	Hungarian tradition	Kergulena (since 1980)
Fish	Carp, catfish, pike-perch (freshwater)	Cod + salmon (sea)
Paprika	Sweet + hot (Kalocsai)	Sweet + hot, blend
Onion	Lots, long-braised	Lots, long-braised (as in original)
Cooking time	3-4 h (broth + input)	3-4 h (as in original)
Side	Tarhonya	Croutons from our bread
Cream?	NO	NO
Price (2026)	—	50 zł / 300 ml (~12 €)

Is Halászlé spicy?

Lightly. This isn't a Mexican or Indian dish — the spiciness of Kalocsai paprika is in the background, not the foreground. Most guests (including children over 10) eat Halászlé without issue.

Halászlé at Kergulena — practical details

Price 2026: 50 zł / 300 ml (~12 €). Availability: on the menu daily throughout the season (April–September). Outside the season, the restaurant is closed. Served with: croutons from our bread (included). Vegetarian? No — it's a fish soup.

Read more

• Kergulena — what kind of fish is it and where does the name of our restaurant come from?
• Halibut season 2026 — when is the best time to eat it?
• Full menu (150+ items)