Törkölypálinka (pomace pálinka, also Torkolypalinka) is a Hungarian

pomace brandy Pomace spirit (or pomace brandy) is a Distilled beverage, liquor distilled from pomace that is left over from winemaking, after the grapes are pressed (wine), pressed. It is called marc in both English and French, but "grappa" in Italian and "baga ...

, an

alcoholic beverage Drinks containing alcohol (drug), alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and Distilled beverage, spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered Non-al ...

produced by

distillation Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

from

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

residues (

pomace Pomace ( ), or marc (; from French ''marc'' ), is the solid remains of grapes, olives, or other fruit after pressing (wine), pressing for juice or Vegetable oil, oil. It contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit. Grape pomace has ...

) left over from

winemaking Winemaking, wine-making, or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its Ethanol fermentation, fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over ...

. One of the oldest types of

pálinka Pálinka () is a traditional fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) with origins in the medieval Hungary, known under several names. Protected as a geographical indication of the European Union, only fruit spirits mashed, distilled, matured and bottled i ...

, it is thought to aid digestion, and is usually consumed in small quantities after meals. Under the 2008, LXXIII, Law of the Republic of

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, the Hungarian Pálinka Law, only distilled beverages made using special methods and technology, from fruits produced in Hungary, mashed, distilled, matured and bottled in Hungary can be called pálinka. Alcoholic beverages made from concentrates, semi-dried, or dried fruit cannot legally be called "pálinka". Törköly is the name of the substance consisting of parts of the grapes (pomace) that remains in the press after they are pressed in the process of wine making. Depending on the weather, the type of the grapes and the method used for pressing, 15% to 30% törköly is produced as a by-product during the process of wine making, which is then used for making törkölypálinka. Once, törkölypálinka was one of the most commonly produced types of pálinka. In the 1950, for example, 30% of all the pálinka produced was törkölypálinka, but the share of this type of pálinka has become smaller since then. A grape distillate from

tokaj Tokaj () is a historical town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 54 kilometers from county capital Miskolc. It is the centre of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district where Tokaji wine is produced. History The wine-growing area ...

i aszú has been produced since the 1960s. It is a blend of flavours resembling

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

grape distillates and of the aromas of

aszú Tokaji ( ) or Tokay is a rich, sweet wine originating in the Tokaj wine region (also ''Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region'' or ''Tokaj-Hegyalja'') in Hungary. This region is noted for its Dessert wine, sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, ...

wine. The beginnings of its regular production probably date back to the 15th century. Its production became so common in the 17th century that it had to be regulated by law. In those days, most törköly distillers working in Hungary were German by origin. Törkölypálinka is distilled in February, March, or in April at the latest. The törköly is no longer suitable for distillation later than that. The törköly from red grapes is less precious because its acetic

fermentation Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...

starts soon after the grapes are pressed.

References

Szathmáry, László: The History of Torkolypalinka (in Hungarian)
* Balázs, Géza: Pálinka, a hungarikum, Állami Nyomda Rt., 2004 () * Farnadi, Éva (ed.): Hagyományok, ízek, régiók Alföldi Nyomda, 2000 () {{DEFAULTSORT:Torkolypalinka Pomace brandies Hungarian spirits Hungarian cuisine