„Suhajda sweets”

“The confession of József Suhajda is we can produce something good only from something good, so he always provided fine ingredients for his products.”
By Szegedi Értékek / 2015. November 19.

Sweet, varied dessert. Its eating delights you. You can taste the dessert which is still made by an old family recipe. Everybody likes sweets, this was the same in the 19th century. You can know the story of a confectionery in Szeged if you read further. The story of the sweets filled with chocolate cream can be known.

What is suhajda?

A sweet filled with chocolate cream. It is the most popular sweet of Szeged. Its maker and inventor is József Suhajda (1886-1948), confectioner who lived in Szeged. His confectionery was open in Szeged, Iskola street between 1912 and 1932.

Did you know?

  1. The name of cocoa relates to the commerce; “cacau” is originally a verb, its meaning: to buy, exchange, purchase.
  2. Cocoa beans are grown on a cocoa tree.
  3. Eating chocolate was considered as a sin by the Church.
  4. Later, eating chocolate was allowed also on fast-days by Pope Gregory XIII.
  5. Árvay confectionery (later Virágh confectionery) was often mentioned also as Szeged Gerbeaud.
  6. Brandied cherry was also introduced in Hungary by Emil Gerbeaud.
  7. Attila József could have free breakfast in Virágh confectionery of Szeged.
  8. In the 18th century, Italian chocolate-making masters and pharmacists made chocolate in Hungary.
  9. Chocolate was mentioned for the first time in Hungary, in 1704 by György Palocsay, hussar centurion.
  10. Chocolate was called “német ser” earlier in Hungary.
  11. Confectioner craft was established in Hungary in the 19th century by immigrant Swiss confectioners who made modern confectioneries.
  12. Gingerbread-makers were the only sweet-makers in the time of the Arpad dynasty.
  13. Dobos torte was invented by József Dobos C. in 1884 and it was tasted firstly by Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

13+1. A confectionery has already been open in Szeged in 1874, called Allemann and Co.

Story of Chocolate

Europeans met chocolate for the first time in 1519. Spanish conquerors were offered chocolate by Aztec people when they entered the area of Mexico. When they returned home, they brought the secrets of cocoa beans. However, it wasn’t spread in Europe till the 17th century. People in Europe started to drink hot chocolate in 1600s. Chocolate House, the first restaurant in London which offered chocolate was opened in 1657.

The first English chocolate factory was built up in 1728. Chocolate bar was invented in 1847. Nestlé brothers made milk chocolate bars in 1876 for the first time. Thanks to its high nutrition level, soldiers ate chocolate regularly during World War I and II.

References:

(http://csokimania.blog.hu/2013/04/28/erdekessegek_a_csokolade_magyarorszagi_tortenelmebol ; http://www.patikamagazin.hu/cikk/index/6456, http://www.orszagszaloncukra.hu/index.php/vasarlasi-feltetelek?layout=edit&id=135)

Suhajda confectionery was one of the most popular confectioneries in Szeged in the 1920s. Its products were also eaten with pleasure in other cities of Hungary (Košice, Oradea). Owing to its popularity, they started to extend in the middle of the 20th century, they also opened shops in Wien, Zagreb and Prague. For a short time, they had a kiosk in Újszeged and also in Partfürdő. The business survived the economic crisis in 1923 because they tried to make something unique and the quality was very important for them.

Suhajda sweets won the following awards:

1912. Paris: Grand prix

1913. Paris: gold medal

1924. Szeged: gold medal (Szeged Baross – fair and exhibition)

1937. Budapest: gold medal (National Handicraft Exhibition and Autumn Fair)

 

In 1924, the newspaper, Szegedi Új Nemzedék appreciated Suhajda and his sweets in an article:

“It isn’t needed to arrange an exhibition in order to know the name Suhajda. The name Suhajda and Suhajda sweets are either known in Budapest or in the countryside or Wien or any foreign bathing resort. The Hungarian name Suhajda is such a concept abroad as goulash, stew because all of these food can be found on the menu of the illustrious foreign restaurants.”

Nowadays, the descendants of Suhajda are running a Suhajda confectionery in Budapest and the Szamos marzipan company also makes “suhajda”.

http://www.suhajdacukraszda.hu/

 

Confectioneries in Szeged

In the 19-20th centuries, the confectioneries which were open in Szeged provided excellent sweets for sweets fans. Árvay, Allemann, Virágh, Z. Nagy confectioneries also provided high quality and unique products.

References:

Bátyai Gitta: Tisza-torta, Horthy-bomba, Augusta-csemege : cukrászok, édességkereskedők a régi Szegeden. Szeged. - 17.évf. 11-12.sz. (2005. november-december), p. 60-62.

http://www.suhajdacukraszda.hu/

http://www.szegedvaros.hu/ertektar.html

http://www.suhajdacukraszda.hu/

http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suhajda_J%C3%B3zsef

http://www.magyarszo.com/hu/2009_12_10/tarkavilag/80488/

http://www.szamosmarcipan.hu/hu/product_groups/view/58/Suhajda

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