Palinka is another type of national “moonshine”, this time Magyar. Strong fruit alcohol (37.5-70 degrees) is common not only in Hungary and some regions of Austria, but throughout the Carpathian Basin. In fact, this is a complete analogue of Serbian brandy, and fruit and berry vodka can also be found in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania.
Origin control
Despite the fact that palinka is produced and drunk in almost all of central Europe, since 2008 the name itself is controlled by origin. This means that only Hungarian palinka, made from local raw materials at local factories, can be considered real. Neighboring countries also have the right to drive fruit moonshine, but must release it under a different name.
This decision at one time caused a lot of debate, the question was raised about the legality of such restrictions, especially since the historical regions of the first palinka production lie far beyond the borders of modern Hungary. Nevertheless, the Magyars hold fast to their national symbol and are not going to give it up to anyone.
To be called a palinka, fruit brandy must not only have a Hungarian “registration”, but also meet a number of other criteria:
- lack of preservatives, flavors, dyes;
- alcohol content not less than 37.5%;
- strict adherence to traditional technology.
Historical information
The first mention of strong Hungarian alcohol dates back to the XNUMXth century – judging by the surviving chronicles, the court physician insisted fruit moonshine on rosemary and treated the royal couple for arthritis with this remedy. The first name of palinka – “the living water of the queen” – unequivocally testifies to the exclusively medical purpose of European brandy.
However, this applied only to the nobles, and the peasants were happy to make fruit vodka from padans, cake and other fruits unsuitable for food. In those days, they were usually limited to one distillation, so the quality of the drink was lower than today. By the middle of the 2010th century, “palinco-making” finally became a state monopoly, but in 200 citizens were officially allowed to drive fruit moonshine – no more than 50 liters per year per family, the first XNUMX of which are not taxed.
In Hungary, there are a lot of small industries, where you can take pre-prepared mash and pick up the finished distillate for a small fee after a set time, there are also full-cycle plants, but there are much fewer of them.
palinka production
Literally any local berries and fruits can serve as raw materials for Hungarian vodka: grapes, cherries, plums, mulberries, quince, pears, apricots, apples, even hazelnuts. There is a saying in Hungary: “What is good for jam is good for palinka”. Each region “specializes” in its own kind of moonshine – for example, the city of Kecskemét is famous for apricot, and in Tokai, grape alcohol is more respected.
For high-quality palinka, only ripe fruits are selected without flaws and wormholes. Raw materials are kneaded into a homogeneous gruel (hard bones are pre-ground), placed in anaerobic conditions (no oxygen access) and left alone for 10-15 days. During this time, the raw material has time to ferment.
The resulting mash is poured into small boilers with a volume of up to 1000 liters and subjected to double distillation, and then only the “middle part” of the distillate, the so-called “heart”, in which there are almost no fusel oils, is bottled. The first and last portions (“head” and “tail”) cannot be drunk, they are either drained or used for technical needs.
A ready-made drink with a strength of 40-70 degrees can already be drunk, but it is better to keep it for another six months or a year in wooden barrels or metal tanks. In the first case, palinka vodka will acquire a noble golden hue and rich aroma, but will give up part of the fruity taste. Steel containers do not change the drink much, but the “angels’ share” (evaporation in a barrel is 1-3% per year) will be significantly less.
No artificial additives can be used in the production of palinka, but the law does not prohibit diluting the distillate with natural fruit juice or fruit pulp.
Palinka types
First of all, palinka is divided into “apricot”, “pear”, “nut” and other types, depending on the raw materials used. In addition, the name of fruit vodka depends on the method of production.
- “Little cauldron” (Hungarian kisusti) is the most common type of moonshine brandy obtained by double distillation in a copper cauldron.
- “Aged” (Hungarian erlett) – after distillation, such palinka languishes in wooden barrels for another 3-6 months.
- “Old” (Hungarian O) is the same as aged, but the shelf life has been for several years.
- “On the bed” (Hungarian Agyas) – a “bed” of fruit is poured with a ready-made distillate (at least 10 kg of ripe fruits per 100 liters of drink) and left to infuse for 3 months.
“Zhmykhovka” (Hung. Torkolypalinka) – many sommeliers put this type of palinka into a separate category of alcoholic beverages. This is exactly the kind of vodka produced by medieval peasants (and is often made by modern households for home consumption). They say that the most delicious moonshine is obtained from grape pomace, while the strained juice itself goes to the production of noble wine.
How to drink palinka
Hungarians are sure: any occasion is good to enjoy fragrant palinka. This soft moonshine is best served at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Cooling fruit vodka is only worth it if its quality leaves much to be desired.
They drink palinka from tulip glasses, eating fresh berries, cakes and other sweet desserts. You can add Hungarian brandy to coffee or cocktails, it is often mixed with Tokay wine.
Palinka is not only the national pride of the Magyars, but also a luxurious souvenir: tourists annually export thousands of liters of the famous drink from Hungary. In an effort to please the public taste, manufacturers produce fruit moonshine in intricate bottles with an original design and an intuitive interface. Even a traveler who does not know the Hungarian language can easily understand from the pictures on the labels which drink he is holding in his hands.
Bottles with a whole pear inside are especially popular – the fruit is placed in a container still on a branch, where it gradually grows and ripens, and then simply falls off, as it should be for any ripe fruit, and remains in the container.
Gourmets who want to have a good taste of Hungarian vodka should visit Budapest at the end of spring – in May, the palinka festival takes place in the Hungarian capital. At this holiday, you can taste the national drink, and admire its production, and even get hold of a couple of family secrets of hereditary producers.