🥃 Nagykunság plum pálinka (Nagykunsági szilvapálinka)

Nagykunság plum pálinka (Nagykunsági szilvapálinka) is a Hungarian EU geographical indication for plum pálinka from 47 municipalities of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county east of the Tisza. At least 40 % of the drink consists of distillates of Vörös and Besztercei plums and their clones, the strength is from 40 % vol., and the fruit, fermentation, distillation and ageing are all local.

The application was submitted on 14 October 2016, the main requirements were published in the Official Journal of the EU on 13 January 2021 (C 14), and the name was registered in 2021 (OJ L 151, 3.05.2021). The area includes Karcag, Kisújszállás, Mezőtúr, Szolnok, Tiszafüred and other municipalities. The Nagykunság plain has over 2350 hours of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 12 °C; plums grow along the rivers, where groundwater stands high.

The fruit is taken ripe, with dry matter of 15 % or more; the stones are removed and the mash ferments for 10–14 days at 18–22 °C. Distillation is double fractional in a still with a copper surface or in other equipment of the same quality. There are two additional designations: «érlelt» (aged) — at least 3 months in barrels of up to 1000 l or a year in larger ones, and «gyümölcságyon érlelt» or «ágyas» — at least 3 months on a bed of 10 kg of fresh or 5 kg of dried local plums per 100 l.

Methanol is up to 1200 g/hl of pure alcohol, volatile substances from 200 g/hl. Young pálinka is clear, with notes of plum, marzipan and jam; aged pálinka ranges from straw to golden yellow, with vanilla, clove and cinnamon. The container is glass or ceramic of up to 2 l. Since 2008 the Nagykunság Pálinka Festival has been held every year.

Why this matters to you. The designations «érlelt» and «ágyas» are lawful only under the conditions of the file and stand separately from the name, next to the words «földrajzi árujelző» (geographical indication). Without these designations, ageing is not guaranteed. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.