What to buy? Part I, Hungary

We had several questions at our gathering about what kinds of souvenirs are typical from the places we'll be visiting.  I've done some research on the the topic and here's what I've found:

Budapest

Paprika is the most often mentioned item to bring home from Budapest.  It's available in a wide range of  "hotness" levels.

Porcelain is a traditional Hungarian art form.  At Herend you can take a mini factory tour and/or visit a porcelain museum (web site and information here: Herend).

Halas lace is regarded world-wide as among the best and finest made anywhere.   By the end of the communist era this art form was almost lost, but is being preserved thanks to the work of the Halas Lace Foundation.  You can read more about it and see beautiful examples of their work on the foundation's web site here.

Handcrafted wooden folk art is another Hungarian souvenir staple.  At Hollo Muhely in Budapest you can see a range from small items (as in the picture above) up to large pieces of furniture.  Hollo Muhely blog

Hungarian crystal is another prized art form and Ajka is the best known manufacturer.  They have three store locations in Budapest (addresses on their web site:  Ajka crystal).