Probably not what you were thinking of but the first thing that popped to mind was paprika. If you could find the seeds or a plant. I believe they are annual so it would need to be planted yearly but using it in the kitchen would be a connection to her father. I found the seeds once years ago at on online shop but I haven't seen them since, maybe you would have better luck.

We were told once that the plant MALVA sylvestris mauritiana 'Bibor Felho' meant Purple Cloud in Hungarian. It's a beautiful hollyhock relative with deep purple cup-shaped flowers with darker markings. Although perennial, it often acts as a self-seeding annual in our gardens.

The following are native in Hungary:

Digitalis lanata
Scutellaria alpina

There are many conifer cultivars (shrubs) that were originally developed in Hungary -- namely by Barabits Nursery, in Sopron, and by Prenor Nursery, in Szombethely (I'm sure there are others, but these two are probably the best known).

Here's a few varieties I spotted in an encyclopedia of conifers, and on the GW conifers forum (where you can search for more, including some pictures, etc.)

Abies nordmanniana 'Barabits Compact'
Thuja occidentalis 'Barabits Gold'
Picea abies 'Tompa'
Picea pungens 'Barabits Blue'
Picea omorika 'Freya'
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Barabits Gold'
Picea pungens 'Pali'

You may be able to find some of these at better nurseries, or at conifer specialists like Whistling Gardens, in southern Ontario.