Csabai or Gyulai? Gastronomic experiences in the region

Whether you have tasted Csabai or Gyulai sausages, you surely know that strict standards must be met before a sausage can bear this brand name. You may have also read that both products have their own museums in their namesake towns – and even their own festivals.

Both sausages are flavoured with paprika, but the Csabai sausage has much more of it, while the Gyulai sausage is flavoured with pepper. Another important difference is the thickness, and whether it is in pairs or sold as single sausages. Because you need to know that Gyulai sausages are paired, while Csabai sausages are single and slightly thicker.

One of the region’s gastronomic gems is the plum pálinka from Békés, which is also of protected designation of origin: it can only be made from red plums grown in the Körös Valley. If you’re in the area for a romantic weekend or a company team-building event, and you’re interested in not only tasting the pálinka but also in its traditions and various production “tricks”, you can learn about them on the Békés Plum Pálinka Route, which passes through Békés, Békéscsaba and Gyula. And of course you won’t go thirsty in the process.

If you would like to experience the gastronomic delights of the Gyula region at home, fill your backpack with artisanal goat cheese, quail eggs, tomatoes with special flavours and shapes or chilli pepper products, in addition to sausages and pálinka, before you go home. You can also buy from local retailers and local producers who sell their healthy, environmentally-friendly products every Sunday at the Gyula Market and Fair Hall.