Pogácsa
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Pogácsa (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈpoɡaːtʃɒ]) is a type of savory scone in Hungarian cuisine. It is also popularly eaten in nearby Slovakia, where it is known as pagáč. The Hungarian word derives ultimately from the Latin panis focacius, i.e. bread (panis) baked on the hearth or fireplace (focus), via the Italian focaccia and, more directly, south Slavic languages (cf. Serbo-Croatian pogača). The word, and to a greater or lesser degree the food itself, is related as well to the Turkish poğaça, the Greek μπουγάτσα, the French fougasse, etc. Pogácsa in Hungary are made from either short dough or yeast dough. As with scones and biscuits, eggs and butter are common ingredients, as is milk, cream or sour cream. Many traditional versions exists, with size, shape--the most common is round--and flavor variations in each region/city of Hungary. A dozen different ingredients can be found either in the dough, sprinkled on top before baking, or both: medium-firm fresh cheeses, aged dry hard cheese(s), pork crackling (tepertő), cabbage, black pepper, hot or sweet paprika, garlic, red onion, caraway seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or poppy seeds.
Pogácsa is extremely popular in Hungary; recently there have even been festivals dedicated to it. Every place makes its own version, or more than one variety, and so they come in all different textures and flavors across the country. Some pogácsa are only one inch around and one inch high; others are much larger. Some have a crumbly scone-like consistency inside, while others are more tender like a fresh dinner roll or croissant. More specifically, in Hungary this snack food or meal item is typically 3 to 10 cm in diameter, though they range in size from the smaller, crispier scones-like "buttons" through to the larger fluffier versions. One Debrecen variety is a foot in diameter, probably the world's largest biscuit that is commonly made. They are traditionally eaten alone as a snack or, especially bigger ones, with a stew such as goulash.
The imagery of a young boy or young man off to see the world with fresh “pogácsa baked on cinder” in his knapsack is a common scene in many Hungarian fables and folk stories. Pogácsa is also a typical product of other cuisines in the Pannonian Basin and Turkish cuisine. It is known by similar names by the people of these regions like the Austrian German pogatschen, borrowed from the Hungarian.
