FOOD SHOPPING
For a variety of reasons, food shopping was necessarily a daily activity - if not to say chore.
Small fridges, shoebox-size freezers, the fact that bread got stale in a day and that anything of glass carried a deposit and had to be returned, meant that people shopped every day. Added to this, was the fact that supermarkets (as we understand them today) were few, the concept of a weekly shop was unknown, and due to the difficulty in finding certain items, people browsed constantly in hope of finding something 'special' - or what they badly needed.
Small fridges, shoebox-size freezers, the fact that bread got stale in a day and that anything of glass carried a deposit and had to be returned, meant that people shopped every day. Added to this, was the fact that supermarkets (as we understand them today) were few, the concept of a weekly shop was unknown, and due to the difficulty in finding certain items, people browsed constantly in hope of finding something 'special' - or what they badly needed.
The ABC
The ABC was everyone's local shop and sold the basics. State-owned grocery shops sold the same goods as one another, at the same government-fixed prices. The names Közért, Csemege and ABC could be found all over the country. (The present-day CBA is, of course, the same thing!)
Supermarkets
Supermarkets were developing. Their main idea was the self-service element (önkiszólgálló). Though they were much larger and had bigger stocks, the variety was still limited.
Specialist food shops
As well as the general shops, there were some smaller premises which sought to specialise.
Markets
Markets were - and still are - preferred by many, especially when buying meat and vegetables. Every village and town has one, and Budapest has one in every district, including the Central Market Hall by the river. Everything from live fish and flowers to wild mushrooms and Christmas trees are sold here. Alongside the many stalls selling produce from state farms, there were country people bringing chickens, fruit and eggs from their own gardens.
"Fast" food
The concept of fast food was hardly understood in a country where nothing needed to be hurried. Eating on the street at random times of day was also an unknown concept. Ebéd - lunch, or the main meal of the day at whatever time that was - was eaten in a work canteen or at home, but not walking down the street. However, the idea began to take hold with the first MacDonald's opening even before the change of regime...