The taste and strength of the land: terroir is built in Nagykörű

In Nagykörű, the terroir signifies not only a site but also the landscape shaped by the Tisza River, the knowledge of cherry cultivation, small-scale farming, and the local community. We spoke with Deputy Mayor József Barát about how tradition can become a modern model for economic development.

Two hundred years of knowledge in the cherry orchards – The word terroir usually brings to mind French wine regions. What does this term mean in the case of Nagykörű? – Nagykörű is a special settlement in several respects. It is situated in one of the large bends of the Tisza River, and although we are in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plain, our border is surprisingly hilly. While arable farming has become dominant in the surrounding settlements, the proximity of the river, the topography, and historical processes have favored fruit production in our area. The roots of the local fruit culture go back centuries: fruit cultivation was already practiced in the vicinity of the medieval Benedictine monasteries. The small-parcel production form that later developed survived collectivization. Most of the cherry orchards were not parceled out, thus preserving the family farming structure and knowledge. The terroir of Nagykörű cannot be reduced to soil, location, or microclimate. It ...