Hitlerszalonna


Hitlerszalonna or Hitler-szalonna was a dense fruit jam, although there is debate about how much fruit was actually in it and how edible it was, that was eaten by Hungarian troops and civilians during World War II. It was made from mixed fruits such as plum and sold in brick shaped blocks held in a piece of paper rather than in a jar. These slabs were sliced, a bit like szalonna. Soldiers kept it in a case and it could be cooked with other foods. The term itself is considered slang and defined as something like "tough fruit".

Etymology

One possible source of this name derives from food provisions given to Hungarian soldiers. In armed conflicts during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Hungarian soldiers received normal bacon as their food supply, which was referred to as "Kaiser-bacon".
During World War II, Hungarian soldiers received food provisions from the Germans, and it was often fruit flavored jam instead of bacon. So the soldiers started to refer to this jam as the emperor's bacon, and the "emperor" was Adolf Hitler.
This expression has also appeared in a printed book. When describing the Hungarian army's logistical situation at the Don River near Stalingrad, and before the Battle of Stalingrad, the account states that: