Never Too Early to Make Your Shopping List

Okay, maybe it is a bit early to be thinking about your shopping list for Christmas 2015 when you have no idea what you will be buying for 2014! But I can't resist sharing all these great items you might want to pick up in Budapest.  Get ready to make your taste buds salivate. And remember to save room in your luggage.

This info and more is found at the websites: www.gotoHungary.com and www.hungarianinfo.hu.

definition of Hungaricum: not-to-be-missed  "special items" .....proof you're in the know in Hungary! PAPRIKA When looking for Hungarian paprika, you may find at least three types of vegetable, as  well as the paprika spice. Those are the strings of paprika hanging in the markets, the  ground version put in small bags, and the vegetable itself, coloured yellow, red or green.  While all three of them have their proper place and function, people usually take home the  ground spice, the basic ingredient for many dishes popular in Hungary (such as the “pörkölt”  stew, potato paprikash, chicken paprikash, and “lecsó” vegetable stew).  GOOSE LIVER Hungary is the world's second-largest foie gras or "Libamáj" producer and the largest exporter.  Goose liver is part of traditional Hungarian cuisine and a must-try when visiting the country.  The goose liver of Orosháza is a number one gift gourmet tourist take-away.  Really good goose liver is maybe expensive, but surely an unforgettable experience. PALINKA The most popular varieties of this brandy, made by the distillation of fermented fruits,and with a strong alcohol  content of at least 37.5 percent, are apricot, plum, pear, apple or grape pomace palinkas. According to the EU  regulation, the word “palinka” can be only used by Hungary and four areas in Austria, and so if you choose it for  a gift or as a souvernir, it is guaranteed that you are receiving a Hungarian product.  TOKAJI One of the best-known Hungarian wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja, a wine region in North Hungary with  a climate unique in the world. The making of Aszú wine is an extremely labour-intensive and risky business, as  one has to wait for the special moment for harvesting, when the berries are only partially covered by the noble rot  so that they become just perfectly raisined. If you want to make sure, go to the shops of Bortársaság (seven stores  all over the city, and one of the greatest varieties in the store of I., 59 Batthyány Street www.bortarsasag.hu). CAKES Somló-style sponge cake (Somlói Galuska) is a popular Hungarian dessert, made of sponge  cake, covered with fine chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Dobos cake (Dobostorta) is a  layered sponge cake filled with chocolate and nuts, glazed with caramel. Makówki (Mákos Guba)  is also a typical Hungarian dessert, made of sweet white bread covered with poppy seeds.