You've heard of white gold, black is always current, what would be red? We don't know how it is elsewhere, but in the villages of Baranja, and to some extent also in Slavonia, the redness of the golden glow belongs to the paprika powder. A plant that is dying 15th century arrived in Europe from the newly discovered America, during In the 16th century, it became a cheap and healthy substitute for the then luxurious pepper. This is why the English still call it pepper, and the Turks, with whose conquests paprika reached Pannonia, pepper. Merging with the fertile climate, the local population's love and nose for foods that make a difference, the pepper in its sweet and hot variety soon became true gray, i.e. the red eminence of Slavonian-Baranja gastronomy. Invisible but ubiquitous, a crucial component of the greatest specialties of the regional cuisine - from the legendary fish, to shepherd's pie and paprikaš, to the already famous kulen and other dried meat delicacies.

Apart from the specialties in which it welcomes you as a background master of fullness and opulence of taste, the best way to get to know, taste and, of course, buy red pepper in its immediate release is during a tour of the Hungarian villages of Southern Baranja such as Lug or Kopačevo. Especially during autumn and the first weekend of October, when the traditional Paprikafest (Paprikafesztivál) takes place in Lug, you will see to what extent paprika culture is embedded here not only in the land but also in the way of life. Legends are told about it, such as the one that people from Lug in the 16th century bought their priest from the Turks for 100 kg of paprika. It's what makes a living - the market in Osijek is not far away, as are the ever-increasing number of restaurants whose offer is based on high-quality, local ingredients. You can also try your hand at shopping with skilled people from Baranja. Regardless of whether it turns out sweet or spicy, we guarantee that it will be unforgettable!