It was a great pleasure to create these colorful mezeskalacs hearts, which are very unique in East Europe country fairs. There was no country fair in my childhood without a mezeskalacs vendor. They sold huge decorated hearts for keepsake which we cherished for a long time.
I did a little bit of research about the tradition behind the design and the shiny mirror in the middle.
These traditional Mezeskalacs (Hungarian honey bread) are not designed for eating and can last indefinitely with care given to storage. The phrase “Szeretlek” means “I Love You” in Hungarian. These are wonderful gifts for grandparents, grandchildren, or anyone worthy of your love and appreciation.
The tradition of gingerbread goes back hundreds of years. Once man came up with the idea of mixing flour and wild honey together the delicious result, a sweet bun baked in clay molds, was just the beginning and the shape, quality and taste has improved greatly through the years.
Mezeskalacs hearts
Initially, gingerbread was baked in monasteries (for sacred purposes), on estates and in homes. At that time, “mass” production was a domain of artisans called gingerbread makers. According to surviving written evidence, this craft existed on the territory of present day Hungary as early as in the 14th century.
Mezeskalacs is the Hungarian version of gingerbread cookies, even though they have more cinnamon than ginger. They are also known as honey cookies or honey cakes. They are delicious, can be decorated beautifully, and are often seen at the holiday markets in Hungary.
The red heart shaped gingerbread with mirror was used as a “love gift” to show love from a boy to girl. If the gift was accepted that meant they were a couple.
The decoration had also very important meanings. The flowers are grouped in threes, to create eyes and mouth and with these the piece comes alive. The mirror in the center represents a true feeling (love), clean spirit and truthfulness. It also add to the beauty of the girl and helps her to keep herself beautiful (similar to a modern day compact mirror).
