Hungarian Christmas Candy

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The Christmas candy story...

 

Christmas candy is a traditional Hungarian sweet. The candy, used for Christmas tree decoration, is covered with chocolate and wrapped into glittering paper.

 Its original version (fondant candy) that had been created in France during the 14th century spread in Hungary with the help of Germans and became popular during the first decades of the 19th century. At first Christmas candy was hand-made, but after the invention of the first fondant machines at the end of the 19th century production became mechanised at the predecessor of the present Bonbonetti Group, too.

 

This unique candy became especially trendy at the turn of the century. Salons in the upper-class flats became fashionable during the reform age, where Christmas trees decorated with sweets were placed. That is why the fancy delicacy was called Christmas candy.

The founder of the first Hungarian nursery, Teréz Brunszvik was the first to stand a pinewood for Christmas in the 1820s. How interesting it is that the mother of Eszter Mattioni, the creator of the famous monumental identikit decorating Bonbonetti factory’s hall taught in the nursery that was founded by Teréz Brunszvik.

At first Christmas trees were stood only by aristocratic families, and then from the 1840s it became fashionable among well-off families, too. At the reform age each child had its own Christmas tree, later only girls and boys together got one, but nowadays families stand only one tree. Of course not everyone could afford to buy the Christmas candies of famous confectionaries to the tree, so many people made their own delicacy at home.

Each operation of Christmas candy production (machine-made moulding, wrapping) had been mechanized step by step. Wrapping remained hand-made for the longest time. Many small manufacturers fringed the wrapping paper then twisted the tinfoil to the fine delicacy by hand even after the 2nd World War. There were two types of Christmas candy before the 1980s: “konzum” and jelly. After that many variants could be purchased: caramel, marzipan, and chestnut, rum-cherry, walnut and other tastes. Nowadays manufacturers produce a lot of different types on the eve Christmas. Some consumers select on basis of taste, many of them focus on packaging colour in order to make a harmonious composition with the Christmas tree decoration to enhance the importance of the feast. Some of them pay attention to price. Many people buy more tastes to indulge all members of the family.

 Hungarian Christmas Candy is available at EURO - BALKAN GROCERY  

 

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