No fruit, ham a luxury: Hungary food prices spike most in EU
Food prices have risen dramatically across Europe in recent months, but Hungary has seen the biggest spike BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Magdolna Gozon nibbles spicy green peppers from a fruit and vegetable stall at a sprawling indoor market in Budapest, sampling them to make sure they're hot enough for a soup she's cooking. The 83-year-old retiree can't afford to buy more if they don't have enough kick — not with her small pension and Hungary facing the biggest spike in food prices in the European Union. “I don't buy fruits. We got potatoes from the municipality, so we don’t have to buy that, but onions became expensive," said Gozon, who has stopped buying dairy and rarely shops for meat. Food prices have risen dramatically across Europe in recent months, jumping 19.6% in March from a year earlier and becoming the main driver of inflation as energy costs have fallen. But in Hungary, food prices have surged more than 45% over the year, according to EU statistics off...