The millennial jewel of the northwestern tip of Hungary, Sopron is not only rich in sights, centuries-old legends and strange stories, but the gastronomy of our most faithful city is unrivalled in the diverse palette of Hungarian food culture. Sopron and the surrounding area have always been famous for their bilingualism. When you enter Sopron’s restaurants and wine bars, you will sooner or later come across a foreign-sounding term: poncichter. The poncichters were Sopron’s German-speaking vine-growers, their name deriving from the German Bohnenzüchter, meaning bean-grower.

Poncichters played a major role in the development of wine culture of the Sopron Historic Wine Region and in the promotion of Sopron wine’s reputation. In order to maximise their land and their profits, they planted beans among the vines. This had a dual function: on the one hand, the beans were useful for the vines, since the roots of the bean plant are home to nitrogen-fixing bacteria. On the other hand, farmers used beans to make up for lost income in a bad vintage.

Poncichters were not wealthy farmers and served simple but nutritious meals on their tables, both on weekdays and holidays. Beans were the staple of the Sopron vine-growers’ diet, prepared and eaten in a variety of soups, main courses and desserts. Bean scones are a popular snack, they are made from a dough that contains puréed dried beans and a significant amount of lard, which give the scones a unique flavour and texture.