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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Hungary
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.
Traditional drink from Hungary
Also known as: palinka
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Pálinka — Hungary
Pálinka is Hungary’s fruit brandy. By the official Hungarian definition, it is fermented from stone fruits, non-stone fruits or wild fruits, or their pulp, and distilled and bottled in the country. Drinks made from concentrate or from dehydrated or semi-dehydrated fruit may not use the name. Crushing, fermentation, distillation, aging and bottling must take place in Hungary. The European name protection also covers apricot brandies from four Austrian states: Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria and Vienna.
Distillation arrived in Europe around the 11th century and in Hungary was first used with wine and cereals. Tradition links a “water of life” distilled and used as a remedy to Queen Elizabeth in the 14th century, and until the 16th century brandies were sold as medicine. Fruit pálinka as it is known today has been produced in the country since the mid-18th century.
Each region has its fruits. There are geographical indications for Szatmár plum brandy, Kecskemét and Gönc apricot brandies, Szabolcs apple brandy, Újfehértó sour cherry (ginja) brandy, among others. The fruit name appears in denominations such as szilvapálinka (plum) and barackpálinka (apricot).
Pálinka has been part of the Hungarikum Collection since 2013. It is served in small glasses, generally at room temperature or slightly cool, to appreciate the fruit aroma, and often accompanies toasts at family gatherings and celebrations. As with any distilled spirit, it should be consumed in moderation.
Hungary
Spirit protected by law as a national product, with regional variations by fruit.
Fruits grown in Hungary, such as plum, apricot, pear, apple and sour cherry, fermented and distilled; no added sugar or flavorings.
In small glasses or tulip-shaped goblets, in small measures, at room temperature or slightly cool, to appreciate the fruit aroma.
Toasts at gatherings, family parties and receptions, with no fixed date.
Your questions
A Hungarian fruit brandy distilled from plum, apricot, pear, apple, sour cherry and other fruits grown in the country. The Hungarian definition requires production entirely within Hungary; European protection also covers apricot brandies from four Austrian states.
For Hungarian pálinka, the fruit must be grown in Hungary and all stages, from fermentation to bottling, must occur in the country, with no concentrates or dried fruit.
In small measures, in a small glass or a tulip-shaped goblet, at room temperature or slightly cool, to appreciate the fruit aroma.
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.
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.
