"Egerszalók" Egerszalok by CaveCanis

Well, I am pretty lucky to have a cousin who makes wine. ;) My mom is from Egerszalók, actually her parents are from the village but growing up we came home every summer. So, Szalók is pretty much my second home.

It was obvious that I wanted to get married here. My cousin has a nice vineyard and a beautiful wine cellar that he carved out by hand.

Our wedding took place in 2005 April 30th. It was a very nice day, sunny and warm. Our wedding was the first wedding in the village that year as most people go to Eger to the Basilica to get married. We had a traditional Hungarian wedding, which really entertained my Texan husband and his family.

Dancing in the Lagzi

Lagzi is short for Lakodalom, the party after the wedding ceremony. And don't think it is anything you like the wedding parties you've been to. We (Hungarians) know how to party! If someone invites to a Lagzi, DO NOT MISS it if you want to have fun all night!

After the wedding dinner (which is also a great fun!) the Lagzi begins. People sing, dance, eat and drink a lot! There are all kind of games they play, such as the selling of the bride. Everybody has to dance with the bride but you have to pay for that dance. And you better pay good money. ;) In the olden days, children would start the dance with the bride so they would have to pay too much. After the children it would be women then men and last would be the groom. He had to pay the most for his bride. People used to bid who paid more for the dance. During the dance the groom had to keep his eye on the bride as somebody might kidnap her and run off with her. If the groom couldn't stop this he had to look after her bouquet until the best man and the grooms friend found the bride and brought her back safe.

At midnight both bride and groom has to change into something red and from that time they are newly weds. The Lagzi usually goes on until the next day. These days a Hungarian wedding only last for a day or two - it used to last for 3-4 days.

So, if you ever go to one, make sure to eat a lot (especially "Pogácsa") so the next day you won't have a terrible headache! We like to drink and I'm sure you will always have a shot of "Pálinka" in your hand.

Enjoy!

Casks

So many people wonder about the history of the bullsblood and after a little reserch here is what I found. Pretty interesting!

The town of Eger achieved lasting fame in 1552 when Captain István Dobó withstood a month long siege to successfully defend the fortess with 2,000 soldiers from 150,000 Turkish troops (and in 1956 History repeats itself and Hungary stood up against the Great Sovjet Union).

During the siege, the citizens of Eger opened their wine cellars and drank red wine to give them strength to fight off the Turks. The wine spilled over their beards and onto their armor, coloring them blood red. As the citizens continued their valiant fight against the invading Turks, word spread quickly that the Hungarians were drinking the blood of bulls to make themselves strong and fierce. The superstitious Turks were fearful and demoralized. As a result, the siege was broken.

In the mid 18th century "Bikavér " become popular as a medicine to strengthen the stomach.

Bikavér isn't an expensive wine but it is outstanding for spicy game, roasts, steaks, and other beef dishes. Open the bottle one hour before serving; serve at 60-64 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Pros:People are extremely friendly and they have great food and wine!
• Cons:You have to take a bus from Eger or rent a car and there is no ATM so make sure to have cash on you! Not all the places take cards and people still have hard time speaking foreign languages.
• In a nutshell:Great food and wine - Beautiful place