Hungarian pastry shop treats: Astra is yellow, Pfizer is green

SUGAR FIX FOR COVID BLUES Hungarian confectioner Katalin Benko prepares COVID-19 vaccine-themed desserts in her cake shop in Veresegyhaz, Hungary. —REUTERS

VERESEGYHAZ, Hungary—A Hungarian pastry shop has launched a range of COVID-19 vaccine-themed sweet mousses as a light-hearted antidote to angst over the different types of vaccines and the implications of receiving one or another of them.

At the Sulyan family’s patisserie in the small town of Veresegyhaz, northeast of Budapest, the choice is between a selection of layered mousses with colorful jelly toppings, presented in small glasses, with decorative syringes on top.

Each color of jelly represents a different COVID-19 vaccine: citrus yellow for AstraZeneca and a slightly darker yellow for Sinopharm, matcha green for Pfizer, orange for Sputnik V and a vivid blue for Moderna.

These sweet offerings from the Sulyan family come at a time when millions of Hungarians are being asked to go through a registration process to sign up for vaccination, whilst debating the merits of the different vaccines being rolled out.

People are not being given a choice of shots but rather receive whichever one is available from their family doctor.

In recent weeks, thousands have joined Facebook support groups to connect with others who have received the same shots as they have.

“Here people have a choice, there is no registration, there are no side effects,” said confectioner Katalin Benko at the Sulyan patisserie, adding that the intention was not to campaign for or against vaccination or in favor of one shot or another.

“Anyone can try these as the only possible side effect would be a little smile on their face,” she said as she carefully spread orange jelly on top of some mousses.