Szaloncukor is a traditional Hungarian Christmas candy, a real Hungarikum, which means that this candy is special, unique and only characteristic of Hungary. It was originally made of fondant and covered with chocolate. It’s wrapped in shiny coloured foil, then hung on the Christmas tree as decoration by using strings or small metal hooks. The candy‘s name comes from the German Salonzuckerl and its literal translation in English is parlour candy because the Christmas tree usually stood in the parlour.

The French started to make the ancestor of this fondant dessert in the 14th century. Its recipe was spread in Hungary when German craftsmen migrated there in the 19th century. German wealthy families erected Christmas Tree in the entrance hall of their homes and decorated it with sweets wrapped in shiny paper. The whole manufacturing procedure was manual until the first fondant-machines appeared at the end of the 19th centrury. These steam powered machines worked in the chocolate factory of Frigyes Stühmer and produced the popular candies for Café Gerbeaud. The last part of the procedure to be mechanized was trimming the end of the papercover with fringes.