Last Rays of Summer @ The Lake Balaton
Balaton Circle – “Taste the Circle!” … This year’s first event of the “Kostold Körben” – “Taste Around” wine & gastro festival with restaurants, wineries was held in a worthy location … where else … than at the middle of Lake Balaton, on the ferry between Szántód and Tihany.
GasztroFerry gave gastronomic presentations within 10 restaurants and 10 wineries out of almost 50 members of the Balaton Circle. Find out what flavors, scene, experiences and programs awaited the invited guests and media representatives.
We were one of the One Million passengers on the ferries on Lake Balaton!
In recent years, September has also become a summer month, and it is during this period that Lake Balaton shows its most beloved face. There is no more mass tourism, so they can deal with the guests even more and organize a quality program that promotes the region and the restaurants of Lake Balaton. The goal is to even out the often extreme fluctuations in terms of the number of guests, and to allow entrepreneurs in the region to plan with a year-round opening time. Also added…Many new quality restaurants have opened around the lake this year not only for local businesses, but for the interest of all of them to make Lake Balaton not just a weekend destination. In the future, travel decisions will not be determined solely by the weather report, as in all circumstances and every month, guests will find the right place to visit where programs, attractions and gastronomic experience are in favor around Lake Balaton. With the services and local products of the members of the Balaton Circle, they contributed in making Lake Balaton one of the outstanding gastronomic regions of Hungary – told Lajos Szilágyi – President of the Balaton Circle.
Alíz Markovits – CEO of Veszprém-Balaton 2023 Ltd., spoke about the framework of the European Capital of Culture 2023 project, it had already been recognized in the tender phase that only the region and Lake Balaton could achieve outstanding success. “This aspiration is confirmed by the fact that more than 103 settlements have already joined, and together with them, they can support the aspirations of the Balaton Circle with diverse cultural programs”
“This year celebrating the 175th anniversary of the BAHART was pleased to join the initiative of the Balaton Circle. During the autumn season must be filled with meaningful programs and quality services, which include wine, gastronomy and shipping.” – emphasized Gábor Veigl, CEO of BAHART.
A total of 26 restaurants, confectioneries, wineries and brandy distilleries of the Balaton Circle were presented at the Autumn Opening GastroFerry event. All dishes were freshly prepared on portable hotplates. Participants could get a taste of the yummy finger-food and delights.
“Taste the Circle!” The fleet was divided into two parts, serving on one side were the gastro delight and on the opposite side the wines, Pálinka and gin. There was an abundant supply of wines and Pálinka. Wineries such as Attila Hajdú – Olaszrizling ⋕1 from Fürjes Winery. The winemaker. former goalkeeper later found his future occupation in hospitality – deals with wine production and can be reach at Fürjes Villa Pension – Balatonfüred, Pócz Winery – Balatonlelle, Kemendy Traditional Champagne Workshop – Balatonfüred, Szabó and Son Wine Cellar – Balatoncsicsó, Martinosa Winery – Mount Tagyon … just mention a couple brilliant wines from a/m wineries.
An everday Q! …Wanna be loose well all who tasted the „Dare-Devil” – „Fenegyerek” selection of Pálinka from Zamárdi surely felt the succulent fruit flavors. Gábor Pach, one of the founders of the Balaton Circle, opened his pálinka distillery in 2014, but he calls it the Wellness Fruit Center. Gábor Pach has been dealing with pálinka over12 years, but he would not have thought at all that he would moor in this area, in fact, he didn’t particularly like pálinka. Then, through an old business relationship, he started working with the Zimek Pálinka Distillery and was completely enchanted by this world. He completed all the training related to pálinka in Hungary, but he actually learned a lot in practice. At the Zamárd plant he still practices the cooking of mostly fruits around Lake Balaton. Was a real pálinka oasis, on the spot to taste almost complete offer of Fenegyerek pálinka and Gin … such as: blueberry, apple, married with apple+raspberry, peach, quince, grape, grape+late cherry. Every sip was exploding and powerful. Tasted a couple and must say Gábor Pach’s pálinka deserves to be known not just in Hungary and/or Europe but overseas as well. Succulent fruit world – wizard of man. The COVI-DINKA pálinka within the series of “Dare Devil – “Fenegyerek” bombastic within 73% Alcohol. It is a booster of mix fruits. Furthermore, it is so strong that could probably kill the COVID as well :-). A guy who tasted the „Dare-Devil” „Fenegyerek” pálinka said „Leaps and bounds better than anything in showy boutiques or that you can find in a store. We made sure to get a few extra bottles to take back to Texas this time.”
The invited guests on board the ferry were invited to sample the region’s traditional and flavors. On board the John’s Pub (Restaurant in Keszthely) served a mini mangalica burger with all the goodness of flavors, sweet potato bars, celery salad and various homemade sauces. Tasty cold appetizer were amazing, the salmon trout with beetroot remula and wasabi salad. Next to it, the Lavender Terrace – Balatonvilágos offered pistachio duck liver on top “ice cream” with a cake stick. The sweet tooth lovers made their day as the taste buds felt like being in heaven tasting the MóniSüti Confectionery – Gyenesdiás. The guest tasting plum pie and “Rákóczi” cottage cheese cakes along other sweeties. Walking along the fleet the eye caught the sight of the catfish ceviche of the Vocational Training Center – Siófok – could not resist offering their avocado slices, decorated with sprouts and burnt dough donuts and the pear-chocolate cream dessert.
The “Taste Around!” Lake Balaton following stations of the wine & gastro festival series will be on October, 9. 2021 – Siófok, November, 6. 2021 – Kövestál, December, 12. 2021 – Balatonfüred, January, 29. 2022 – Zamárdi, February, 12. 2022 – Keszthely.
Riport & Snaps Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 