Cone appetit: Hungary goes wild for cabbage stew ice cream

Goulash-flavoured gelato, anyone? Curious customers are flocking from all over Hungary to taste the summer's wackiest taste sensations — a small ice cream parlour serving up savoury Hungarian staples.

Robert Reinhardt and his taste-bud challenging flavours have become an overnight hit, creating a buzz on social media.

"We started with the beer and potato pancake flavours. That already blew some people's minds," the 44-year-old, who runs Roberto Confectionery in the city of Tatabanya north of Budapest, told AFP.

After receiving requests for new flavour creations from people online, Reinhardt began to experiment, mixing traditional Hungarian dishes such as paprika chicken, cabbage stew and hearty meat pancakes with a variety of ice cream bases.

But he doesn't limit himself to Hungarian cuisine, broadening his menu to include all-time favourites like spaghetti Bolognese and scrambled eggs with bacon.

"I realised that you could get really good flavours out of it. This is not a joke," Reinhardt said, who sells his ice cream for 500 forints (1.27 euros) a scoop.

Turnover at the shop has since increased by "three or four times" since Hungarian media first got the scoop on his unusual treats, said his wife Ena.

"We are a little bit overwhelmed because we didn't expect that it would become such a hit," she told AFP.

"We're constantly looking for more staff."

So far the savoury ice creams have been popular with customers, although some admitted they are more of an acquired taste.

Banking on sustained demand for his offerings, Reinhardt plans to open up a second shop in the capital while continuing to provide his novel flavours even during the winter months.

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