CsokiSzeg

At the Fő (Main) Square of Kőszeg, surrounded by historical buildings, a rear type of chocolate shops can be found. The building is a former iron shop. This fact, and the name of the city (KőSZEG) inspired the name of the shop: „CsokiSzeg” (‘chocolate nail’).

This is a warm, homey little shop selling top-quality chocolate, where the helpful staff members help the guests to learn more about chocolate.

The other specialty of the historic building is the small tinman figure, which is called „the only permanent tourist of the town” by the locals. The tiny statue is the work of y goldsmith, László Kodolányi, and originally was designed to be the sign of the former Savaria Tourist company.

The shop is the home of a wide range of rare Hungarian and foreign hand-made chocolate and sweets. The products fulfill special requirements too. For example gluten-free, lactose-free, paleolit and fair-trade chocolates are available too.

A few tasteful examples from the selection:

Sweets (rooster lollypop, lollypop)

Cukorka-Sweerfabric recreates a barely known, traditional craft.

The founder, András Gerzsenyi has numerous sweets-maker ancestors. They invented „lollipop candy” (‘cukorka nyalóka’) in 1932. Their aim is to recover the fame of sweet-making and give it a new design. Many kinds of their products are available in the shop: cut candy, poured and twisted lollipop, and retro rooster-shaped lollipop.

Gerbeaud (cherry brandy and cat tongues chocolate (‘konyakmeggy and macskanyelv’)

Gerbeaud Emil was the inventor of the famous Gerbeaud cake and the also famous Macskanyelv (Cat tongues) and Konyakmeggy (Cherry Brandy Liqueurs Chocolate). In Gerbeaud Confectionery, Belgian and French materials are used to make the finest quality chocolate. They lay a great emphasis on the quality and on the nice-looking packaging as well.

In Csokiszeg it is possible to taste the rarely available original products, which are barely sold in shops. The company sells its products in Gerbeaud Confectionery Budapest, and on its own website.

Sissi Products (Gabriel Bon-bon Manufacture)

These products are edible violet petals covered in chocolate, which were made to celebrate Queen Elisabeth, Sissy, the beloved Hungarian queen. Her favorite flower was violet. The chocolate contains candied violet, and apart from Kőszeg, they are available for purchase only in the Caste of Gödöllő.

Hungarian Rhapsody (Gabriel Bon-bon Manufacture)

It is a protected Hungarian product, and an exclusive present. The box looks like a piano and contains a CD with several pictures of Hungary and a rare record: a live record of a piano concert of György Czifra (who was chosen to be an honorary citizen of Kőszeg in 1986.). On the concert held in Switzerland, he plays the Hungarian Rhapsody of Ferenc Liszt. This product has got the Hungarian Quality product prize, and is the official dessert of the Opera Ball; moreover, it is one of the most highlighted diplomacy presents of Hungary. Another interesting fact: Ferenc Liszt also gave concerts in Kőszeg.

Chocolate ball with Pálinka (MesterSweet Kft)

The manufacturer is a small family business, who combines top-quality dried fruit with chocolate. The result speaks for itself. The filling of the balls is Szicsek pálinka. It is hard to stop consuming.

Sweetic Chocolate Manufacture

Special flavours and original patterns make these products peculiar.

• Chocolatier Judit Zala produces bonbons with special flavours.
• Cake pops: inside it is a cookie, covered with candy frosting.
• Russian Roulette: six sweets, shaped as bullets, one of them filled with extremely strong chili. But which one?

Csokicsel (‘chocolate trick', tools made of chocolate)

The edible chocolate tools, made by a small family manufacture, look exactly like the real ones.

Stühmer

Stühmer Ltd. has revived a more than a century-old tradition. The company bought the old Stühmer Sweetshop in Eger, where they decided to recover the long-forgotten name of the famous Stühmer family.

The original company was named after its founder, Frigyes Stühmer. He was a confectioner from Hamburg, who moved to Budapest in 1866, and started working in a small sweetshop in Szentkirályi Street, which he later purchased. It became the largest chocolate producer of Hungary. In 1883, the chocolate was manufactured here by using steam engines. These quality products soon became good competitors of their Swiss, Austrian and Czech counterparts. Even Franz Josef realized Stühmer's job by awarding him the Crowned Gold Cross to commemorate what he reached in chocolate manufacturing.

To produce the nostalgic flavors Béla Borbély, a professional sweets maker helped the company. Borbély frequently visited the famous Stühmer factory, and knew the recipe of the famous „Korfu slice” by heart.

At Csokiszeg all Stühmer products can be found. Craving for nostalgia, it is worth tasting the famous Korfu slice, or Aranydesszert (‘Gold dessert’), Ezüstdesszert (‘Silcer Dessert’) and Stühmer Rose, Gránti Kocka (‘Granit block’), or Százszorszép Desszert (‘Daisy dessert’).

Konyakmeggy (‘Cherry Brandy Liqueur Chocolate’, Szerencsi Bonbon Ltd.)

In 1996, the owners decided not to allow the famous chocolate of Szerencs to disappear. They established a small shop, which they developed from their own resources.

The hand-made konyakmeggy (cherry brandy liqueurs) sells very well. The outer chocolate shell is crunchy. Snapping it, you can taste the alcohol, and then we can find the cherry inside.

The products are made using the finest materials. Figured items are made of milk chocolate with 40% of coca content, and dark chocolate with 70% cocoa.

Foreign products:

• Zotter: Bio and fair trade sweets, rarely available in the country.
• Dolfin: Belgian chocolate, has many flavours, comes in special packaging.
• La higuera: Spanish brand, fig and wine, a perfect match.
• Reber: Original Mozart dessert, with the marzipan of the highest quality.

Ionia coffee:

Another specialty of Csokiszeg is the original Italian coffee (Ionia), which is a characteristic mixture, made of carefully selected, strong Robusta and Arabica. Those who frequently visit Italy can certainly know this type of coffee. It is highly recommended to taste it, sitting in front of the shop, enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of the square.