A Full Range of Meat Products

“In November, as a result of the avian flu panic, poultry sales fell to 60% of the usual level. From the second week of December, sales returned to normal. There have not been and are not any infected birds in Hungary, and the panic that broke out in autumn caused enormous damage to the poultry industry,” says the Chairman of the Hungarian Association of Free-range Poultry Farmers.

László Bárány, owner and Managing Director of the Nyírkércs-based Master Good Group, adds that it was not primarily the approaching holiday season but the efforts of the Poultry Product Council and the price reduction by the producers that eventually led to the increase of poultry consumption to the normal level.

Even though a wide range of meat products are available in supermarkets, even specialties such as sole and shark fin, traditions seem to dominate shopping habits in Hungary: we are faithful to the flavours of traditional Hungarian cuisine. In rural areas, even today, the air is often filled with the voice of shrieking pigs early in the morning, which end up as freshly made sausages on the dinner table. Leg of pork, thin flank of pork and pork chop are the most sought-after products in supermarkets, and turkey breast and chicken legs also sell well. Demand for convenience food continues to remain low: housewives prefer to cook from scratches to buying ready-made products. Demand for salads, however, has slightly increased recently. Fish is also popular but is still sold in far less quantities than meat. The American custom of eating poultry at Thanksgiving has appeared in Hungary and more and more customers buy turkey. Young turkeys of 4-5 kilograms of weight are the most sought-after.

Kelet-Magyarország / 12 December 2006