Pork, wet towel, tricks – this is how Hungarians grill!

Grilling is good – but not always easy

Budapest, July 23, 2025 – Most people, nearly half of the respondents, grill a few times during the season – the PICK fresh meat survey revealed. 13% of grillers indulge in this passion more often (monthly, biweekly), and 3% grill outdoors on a weekly basis. A significant portion of those surveyed choose this method of cooking not only in the summer: a third of them grill whenever the weather is good, regardless of the season, and a quarter of them grill from spring to autumn. The most determined (8%) do not give up grilling even in winter. It is mostly a weekend activity or a program of family and friends gatherings, but 27% also throw something on the grill spontaneously if they feel like it.

However, grilling does not always turn out well – literally. Several factors must come together for success: good company, pleasant weather, some expertise, quality ingredients and a pinch of luck. The biggest enemy? Clearly the rain. More than half of grillers (54%) say that this is the biggest grill disaster. This is followed by poor quality, chewy, mushy or spoiled meat (39%), but just as many are also worried that the meat will not be cooked properly or will burn, will not taste good or will be used up prematurely. Not surprisingly, the excessive heat experienced this summer was also mentioned a lot (23%), as people prefer to spend time in the pool or in an air-conditioned room rather than by the grill. Other potential problems mentioned by respondents include not being able to light the fire, being in a bad mood or having the dog steal the prepared food.