When planning the Christmas menu, bejgli is probably the first thing you put on the list without thinking. Why is this, what is the history and magic of bejgli?

Bejgli is a traditional Christmas dish, originally filled with nuts or poppy seeds. Nowadays, there are special variations on the old flavours, such as Chocolate chilli or the Pumpkin and orange bejgli. Originally from the Silesian region, it is the ancestor of a 14th century type of loaf. The name is of German origin, referring to the horseshoe shape of the original cake. Beugen = bend). It arrived and spread in Hungary in the 19th century thanks to the Austrians. This is when the Hungarian people started to celebrate Christmas in the German style. It was also the period when the custom of putting up Christmas trees began. It is not originally a Hungarian cake, but over the years it has become a permanent fixture on Hungarian festive tables.

According to popular belief, walnuts represent Jesus Christ and are therefore eaten to ward off evil, while poppy seeds bring abundance to the home, which is why the two basic flavours are the most popular in Hungary. However, the name varies from one region to another: some pronounce it as bájgli, others as pejgli. Recipes also vary, with some adding honey to the poppy seeds, others adding apricot jam to the nut filling, and the use of spices is not set in stone. Our Nutty bejglink has won the Bejgli of the Year Award 2019, so it's likely that our recipe will be everyone's favourite. The recipe and appearance of the general bejgli is regulated by the Hungarian Food Codex, and only those bejgli that are actually made according to the recipe can be officially called bejgli.

At first, bejgli was more of a cake for family events, but gradually it replaced the Christmas cake on the festive table. István Czifray first wrote about it in Hungary in 1830 in the Hungarian National Cookbook, where he refers to it as 'Posonyi finom mákos kaláts' (Posonyi fine poppy seed kaláts). Initially, it was made exclusively at home, which was a great tradition in families. Fortunately, today there are plenty of places where you can order or buy it, taking the burden off the shoulders of housewives. Our in our webshop for example 5 flavours are available, as well as In a Bejgli box which is also perfect as a Christmas gift.

Source: The evergreen bejgli