Anyone who has visited Hungary at least once should have noticed how many different sausages shops and city markets offer. They literally hang over visitors and beckon with beautiful wrappers. If one day you try a sausage made in Hungary, you will understand the difference between real tasty salami and the one that we see on the shelves of our stores. It is not for nothing that the products of the meat industry of this country received excellent reviews around the world and a huge number of honorary awards.
Great souvenir from Hungary
High-quality and unusually tasty Hungarian sausage is known far beyond the borders of the country. It is exported to 35 countries of the world. Experienced tourists know that the main souvenir to be purchased in this European country is Pick salami.
However, now residents of the capital can buy it at any time, as the Paprika store has opened at 2 Businovskaya Gorka.
But be prepared for the fact that a stick of delicious salami will cost you about 1300 r. Despite the price, be sure to treat yourself to the pride of Hungary, the famous sausage made in Szeged.
In the article, we will examine why Hungarian sausage is so famous all over the world, who organized production and set such a high standard for competitors, how pigs are raised and how such a famous product is prepared. You will learn the story of Mark Peak and his family, understand why salami is called "winter". The Hungarian language is completely different from other dialects; it is not easy to parse it in a store offering a diverse selection of meat products. But everyone recognizes the inscription PICK, it is also easy to find goods at a price. If you see a price tag with a large amount, then you are already in place.
History of Pick Sausage Factory
Hungarian uncooked sausage began to be produced back in 1869 in the city of Szeged, which is located in the south of the country on the border with Romania. An agricultural trader named Mark Peak has returned from a trip to Italy. He was full of vivid impressions and hopes. Having looked at sausage factories and workshops, he firmly decided to engage in such a business. Thinking carefully, Peak settles in Szeged, as pig farming flourished there, and paprika grew. The climate favorably affected the crops, and red pepper grew to 20-25 cm and a diameter of 3-4 cm. The local pepper was hot, even if you bite off a small piece, the oven will be in your mouth for several hours. It was believed that contribute to this annual two hundred sunny days.
Meat and paprika were purchased on the spot, and Italian craftsmen helped Peak invite him to his factory to raise production from scratch and develop a unique technology for making delicious sausages. They started production small, but had to expand very quickly. The business under the Pick brand, after the death of Mark in 1892, was inherited by his wife Katalina and son Ene, who significantly increased production and the number of sausages produced.
Already in 1927, Pick Salami sausage received a diploma at an exhibition in Greece in Thessaloniki. And by 1939, the company became the second largest food company in Hungary.
The Fate of Peak Jr.
A very interesting fact from the life of the owner of sausage production is that, while making a huge number of different sausages at his enterprise, neither Mark Peak, nor his son and successor Ene have ever tried them. It is explained by religious considerations. The peaks belonged to the Jewish community, and the Jews do not eat pork. Belonging to this race played a tragic role in family life during the Second World War. As everyone knows, the Nazis showed unprecedented atrocities and exterminated Jews in all countries of Europe.
Ene Pika was saved from reprisal by a neutral diplomat from Sweden, Raul Wallenberg. Sweden is a country that during these terrible years gave shelter to many representatives of the Jewish people, and the Pick family was lucky. However, after the occupation of Hungary by fascist Germany, the plant was taken from Peak. After the defeat of the enemy by the Soviet troops, Piku, the enterprise never returned. The meat factory was nationalized. Ene Peak never returned to Szeged, and spent the rest of his life in Budapest. His children left the country and immigrated to the United States.
After the fall of the socialist regime, the factory, previously owned by Peak, was never returned to the founder. It was transformed into a joint-stock company, however, it still produces sausages of excellent quality. The recipe for its preparation is still kept in strict confidence, so you can only guess what exactly gives it such a unique taste. Let's look at why Hungarian salami has become so popular and loved among people in many countries.
Mangalitsa
The most delicious component of the famous Hungarian brand is considered special meat. Pig breeds of mangalitsa even externally differ from other animals. Their coat is long and curly. They are unpretentious in leaving and know how to adapt. However, to obtain lean marbled pork, animals must have a free range, move a lot and graze on ecologically clean pastures.
Moreover, this content should be year-round, animals calmly tolerate cold snowy winters, they have excellent immunity. For the production of Hungarian sausages, Mark Peak used mangalitsa meat, which determined excellent taste.
The composition of the "winter" sausage
The famous Hungarian “winter” salami is made only from lean pork with the addition of fat from the pig’s belly and various spices, one of which is hot paprika grown in the fields near Szeged. All constituent ingredients are kept in strict confidence. The resulting mixture is pushed into the shell and immediately smoked, only then put into spacious cellars for drying and drying.
Delicious sausage is obtained by ripening for 3 months. During this time, the shell of meat products is covered with the so-called noble and useful for digestion mold of white color. Therefore, it is called the “winter” salami, it really is as if powdered with snow.
Sausage Pick is stored for a long period. Moreover, according to customer reviews, even at a temperature of +20 degrees, it does not deteriorate. Therefore, in the summer heat and wet autumn, travelers can safely take home as a souvenir in memory of their stay in Hungary any Pick sausage.
Production Features
A characteristic feature of Hungarian sausages is the presence of white mold on its surface. In order for it to appear during the drying process, special conditions are necessary - cold air temperature and the necessary degree of humidity.
This was all achieved by the proximity of aging facilities to the banks of the Tisza River, which flows through Szeged. The coastal wind perfectly blows halls and creates the necessary conditions for the maturation of white plaque.
Premium Products
According to reviews by meat-lovers, Pick sausage in Hungary is considered the best and most beloved among the inhabitants of the country and among the many guests of the city. If you want to buy the famous “winter” salami in the store or on the market, then look for the inscription EREDETI PICK Téliszalámi on the label.
Hungarian inscriptions are completely incomprehensible to our tourists, so it is better to know for sure what you need to look for. "Winter" salami is considered a classic option without hot spices and with a minimum number of spices.
In addition to this famous Hungarian product, about 40,000 tons of various meat products are produced at the enterprise. These are salami and sausages, meat and liver pastes and sausages, assorted and sliced. In stores, eyes simply run up from the variegation of wrappers. On products of the Pick factory, a plastic bag with the image of strips of flowers of the Hungarian flag is put on top of a white shell. The price tag for all products of the enterprise is much more expensive than other sausages. This is explained by the use of marbled mangalitsa pork and natural ingredients only. If there was a crop of paprika in the country, then this year you will not find sausage with it in any store. This already says a lot to the experienced buyer.
Famous brands of Hungarian sausages
In addition to Pick, in the country's stores you can see the brand Herz, Csabai and Gyulai. They produce smoked thin and thick products, slightly sharp and burning sausages, as well as cooked smoked sausage. There are meat products pork and beef, as well as game.
Many villagers in villages make home-made sausages on their own and are very proud of their goods. Competitions for the manufacture of sausages are often held in the country, which creates healthy competition.
Paprika Museum and Pick Factory
If you travel by car in Hungary, be sure to visit the city of Szeged to buy the famous and, according to our tourists, the most delicious sausage. You can also look at the Pick Salami and Szeged Paprika Museum. There you can consider the stages of production and try the variety of products manufactured by the enterprise. You can enjoy the exquisite taste of “winter” salami and try hot cuts with paprika. It is easy to recognize by its orange hue.
As you can see, the quality of sausage includes many components. This is an excellent quality meat, natural spices and spices, fresh fat, highly effective aging and smoking technology. The quality of Pick sausages can be judged by the positive reviews of customers from all over the world.