Pick Szeged facts for kids
Pick Szeged is a famous Hungarian company. It makes many different meat products, especially a special kind of salami called Winter salami. The company started in 1869 and is still located in Szeged, Hungary.
Pick Szeged also supports the Hungarian handball team, SC Pick Szeged.
Contents
What is Pick Salami?
Winter salami, also known as Pick Salami, is a traditional Hungarian food. It is made from a mix of lean pork and fatty pork belly. Special spices are added following a secret recipe.
The meat mixture is put into special casings. Then, it goes through several steps:
- It is smoked slowly with cold smoke.
- It is dried for a long time.
- It ripens, which means it ages to get its full flavor.
During the ripening process, the salami gets a special white coating. This is a type of good mold, which helps give the salami its unique taste and look.
Why Szeged is Special for Salami
Szeged is a city in Hungary located right next to the Tisza river. This area has great natural conditions for farming and raising animals. The land and climate are perfect for raising high-quality pigs. These pigs are very important because their meat is used to make the famous Pick Salami in Szeged.
The Story of Pick Salami
How the Factory Started
The idea of making winter salami in Hungary came from a master butcher named Mark Pick. He was a very skilled meat producer. In 1869, Mr. Pick started his own salami factory in Szeged, Hungary.
He slowly grew his business. In 1883, he brought in workers from Italy to help make more salami. By 1885, they were making salami on a very large scale. After Mark Pick passed away in 1892, his wife and her brother took over the factory.
Mark's oldest son, Jenő Pick, joined the company in 1906. He brought new ideas and energy to the factory. Jenő bought another salami factory nearby that had gone out of business. This meant the Pick family owned all the land near the Tisza river where the factory was.
Jenő Pick wanted to use modern tools and methods. He also understood how important advertising was for business. In the early 1900s, salami became the main product of the company. Between World War I and World War II, the Pick factory became one of the most important food companies in Hungary. Pick Salami became famous all over the world. Jenő Pick managed the factory by himself until it became state-owned in 1934.
The Salami's Special Recipe
The very first winter salami was actually made using donkey meat! But after a while, there weren't enough donkeys in Hungary to keep making it. So, they found a new solution: they started using meat from older sows (female pigs). This meat had a similar taste and texture to donkey meat, making it a great replacement.
One of the most important things about Pick Salami is the layer of mold that grows on it during drying and aging. This special mold needs cool temperatures and the right amount of moisture to grow well. This is why the original Pick Salami factory was built right by the Tisza river, where the conditions were perfect.
To make sure the salami stayed good for a long time, new cooling technology was introduced in the late 1950s. This meant that winter salami could be made and enjoyed all year round, not just in winter.
The unique qualities of Pick Salami, like its wonderful smell and special taste, come from the local area of Szeged. Today, winter salami from Szeged is known worldwide. This is thanks to the original ingredients, traditional methods, the local weather, the special mold, and the knowledge passed down through generations.
Images for kids
-
The salami factory in Szeged
