What is the name of the traditional Hungarian fruit brandy?

The traditional Hungarian fruit brandy is called pálinka. It is a distilled spirit made from fermented fruit, with common varieties produced from apricots, plums, pears, apples, and cherries.

Pálinka has roots in medieval Hungary, and the earliest verifiable reference dates to 1332, when a distilled drink was used as medicine at the Hungarian royal court. The word became widespread in Hungarian during the 17th century. Modern pálinka is strongly associated with fruit distillation rather than grain-based spirits.

Pálinka can be made using different methods, including traditional double distillation in a copper pot still. Depending on the fruit and production style, it may be clear, aged in wood, or matured together with fruit. Traditional versions are often strong, commonly ranging from 40% to 70% alcohol by volume.

Pálinka is not simply interchangeable with rakia or slivovitz. Those are related fruit spirits from neighboring regions. Hungarian and European Union rules protect the name, requiring qualifying fruit to be processed and the spirit to be produced and bottled under specified geographic conditions.