Lévai goose – variant name: Garammenti goose”
Foreign national part value
Until recently, the Léva goose, also known as the Garammen goose, was an inseparable part of our natural, gastronomic and cultural heritage. Grazing geese were a defining feature of the meadows and stubble fields between the villages along the Garam and Ipoly rivers. The traditional roast goose and goose stew were synonymous with autumn, along with murci and new wine. Today, it seems that all of this will be a thing of the past, if not prevented by a collective social and economic effort. At a time when it is disappearing at the speed of light, it is important and worthwhile to present its origin, past and properties, which are worthy of preservation and are not unknown to the abundant literature.
Its development can be linked to the existence and spread of the Hungarian bar-tailed godwit. The natural and climatic conditions of historical Hungary have created extensive goose breeding. It was already of great economic importance during the time of the Árpád dynasty. After that, the regional breeds of the Hungarian goose developed, including the Léva and Garammenti geese.
Its appearance is characterized by its erect tail and rectangular body shape, pronounced sexual dimorphism, and mixed color variations, as unselected specimens have been preserved to this day. It has remained in its original state thanks to peasant self-sufficient breeding activities and its wild breed. The quality of its meat and liver is abundantly mentioned in the literature, and is also included in the professional-institutional recommendation for its classification as a Hungaricum (products made from fattened geese). The taste characteristics of its meat and especially its liver are inimitable. In today's Hungary, the finest foie gras can be found in Kiskunfélegyháza, which brings to mind a refined, soft flavor composition, reminiscent of pastel colors, using a painting analogy. Its juices can only be compared to an oil painting in deep tones, reveling in bright colors, which makes it unmistakable with its unique long-lasting aroma. Leaving aside all exaggeration, we are faced with the goose version of the mangalica success story.
Considering its past distribution, in addition to Bars and Hont counties, Nyitra and Nógrád also represented the great coverage of Komárom county. To our knowledge - based on the product range - the Losonc market represented its eastern border.
Far exceeding the domestic, regional geographical framework of its utilization, after Vienna and Prague, Strasbourg and Paris represented its huge receiving market in terms of size. About this, see Borovszky S. ed. In his volume Bars vár-megyé, Ordódy reports convincingly and factually. Following the great railway developments of the 19th century, the road was free to the west, and Léva became an emporium for foie gras exports. Zsuzsánna Mártha mentions this in several places. In the 2016/11 issue of Magyar Konyha, she briefly refers to the offerings of the Ritz Hotel in Paris, according to which, alongside croissants, liver pâté was the sine qua non of the traditional French breakfast, both then and today.
According to some documents, during the Turkish occupation, the news of the goose atrocity in Léva also reached Constantinople. According to a legendary story related to the Turkish era, Léva castle was recaptured with the help of geese.
Indeed, this goose was an important commodity and consumer item. The goose sold at the markets was the most democratic delicacy in the past, as it could not be missing from the tables of the Eszterházy castles, as well as from the huts of the jews. Where were kebabs and hamburgers back then, when they were also used for street fast food. In short, all this represented culture, cult and tradition to an extensive extent and in a wide range!
In addition to the legends of the Turkish era, the Léva goose also appears in fiction, e.g. in the works of Tibor Féja, János Kersék, Alexander Matuška, and Anton Hykisch.
During the years of communism, this regional breed was saved by backyard free-range farming to the present day. This was helped by the negligible size of large-scale farming, because where this was present, the mixing of the genetic stock could be observed, as the breeding stock was diluted by the rise of hybrid breeds. In any case, only free-range and traditional goose stuffing guaranteed high gastronomic quality. While the seventies and eighties were characterized by the large number of goose farms in our regions, after the promising turn of the regime change, a completely opposite process began: rural animal husbandry ceased! The Léva and Garamment goose herds were fragmented and slowly disappeared from entire regions. The goose herd also disappeared from the markets, and was only relegated to the tables of families who respected tradition. Respect and appreciation are due to those few who, thanks to their kindness, kept their small herds alive and, thanks to their professional, traditional breeding, made it possible to begin gene conservation. Here I would like to highlight the breeder Gyula Hasznos from Garamszentgyörgy, who is also present in the literature.
Ist-ván Szalay provides exhaustive information on the current status of gene rescue and the steps taken in his book Old Hungarian Poultry Breeds in the 21st Century. The process of breed registration, which defines this regional breed as an independent breed, is well underway. Quote from the article on the gene conservation process:
"... the gene conservation of the Garam or Léva goose, which was initiated as a joint program of the MGE and the Gödöllő Farm Animal Gene Conservation Center with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture for state gene conservation tasks. The collection was carried out in the farms of small villages along the Garam around Léva. In addition to János Erdélyi, Gyula Hasznos from Garamszentgyörgy and our breeding partner with connections to breeders in the Highlands, Sándor Fehér from Tápiógyörgy, provided assistance in collecting the basic stock. The color types observed in the individuals of the stock collected and bred and the breast that is wide and does not taper towards the back (block body shape) characteristic of the original breed may be the defining phenotypic characteristics of the breed. Within the framework of the program, we began to establish the gene bank stock by grouping and breeding individuals that show the color and body shape characteristic of the breed. Our goal is to create a breeding stock that, after the breeding, will be officially bred as an independent breed in a few years, under the name of the Garammen Hungarian goose, hopefully not only in Hungary, but also in its original habitat, along the Garam River, around the town of Léva.”
