{{Short description|Confection made to honor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart}} {{refimprove|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox food | name = Mozartkugel | name_lang = de | name_italics = true | image = Original Salzburger Mozartkugel Fürst 2009.jpg | image_size = 270px | caption = Fürst {{lang|de|Original Mozartkugeln}} | alternate_name = {{lang|de|Mozart-Bonbon}} | place_of_origin = [[Salzburg]], [[Austria]] | type = [[Confectionery]] | served = | main_ingredient = [[pistachio]], [[marzipan]], [[nougat]], [[dark chocolate]] }} A {{lang|de|'''Mozartkugel'''}} ({{IPA|de|ˈmoːtsaʁtˌkuːɡl̩|lang|de-Mozartkugel.ogg}}; English: "Mozart ball"; {{abbr|pl.|plural}} {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}) is a small, round [[confectionery|sugar confection]] made of [[pistachio]], [[marzipan]], and [[nougat]] that is covered with [[Couverture chocolate|dark chocolate]]. It was originally known as {{lang|de|Mozart-Bonbon}}, created in 1890 by [[Salzburg]] confectioner [[Paul Fürst]] (1856–1941) and named after [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]. Handmade {{lang|de|Original Salzburger Mozartkugeln}} are manufactured by Fürst's descendants up to today, while similar products have been developed by numerous confectioners, often industrially produced.
== Origins == [[File:Café-Konditorei Fürst.jpg|thumb|left|Fürst pastry shop, Salzburg]] Paul Fürst's family descended from [[Dinkelsbühl]]; he himself was born in [[Sierning]], [[Upper Austria]], and was raised in Salzburg. Upon the early death of his father, he lived in the house of his uncle, who owned a confectionery at No. 13, Brodgasse. Fürst took over his uncle's business and trained as an apprentice in [[Vienna]], [[Budapest]], [[Paris]], and [[Nice]]. In 1884, he opened his own pastry shop at No. 13, Brodgasse, where he, by his own account, created the {{lang|de|Mozart-Bonbon}} [[praline (nut confection)|praline]] after lengthy trials in 1890. As his specialty became increasingly popular, Fürst established a company that continues to sell {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}. However, he had not applied for a [[patent]] to protect his invention, and soon, other Salzburg cake shops began to sell similar products.
== Recipe == [[File:Produktion von Mozartkugeln.jpg|thumb|Stages of Mozartkugel production]] The original<ref>{{Citation |title=Mozartkugel - Die berühmteste Praline der Welt {{!}} Galileo Lunch Break | date=11 December 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoRsAPSrqI8 |language=en |access-date=2022-06-28 |archive-date=2022-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628223500/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoRsAPSrqI8 |url-status=live }}</ref> recipe for {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}} is: A ball of marzipan combined with pistachio and covered in a layer of nougat is produced. This ball is then placed on a small wooden stick and coated in dark chocolate. The stick is then placed vertically, with the ball at the top, on a platform to allow the chocolate to cool off and harden. Finally, the stick is removed; the hole that it leaves behind is filled with chocolate coating, and the ball is wrapped in metal foil. The balls remain fresh for about eight weeks at room temperature.
== Name dispute == [[File:Mozartkugel Komposit.jpg|thumb|Assorted {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}]] When imitation products began to appear, Fürst initiated a court process to attempt to secure a trademark. At first, the dispute concerned only confectionery producers in Salzburg, but later spread to include the competition from [[Germany]]. The result was an agreement that obliged Fürst's competitors to use other names. The Mirabell firm, based in [[Grödig]] near Salzburg, chose the name, "Real Salzburg {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}". Bavarian producer Reber opted for "Real Reber {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}". In 1996, a dispute between Fürst and a subsidiary of the Swiss food producer [[Nestlé]], which wanted to market "Original Austria {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}", was decided in the third instance. Only Fürst's products may be called "Original Salzburg {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stock|first=Oliver|date=28 January 2006|title=Mozartkugeln: echt oder original?|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/250-geburtstag-des-musikgenies-mozartkugeln-echt-oder-original/2607056.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112061730/http://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/250-geburtstag-des-musikgenies-mozartkugeln-echt-oder-original/2607056.html|archive-date=12 January 2017|access-date=14 November 2020|website=Handelsblatt|language=de}}</ref>
=== Dispute between Mirabell and Reber === At the end of the 1970s, another dispute arose between industrial confection producer Mirabell (today part of [[Mondelez International]]) and its competitor Reber over the {{lang|de|Mozartkugel}} trademark. A provisional agreement was reached in 1981 between representatives of the Austrian and German governments, whereby only Austrian producers were to be allowed to use the label {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}. Reber protested against this agreement, and the EC-Commissioner in [[Brussels]] charged with deciding in the affair finally declared the agreement invalid.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=25 January 2006|title=Mozartkugel: Pralinenkrieg ums Original|url=http://www2.t-online-business.de/dyn/c/67/81/84/6781842.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822055754/http://www2.t-online-business.de/dyn/c/67/81/84/6781842.html|archive-date=22 August 2007|access-date=|website=www2.t-online-business.de}}</ref> This is why Reber may legitimately and continuously use its "Genuine Reber {{lang|de|Mozart-Kugeln}}" trademark, though with a hyphen in-between.
Nonetheless, only Mirabell {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}} are allowed to be round. Other industrially produced {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}} must have one flat side.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hacker|first=Herbert|date=29 December 2005|title=Nur die Kugel rollt|url=https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2F2006%2F01%2F514_mozart_text%3Fpage%3Dall|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204172022/https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2F2006%2F01%2F514_mozart_text%3Fpage%3Dall|archive-date=4 February 2021|access-date=14 November 2020|website=www.zeit.de}}</ref> Besides Mirabell and Reber, {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}} manufacturers include Hofbauer, Vienna (part of [[Lindt & Sprüngli]]), and [[Manner (confectionery)|Manner]], as well as [[Halloren Chocolate Factory|Halloren]] in Germany.
== Trivia == The {{lang|de|Mozartkugel}} won the gold medal at a fair in [[Paris]] in 1905.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Original Salzburger Mozartkugel|url=http://www.original-mozartkugel.com/index_e.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730185058/http://www.original-mozartkugel.com/index_e.php|archive-date=30 July 2020|access-date=14 November 2020|website=www.original-mozartkugel.com}}</ref>
In the winter of 2006, 80 oversized polyester {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}}, each with a diameter of {{cvt|1.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}, were placed in the old town of Salzburg. They had been designed by artists. On the night of 27 March, vandals removed one of these {{lang|de|Mozartkugeln}} from the Franziskanergasse, where it had been bolted to the ground. They then rolled it onto the street, causing damages of {{currency|7,000|€}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://derstandard.at/?url=%2F%3Fid%3D2393942 |title=derStandard.at<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-06-19 |archive-date=2007-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001003739/http://derstandard.at/?url=%2F%3Fid%3D2393942 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[http://www.original-mozartkugel.com/index_e.php Original Salzburger ''Mozartkugel'' Website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080409132348/http://www.planet-wissen.de/pw/Artikel,,,,,,,FC2C46CD972D6629E0340003BA5E0905,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.html History of the ''Mozartkugel'' (in German)] *Organization website : [https://Mozartkugeln.org mozartkugeln.org]
{{Authority control}} [[Category:Austrian confectionery]] [[Category:Chocolate]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] [[Category:Products introduced in 1890]]