Lifestyle & Wellness
We’re thrilled to be working with Wellness Warrior, a national movement focused on health and well-being—values that align closely with Eminence Organics. When we confirmed the partnership, Wellness Warrior asked to interview our company owners, Attila and Boldijarre Koronczay, to learn about our philosophy, projects, and the wellness traditions we draw from old-world Hungary.
Here is part one of the interview—learn more about the Koronczay family’s roots and Hungary’s wellness culture:
Where in Hungary are you from? Tell us a little about your heritage.
Boldijarre: My brother and I were born and raised in Budapest, often called the spa capital of Europe. On my father’s side, our family has been in Hungary for as long as records exist.
Attila: On our mother’s side, our grandmother moved to Hungary from Germany in the 1800s. Our maternal grandfather was Hungarian.
What brought you to North America?
Boldijarre: We chose Vancouver because of its healthy lifestyle and because it was already known as one of North America’s greenest cities in the mid-1990s. We also needed a place with a mild climate year-round since our products are natural and sensitive to heat.
Attila: I’m an engineer by training and had the chance to take an engineering position thanks to a family friend who emigrated from Hungary to Vancouver. Having someone we knew there made the move easier—Vancouver is literally one of the farthest places from Budapest.
Can you describe some differences between Hungary and North America when it comes to health and wellbeing?
Boldijarre: Growing up in Hungary was very different. There were no fast-food chains back then. People ate fresh, home-cooked food daily, so issues like high sugar intake and childhood obesity were less common in the 1970s and 1980s than in North America.
Also, most sports were government-supported, so almost every child played some sport regularly. It wasn’t “Do you want to play?” but “Which sport do you want to play?”
Attila: Exactly. I was very involved in kayaking. One of the perks was you could miss a day of school for competitions.
Boldijarre: Hungary ranks 10th in the world for Olympic medals. For a country of about 10 million people—that’s the size of Michigan—that’s an impressive result and shows how a culture of activity makes a difference.
Attila: Today my daughter takes jazz dance and my son does karate and rugby to encourage an active lifestyle.
Boldijarre: After living in North America for 20 years, I see people trying extreme diets—juice fasts, raw food, macrobiotics, eating by blood type, high carb, low carb, paleo—often as a reaction to fast-food culture. In Europe, people might enjoy cheese, dessert, or pasta, but in small portions and without overindulging.
Attila: On recent trips back to Hungary, I’ve noticed North American influence has reached there, and fast-food chains are appearing.
What special memories do you have of your parents and grandparents when it comes to health and healing?
Boldijarre: To help me recover from childhood leukemia, my grandmother made fresh juices from local fruits—something not common at the time. After chemo I had little appetite, so she would boil rhubarb in spring water with cinnamon and cloves, let it cool, stir in honey, and give me a few bites. That would make me hungry enough to eat something more nourishing.
Attila: Grandma always had natural remedies. Once, when I burned myself on the oven, she sliced a tomato and put it on the burn to ease the pain.
Attila: Grandma and Grandpa stayed healthy through regular visits to thermal baths to ease any rheumatic symptoms.
Boldijarre: Our parents worked full time, so I spent a lot of time with Grandpa. He’d take me into the hills outside the city for long two- or three-hour walks to build strength and get fresh air and sunshine.
Attila: Then we’d come home to a nutritious meal from Grandma—usually a hearty vegetable soup and eggs from their free-range chickens.
What is your favorite herb and plant?
Boldijarre: Lavender. My mom used to give me lavender to help me sleep, and I still love it.
Attila: Rosehip—because I enjoy rosehip tea. It has a lovely red color and is high in vitamin C.
Find out more about Attila and Boldijarre’s philosophy and current projects in parts 2 and 3 of the Wellness Warrior interview.