You won't find it everywhere around Hungary, but you can spot it around Lake Balaton, at marketplaces, and in daily specials of various restaurants. You can pick some near Balatongyörök or in the forests around Visz. Take our advice, so you won't eat omelette with poisonous Lily of the Valley leaves.
Picking ramsons is almost as much fun as picking mushrooms or wild strawberries. Only that it's easier to notice, as it grows in huge fields, so everything around is covered in those 10 to 15 cm leaves for which fans of health foods and ramson pogácsa go mad. You don't need special training or equipment for picking ramsons. Just make certain you have some plastic bags with you, as well as a few pieces of insidpensable information in your head.
Ramsons do not grow everywhere. You'll find it, however, in many of the forests around the Balaton. Look for it in the Keszthelyi-hegység on the north shore, or in the woods of Visz on the south shore. If you prefer to "reconnaissance" to others, join the tour the ramsons at Balatonederics on 5 April.
You'll find abundant information on the internet about the beneficial effects of ramsons, but also keep in mind its similarility to the Lily of the Valley, which is also widely discussed. The leaves of these plants look quite similar. Their flowers are different, but in case they are not in bloom, this will not help you. Try rubbing the leaves! If you smell something garlicky, you will surely not put Lily of the Valley into your omelette.
One person is allowed to pick 2 kgs of ramsons per day. You must obtain a permit to pick more. The rangers will probably not swarm the forests in ramson harvest time to check the weight of your loot, but we's not recommend pillaging the entire field. To make sure the plant survives into the following year, you should only pick one leaf per plant. Be sure not to pick ramsons in nature reserves, because you'll be fined. Pay attention, because the majority of the Balaton's north shore is a nature reserve.
You'll find fresh ramsons at marketplaces as well. The more popular ones will surely have some in stock in March and April. Ramson vinegars, creams, oils and other creations are always in season. Tip: find the products by Zsuzsska or the Gusztos family of Hegyesd at the Liliomkert Market in Káptalantóti, the Tihanyi PIAC Marketplace, or the newcomer Szent Donát Market in Csopak.
