A millet cake with apricot sauce made by the Zila Coffee House and Confectionary in Kecskemét won this year’s National Cake Competition. The professional jury chose László Zila’s dessert, which had already made an appearance at the 13th Mutton-cooking Festival in Karcag, and which the public will also be able to try during the August 20 festivities in Budapest, out of three cakes that had reached the finals.

The cake was presented to members of the press at the Zila Coffee House in June by Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas. The minister from Karcag stated: the Kunság (Cumania) is an important millet-producing region. Traditional recipes from Karcag and the neighbouring area include millet milk-loaf, fried millet polenta, millet porridge and millet with egg-pasta.

The man behind the cake, Imre Szabó, a miller from Karcag, first cooked millet porridge at the 1st Global Summit of Cumans in 2009, and has been working hard to popularise the grain ever since. It was he who sought out the confectioner László Zila, asking him to invent a special cake made out of the traditional fare.

Millet was one of the most significant grain types of Hungary during ancient and medieval times, but its consumption has by now dropped to undeservedly low levels. Millet is a tough, easily cultivated plant, which tolerates drought well and has excellent physiological effects. It is the only type of grain with alkaline properties, and because it is also gluten-free it can also be eaten by people who suffer from wheat allergies. In addition to whole wheat proteins, it also contains amino acids, iron, silicon, and vitamins B, B1 and B2. It has anti-inflammatory properties, regulates blood sugar levels, and its regular consumption can help prevent the development of cancer.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)