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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Eger
Red blended wine from the Eger wine region, based on the kékfrankos grape blended with other varieties. The name means "bull's blood of Eger." It was the first protected designation of origin wine of modern Hungary under the 1997 regulation.
Traditional drink from Eger, Heves
Also known as: Bikavér, Bull's Blood of Eger
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Egri Bikavér — Eger, Hungary
Egri Bikavér is a red blended wine produced in the Eger wine region in northern Hungary. Its base is the kékfrankos grape, combined with other red varieties chosen by each producer. The result is often a wine ranging from ruby to garnet in color, with spicy and fruity notes.
The name means "bull's blood." The most told legend links the wine to the Ottoman siege of Eger in the 16th century: the castle defenders, led by Captain Dobó István, are said to have drunk red wine during the fight, and the attackers, seeing their beards stained with red, believed they were drinking bull’s blood. Many versions of this story exist. The oldest written record connecting the name to Eger is a proverb book from 1851, and the first documented recipe for the blend, by Jenő Gröber, dates to 1912.
The 1997 regulation made Egri Bikavér the first protected designation of origin wine of modern Hungary. Today there are three levels—Classicus, Superior and Grand Superior—differentiated by grape ripeness, aging time and release date. Since 2010 the region has also produced a white blend called Egri Csillag.
The wine was included in the Hungarikum Collection in 2017. In Eger, the cellars carved into the rock in the Szépasszony valley, near the center, welcome visitors for tastings; as with any alcoholic beverage, taste in moderation.
Eger , Heves
The wine is named for the town and comes from the Eger wine region, where the cellars of the Szépasszony valley receive visitors.
Blend of red grapes based on kékfrankos, combined with other varieties authorized by the region’s rules, such as kadarka, cabernet franc, merlot and pinot noir.
As a table wine, at the table. Superior and Grand Superior levels usually benefit from a few years in bottle before opening.
Table wine without a fixed drinking window. In Eger, the region celebrates Bikavér with festivals and gastronomic events throughout the year.
Your questions
It means "bull’s blood of Eger." The most told legend links the name to the Ottoman siege of Eger, when the castle defenders are said to have drunk red wine during the fight.
The base is kékfrankos, combined with other red grapes allowed by the region’s rules, such as kadarka, cabernet franc, merlot and pinot noir.
They are levels defined by the region. Classicus is lighter and for everyday drinking; Superior and Grand Superior come from riper grapes, age longer—often in new oak—and reach the market later.
Flavors of Hungary
Wine mixed with sparkling water (szóda), in proportions that have their own names, such as kisfröccs, hosszúlépés and házmester. White, rosé or red, it is the summer drink of Hungary’s bars, cellars and terraces.
Beef soup with plenty of broth, onion, paprika, diced potato and csipetke, a pinched noodle that cooks in the pot. It is made without thickening with flour. The name comes from the gulyás, the herdsmen of the Great Plain.
Sweet yeast dough rolled into a strip on a wooden spindle, baked while turned over embers and coated with caramelized sugar. It comes off the spindle in the shape of a hollow cylinder. It originated in the Land of the Székely in Transylvania and is sold at fairs and Christmas markets throughout Hungary.
Yeast dough hand-opened and fried until golden, crunchy on the outside and soft inside. The classic topping is sour cream, grated cheese and, if you like, garlic. A street food found at fairs, markets and beaches across the country.
Fruit brandy distilled in Hungary from plum, apricot, pear, apple, cherry and many others. By law the fruit must be grown in Hungary, and all stages from fermentation to bottling must take place in the country. It is a protected geographical indication of the European Union.
Christmas bonbon, usually a fondant candy covered in chocolate, wrapped in shiny colored foil and hung on the branches of the Christmas tree. The most common fillings are fruit jelly, marzipan, coconut and caramel.
Baja fish soup from the banks of the Danube, made with carp, onion and ground paprika cooked together in a cauldron, without straining the broth. It’s served over a thin noodle, gyufatészta, with the fish on the side and hot pepper.
Layered sponge cake with thin layers of sponge alternated with chocolate buttercream and topped with a sheet of caramel. It was created by pastry chef József C. Dobos, owner of a delicatessen in Budapest, and presented at the 1885 National General Exhibition.
Crepe folded and filled with walnuts, raisins and candied orange peel, flavored with rum and topped with chocolate sauce. It is named after the Gundel restaurant in Budapest’s City Park, which put it on the menu; the recipe is attributed to Ilona Matzner, wife of the writer Sándor Márai.
Bitter herbal liqueur, dark, produced by the Zwack family in Budapest with a secret recipe of more than 40 herbs and spices, aged in oak casks. The round bottle with a cross on the label is recognised throughout the country.
Szeged river fish soup, red from paprika, made with a thick broth of several fish, carp heads and bones, and onion, passed through a sieve. Carp pieces cook in that broth, and the soup is served with bread and hot pepper on the side.
Sweet wine from the Tokaj wine region in northeastern Hungary, made from grapes affected by noble rot and harvested berry by berry. The aszú berries are crushed and macerated in must or wine, and the wine ages in oak barrels in underground cellars.
White wine from the kéknyelű grape, grown almost exclusively in the Badacsony wine region on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. The grape’s name means “blue stem.” The wines are usually dry with marked acidity, and there are also sparkling and sweet versions.
