The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2018

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36  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2018 TRAVELING S eltzer water, spritzers, and delicious, layered pastries—they're all fixtures in the food and beverage realm, but they have another thing in common, as well: These items can all trace their origin or part of their lineage to Hungary, the home of many creative minds and inventors through the ages. One of the country's most popular summer beverages is fröccs, a cocktail that blends white or rosé wine with soda water. While the simple drink is replicated in many countries today, the first version surfaced in Budapest, where seltzer water was also invented by Ányos Jedlik in 1826. The story goes that during a wine tasting, Jedlik prepared his favorite beverage with one part seltzer and two parts wine, calling it a "spritzer." However, his friend Mihály Vörösmarty—a great Hungarian novelist and veritable patriot—didn't like the German moniker and renamed the drink fröccs, a much more Hungarian-sounding denomination. Hungarian cuisine is known for sweet desserts like the ubiquitous chimney cake, and one of the country's most famous pastries, the Dobos torte, was created in Budapest by confectioner Dobos C. József in 1884. The country's most vital contribution to the nutritional realm, however, may very well be the discovery of vitamin C—which earned well-known Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi a Nobel Prize in 1937. Besides its culinary contributions, Hungary's most ingenious gastronomic innovations have perhaps been those related to winemaking. This year, we celebrate what would be the 180th birthday of famous grape breeder János Máthiasz, who found the antidote for phylloxera and, as a result, is known as the savior of the vineyards and wineries of the Tokaj wine region. One of Hungary's most well-known wines, Tokaji Aszú, hails from the region; during harvest, the aszú (the Hungarian word for botrytized grapes, meaning fruit that's been affected by noble rot) berries are collected one by one before they're soaked in fermenting wine for one to two days. After pressing, the wine is fermented and aged for at least three years. While humankind's ingenuity can't be denied, those who sip the nectar for the first time may be inclined to agree that the greatest "inventions" of all are those found in the natural world. The Dobos torte, a seven- layer sponge cake filled with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel, was created in 1883 by Hungarian confectioner Dobos C. József. History Makers EXPLORING THE INGENIOUS INVENTIONS THAT HAIL FROM HUNGARY by Izzy Watson Those traveling to Hungary may often find these seltzer dispensers on their restaurant tables. Since Ányos Jedlik's invention of the beverage in 1826, seltzer water has been long considered a staple in the country. Hungary's most well-known wine, Tokaji Aszú, is crafted from botrytized grapes—another descriptor for fruit affected by noble rot. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HUNGARIAN TOURISM AGENCY

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