We can only save this irreplaceable goose, as well as the gastronomic treasure of historical Hungary and our present, by working together, and part of this is its recognition and popularization as a repository of values. Therefore, I propose to include the Léva goose or, as suggested by the gene conservation center, the Garammen Hungarian goose as a goose breed among the Upland Values.
Its development can be linked to the existence and spread of the Hungarian bar-tailed godwit. The natural and climatic conditions of historical Hungary have created extensive goose breeding. It was already of great economic importance during the time of the Árpád dynasty. After that, the regional breeds of the Hungarian goose developed, including the Léva and Garammenti geese.
Its appearance is characterized by its erect tail and rectangular body shape, pronounced sexual dimorphism, and mixed color variations, as unselected specimens have been preserved to this day. It has remained in its original state thanks to peasant self-sufficient breeding activities and its wild breed. The quality of its meat and liver is abundantly mentioned in the literature, and is also included in the professional-institutional recommendation for its classification as a Hungaricum (products made from fattened geese). The taste characteristics of its meat and especially its liver are inimitable. In today's Hungary, the finest foie gras can be found in Kiskunfélegyháza, which brings to mind a refined, soft flavor composition, reminiscent of pastel colors, using a painting analogy. Its juices can only be compared to an oil painting in deep tones, reveling in bright colors, which makes it unmistakable with its unique long-lasting aroma. Leaving aside all exaggeration, we are faced with the goose version of the mangalica success story.
Considering its past distribution, in addition to Bars and Hont counties, Nyitra and Nógrád also represented the great coverage of Komárom county. To our knowledge - based on the product range - the Losonc market represented its eastern border.
Far exceeding the domestic, regional geographical framework of its utilization, after Vienna and Prague, Strasbourg and Paris represented its huge receiving market in terms of size. About this, see Borovszky S. ed. In his volume Bars vár-megyé, Ordódy reports convincingly and factually. Following the great railway developments of the 19th century, the road was free to the west, and Léva became an emporium for foie gras exports. Zsuzsánna Mártha mentions this in several places. In the 2016/11 issue of Magyar Konyha, she briefly refers to the offerings of the Ritz Hotel in Paris, according to which, alongside croissants, liver pâté was the sine qua non of the traditional French breakfast, both then and today.
According to some documents, during the Turkish occupation, the news of the goose atrocity in Léva also reached Constantinople. According to a legendary story related to the Turkish era, Léva castle was recaptured with the help of geese.
Indeed, this goose was an important commodity and consumer item. The goose sold at the markets was the most democratic delicacy in the past, as it could not be missing from the tables of the Eszterházy castles, as well as from the huts of the jews. Where were kebabs and hamburgers back then, when they were also used for street fast food. In short, all this represented culture, cult and tradition to an extensive extent and in a wide range!
In addition to the legends of the Turkish era, the Léva goose also appears in fiction, e.g. in the works of Tibor Féja, János Kersék, Alexander Matuška, and Anton Hykisch.
During the years of communism, this regional breed was saved by backyard free-range farming to the present day. This was helped by the negligible size of large-scale farming, because where this was present, the mixing of the genetic stock could be observed, as the breeding stock was diluted by the rise of hybrid breeds. In any case, only free-range and traditional goose stuffing guaranteed high gastronomic quality. While the seventies and eighties were characterized by the large number of goose farms in our regions, after the promising turn of the regime change, a completely opposite process began: rural animal husbandry ceased! The Léva and Garamment goose herds were fragmented and slowly disappeared from entire regions. The goose herd also disappeared from the markets, and was only relegated to the tables of families who respected tradition. Respect and appreciation are due to those few who, thanks to their kindness, kept their small herds alive and, thanks to their professional, traditional breeding, made it possible to begin gene conservation. Here I would like to highlight the breeder Gyula Hasznos from Garamszentgyörgy, who is also present in the literature.
Ist-ván Szalay provides exhaustive information on the current status of gene rescue and the steps taken in his book Old Hungarian Poultry Breeds in the 21st Century. The process of breed registration, which defines this regional breed as an independent breed, is well underway. Quote from the article on the gene conservation process:
"... the gene conservation of the Garam or Léva goose, which was initiated as a joint program of the MGE and the Gödöllő Farm Animal Gene Conservation Center with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture for state gene conservation tasks. The collection was carried out in the farms of small villages along the Garam around Léva. In addition to János Erdélyi, Gyula Hasznos from Garamszentgyörgy and our breeding partner with connections to breeders in the Highlands, Sándor Fehér from Tápiógyörgy, provided assistance in collecting the basic stock. The color types observed in the individuals of the stock collected and bred and the breast that is wide and does not taper towards the back (block body shape) characteristic of the original breed may be the defining phenotypic characteristics of the breed. Within the framework of the program, we began to establish the gene bank stock by grouping and breeding individuals that show the color and body shape characteristic of the breed. Our goal is to create a breeding stock that, after the breeding, will be officially bred as an independent breed in a few years, under the name of the Garammen Hungarian goose, hopefully not only in Hungary, but also in its original habitat, along the Garam River, around the town of Léva.”
We can only save this irreplaceable goose, as well as the gastronomic treasure of historical Hungary and our present, by working together, and part of this is its recognition and popularization as a repository of values. Therefore, I propose to include the Léva goose or, as suggested by the gene conservation center, the Garammen Hungarian goose as a goose breed among the Upland Values.