Plum lekvar

What it is

Lekvar is a Transcarpathian plum jam made without any sugar. Plums — mainly varieties 'Hungarian', 'Bistritsa' or the local 'Nemtudom' — are boiled for so long that even the skin dissolves, resulting in a homogeneous, very thick and dark, almost black mass with a prunes aroma. Depending on the variety, lekvar can be sweeter or more sour.

Lekvar can be stored for years, so it was eaten all year round: simply spread on homemade bread with tea or milk, in Hombovtsi, pancakes, pies, and rolls. It was even added to homemade sausage and meat dishes.

The tradition of making lekvar has best survived in the Hungarian villages of Transcarpathia, although it is known throughout the region — from the lowlands to the mountains. In 2022, not the product itself, but the 'tradition of preparation and culture of consumption' — a joint family effort around the cauldron — was included in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Lekvar is one of the few Carpathian products officially recognized as an element of heritage.

History and name

Lekvar has been known in Transcarpathia since the early 19th century when fruit orchards spread in peasant households and plums grew in almost every yard. The name comes from the Hungarian lekvár — 'jam, preserve'.

Lekvar has also entered folk sayings: 'fell into lekvar' refers to a person who has disappeared or is bogged down in work, and 'stretches like lekvar in the cold' describes slow people. Until 2019, a lekvar festival was held in the village of Hecha in Berehove district, where the Hungarian community lives compactly.

Intangible heritage of Ukraine. Element of the National Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine: Сливовий леквар – традиція приготування та культура споживання на Закарпатті (No. 050н.к.с., наказ Мінкульту № 269 від 25.07.2022). Sources

Ingredients and allergens

Plumspitted plumsVarieties 'uhorka', 'bystrytsia', 'nemtudom' are used for lekvar, hombovtsi, and slivovitsa.

Larda little — to grease the walls of the cauldron, optionalRendered pork fat for frying deruny and hurka.

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: vegan · gluten-free · no cooking

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is made

Plums are shaken onto a spread cloth, washed, and pitted — usually, women and children do this. Meanwhile, men set up a 'sersama' (from Hungarian — 'device') in the garden: a stove with a large copper cauldron and a stirring paddle. The walls of the cauldron are traditionally greased with lard to prevent the first batch from sticking.

Plums are boiled over an open fire, continuously stirring until the mass thickens. Depending on the amount of plums, this takes from eight hours to a day and a half. The thicker the lekvar, the better it is considered. The finished lekvar is poured into jars and baked in the oven until a skin forms, then covered with a cloth and stored in a cellar or attic for several years.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

According to the description of the element of the ICH — the villages of Bene, Hecha, Botar, and other settlements in the Transcarpathian region; the tradition has best survived in the Hungarian villages of Berehove district. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Harvest · Festivals · Everyday food

In tradition

Making lekvar is an autumn event that brings together the whole family and neighbors: someone shakes the plums, someone cleans them, and someone stirs for hours. Today, public lekvar-making events are also held in Transcarpathia for volunteer fundraising.

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