Page 197 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Budapest

where t o ea t and drink  195

Egri Bikavér, “Bulls’ Blood”, A dry white wine
a full-bodied red wine from the Badacsony Spritzers
vineyards On hot days, Hungarians
enjoy drinking refreshing
spritzers. The various types
are differentiated by the
proportion of white wine
to soda water:
Quantity Quantity
of wine of water
Small spritzer (Kisfröccs)
10 cl 10 cl
Large spritzer (Nagyfröccs)
20 cl 10 cl
Long step (Hosszúlépés)
10 cl 20 cl
Tokaji Janitor (Házmester)
matured in private cellars. 30 cl 20 cl
The styles currently favoured The dessert wine Tokaji has a
by the producers include dry very different style. Its bouquet Unicum
white Chardonnay and Riesling, and flavour come from a mould
medium-dry Zöldszilváni, that grows only in the fork of Originally, Unicum was
Hárslevelű and Szürkebarát, the Bodrog and Tisza rivers and prescribed in 1790 as a remedy
medium-sweet Tramini and the the volcanic soil in which the for the king by the court
aromatic Muskotály, which is vines grow. phys ician, who was himself
produced in Badacsony, Tokaji ranges from sweet to a mem ber of the Zwack
Balatonboglár, Csopak and Somló. dry and is full-bodied and rich. family. Since then, a blend
Among red wines, the dry Particularly worth samp ling is of more than 40 Hungarian
Kékfrankos, Burgundi, Oportó, Aszú, which is made with the herbs has been used to
Cabernet and Pinot Noir are addition of over-ripe grapes create Unicum. The herbs,
popular, as is the medium-dry harvested after the first which are gathered in
Merlot, which is produced in frost. The proportion three separate areas,
Siklós, Sopron, Szekszárd, of these grapes are combined to
Tihany and Villány. added to the must produce this bitter
Another vine-growing dis trict (grape ice) deter- liqueur. Unicum can
is Eger, which is famous for its mines the wine’s body be drunk either as an
aromatic, robust red Egri Leányka and sweetness. The apéritif before a meal
and the dry red Egri Bikavér, or more of these grapes Unicum herb liqueur or afterwards as a
“Bulls’ Blood”, which is produced used, the sweeter and digestif with coffee.
from a combination of three grape richer the Aszú. The recipe
varieties. Other Hungarian wines Although cheap vari eties has been held by the Zwack
take their names from their place of Tokaji do exist, they do family, and remained a secret,
of origin or the variety of grape not share the quality of the since the reign of Franz I
from which they are produced. genuine article. (see p21).

Sweet Tokaji Dry Tokaji Tokaji Aszú, a renowned golden Pear-flavoured Vilmos
Szamorodni Szamorodni dessert wine liqueur

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