Home made spirit drink
Your trip to Rimetea and Coltesti is not complete if you don’t try at least a glass of home made drink.
Altough “pálinka” has it’s origins in Hungary and it is protected as a geographical indication of the European Union, this spirit drink was and is still largely produced in most of the slavic countries. The name itself, “pálinka”, derives from the slavonic stem “paliti”, which means “to burn, to distill”.
The pálinka from Coltesti and Rimetea follows the same ritual as any distilled home made drink follows. What makes it different from other spirits is it’s flavour. Made out of good quality fruits, usually plums, apples, pears and sometimes apricots, quince and (sour)cherries, which are localy grown, the pálinka from Trascau Valley can be proudly presented as a no sugar addition spirit drink.
A popular hungarian saying says: “what can be used to prepare jam can also be used to produce pálinka”. So…every fruit is suitable for pálinka. Some villagers will tell you that if you really want to enjoy the fine smell and taste of the fruit, you should drink the pálinka at a temperature of 18–23 °C.
Also, pay attention to the form of the glass as for sure it will affect your drinking experience. The tulip-shaped glass is the best one, as the narrow neck will concentrate and magnify all the smell released from the larger bottom of the glass.
A good home made pálinka has 50-55 % vol. alcohol, and it should not turn white when mixed with water.
In Coltesti and Rimetea, but also in the villages in Trascau Valley and across the whole country, people sell home made pálinka. If you are interested in buying some, look for the gates and fences where is written: ”Elado pálinka” in hungarian or ”Vând țuică” or ”Țuică de vânzare” in romanian, meaning pálinka for sale.
Altough “pálinka” has it’s origins in Hungary and it is protected as a geographical indication of the European Union, this spirit drink was and is still largely produced in most of the slavic countries. The name itself, “pálinka”, derives from the slavonic stem “paliti”, which means “to burn, to distill”.
The pálinka from Coltesti and Rimetea follows the same ritual as any distilled home made drink follows. What makes it different from other spirits is it’s flavour. Made out of good quality fruits, usually plums, apples, pears and sometimes apricots, quince and (sour)cherries, which are localy grown, the pálinka from Trascau Valley can be proudly presented as a no sugar addition spirit drink.
A popular hungarian saying says: “what can be used to prepare jam can also be used to produce pálinka”. So…every fruit is suitable for pálinka. Some villagers will tell you that if you really want to enjoy the fine smell and taste of the fruit, you should drink the pálinka at a temperature of 18–23 °C.
Also, pay attention to the form of the glass as for sure it will affect your drinking experience. The tulip-shaped glass is the best one, as the narrow neck will concentrate and magnify all the smell released from the larger bottom of the glass.
A good home made pálinka has 50-55 % vol. alcohol, and it should not turn white when mixed with water.
In Coltesti and Rimetea, but also in the villages in Trascau Valley and across the whole country, people sell home made pálinka. If you are interested in buying some, look for the gates and fences where is written: ”Elado pálinka” in hungarian or ”Vând țuică” or ”Țuică de vânzare” in romanian, meaning pálinka for sale.