''Hitlerszalonna'' ( Hungarian: "Hitler bacon"), known in the modern day as ''sütésálló lekvár'' ("ovenproof jam"), is a dense

fruit jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the metho ...

that originated in the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. It was sold in brick shaped blocks held in a piece of paper, and was sliced like szalonna. Soldiers kept it in a case and it could be cooked with other foods. In the modern day, ''sütésálló lekvár'' is often sold in small portion cups. The term itself is considered

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...

and defined as something like "tough fruit".

Etymology

One possible source of this name derives from

military rations Military rations are food intended to feed military personnel. Types of military rations include garrison rations and field rations. They may be used where fresh meals are not available. Australia * Combat Ration One Man (CR1M) Canada * Indi ...

given to soldiers of the

Royal Hungarian Army The Royal Hungarian Army ( hu, Magyar Királyi Honvédség, german: Königlich Ungarische Armee) was the name given to the land forces of the Kingdom of Hungary in the period from 1922 to 1945. Its name was inherited from the Royal Hungarian Hon ...

. In armed conflicts under

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, Hungarian soldiers received normal bacon as part of their rations, nicknamed "Kaiser-bacon", referring to the Kaiser of Austria. During World War II, Hungarian soldiers received rations from

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, but often received fruit jam instead of bacon. The soldiers continued to refer to this as the emperor's bacon, and the "emperor" was ''

Führer ( ; , spelled or ''Fuhrer'' when the umlaut is not available) is a German word meaning "leader" or " guide". As a political title, it is strongly associated with the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany cultivated the ("leader princip ...

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

. This expression has also appeared in a printed book.Ungváry, Krisztián. ''A magyar honvédség a második világháborúban''. Budapest: Osiris, 2005. , page 177 When describing the Royal Hungarian Army's logistical situation at the

Don River The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its ...

and before the Battle of Stalingrad, the account (as translated below into English) states that:

References

{{portal bar, Food Squashes and pumpkins Hungarian cuisine Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler Plum dishes Jams and jellies Military food Hungary in World War II

Etymology

See also

References