The best souvenirs are those that are specific to the place you visited and, ideally, made by local people. You’ll not only be buying something special but you’ll also be supporting the local economy. If you’re traveling to Hungary and are hoping to bring back a memorable gift, here is a list of ideas for [...]
Exactly seven weeks before Easter, the streets of Mohács come alive with the annual Busójárás Carnival. The pre-Lent festival features locals wearing sheepskin costumes while parading and dancing in the streets. Busójárás lasts six days, starting on Thursday and ending the day before Ash Wednesday. The carnival ends with a symbolic ritual called ‘The Burial [...]
From imperial palaces, trotting white horses, lush gardens to chandelier-lit coffeehouses and fine wines, Vienna doesn’t disappoint when it comes to romance. So, if you’re looking to do something special to spark a little love in your life, here are just a few of the best things on offer in this historical city. Admire “The [...]
In 1913, the 7th Congress of the International Women’s Suffrage Alliance (IWSA) met in Budapest. The aim of the convention was to raise public awareness of women’s issues in Hungary. In particular, the alliance wanted to work with city council to establish a women’s aid office as well as day care centers. Here’s a look [...]
A larger-than size bronze statue of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was unveiled today at the Graphisoft Park in Budapest. The statue was commissioned by Graphisoft Founder and Chairman of the Board Gabor Bojar. The relationship between Graphisoft and Apple can be traced to the 1980’s, when Jobs came across the first version of Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD [...]
Christmas is celebrated in many different ways throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Commonly most of the regions’ festivities begin with the period of Advent which is four weeks prior to Christmas and the feast of Saint Nicholas on the 6th of December. Although the celebration of the season is shared, each country has developed their [...]
Honey cake is one of the most popular traditional desserts in Croatia. It consists of thin layers of biscuit made with honey and vanilla flavored cream filling. This version contains both vanilla and cocoa which gives it just the right amount of sweetness. It makes a great accompaniment with tea or coffee. For the biscuit [...]
Originating as a staple for herdsman’s traveling across the great plains of Hungary many centuries ago, goulash is one of Hungary’s most famous dishes. A hearty soup of beef, vegetables, and paprika, goulash gets its flavor from being cooked slowly over a long period of time. Making goulash is fairly simple but to make a [...]
Often referred to as “Hungary’s red gold”, paprika has become synonymous with Hungarian food due to its ability to add excellent flavor and color to various traditional dishes. There are several versions of paprika ranging from édes (sweet) to eros (hot) as well as everything in between. Below is a list of the types of paprika [...]
Czechs love beer. Whether it’s the water, hops, or simply that Pilsner was invented here, beer is undeniably central to Czech culture. To help you prepare for a great beer drinking experience in the Czech Republic, here are a few interesting facts about Czech beer. • Czechs consume more beer than any other country in [...]
There are a lot of legends about wine. Of the more strange and unusual is the parallel with bull’s blood. Bull’s blood also known locally as “Egri Bikavér” is a potent, dry red wine that is from the Eger wine region in northern Hungary. It is reputed to have earned its name from the 16th-century invasion by [...]
Launched in September, “The Tokaji Journal“, is a new digital wine magazine that focuses exclusively on the wines of Tokaj, both dry and sweet. The magazine’s aim is to provide the latest news, trends, and information about these unique wines to an English-speaking audience worldwide. Editor Gergely Somogyi shares with us his inspiration for launching the magazine. [...]
Easter is a special time in Russia, with many delicious foods prepared for the joyous occasion. Celebrations are generally later than in the West. This happens because Easter dates are determined by different calendars. The Russian-Orthodox church uses the old Julian calendar, whereas the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches follow the Gregorian calendar. Here are just a [...]
What is Pysanky? Pysanky (pysanky-plural, pysanka-singular) are Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word comes from the verb pysaty, “to write”, as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax. The art form of producing elaborately-decorated eggs is also common through Central and Eastern Europe. Pysanky are traditionally made [...]
Zsuzsa Szikra is well-known in Europe for her poetic abstract paintings and portraits. Born in Hungary and schooled at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest, she studied under Jeno Barcsay who is the influential practitioner of Hungarian Constructivism and created the famous “Anatomy for Artists“. Barcsay strongly influenced the work of his pupil, Zsuzsa Szikra. Szikra’s work [...]
Chestnut puree also known as gesztenyepüré is very popular throughout Hungary. It is most often made into a sweet dessert with whipped cream, rum, and cherries. A real culinary delight! You may choose to use your own chestnut puree mixture or you can purchase it canned from most grocery stores or farmer’s markets. Ingredients 2 cups (400 grams) fresh chestnut puree or from [...]
The 2010 annual Budapest Spring Festival will be happening from March 19th – April 5th. The festival offers over 200 cultural events including operas, exhibitions, theater performances, ballets, and classical and contemporary concerts. First held in 1981, the Budapest Spring Festival is the largest annual cultural event in Hungary. For full details, visit the Budapest Festival Center’s website. [...]
Since the collapse of the communist regime in the early 1990’s, much of Central and Eastern Europe has seen rapid growth in tourism. Each year, more and more people are travelling to the region. From ancient castle to cathedrals, superb cafés and restaurants, UNESCO world heritage sites, beautiful landscapes, top-class shopping and nightlife – Central and [...]
Poppy seed filling is used in many foods throughout Central and Eastern Europe including sweet rolls, pancakes, strudels, cakes, tortes, cookies, and breads. Ingredients 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) ground poppy seeds 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk 1/4 cup (50 grams) superfine sugar 6 tbsp (60 grams) raisins 1 tsp grated lemon zest 1 tbsp rum [...]
Black Forest Torte also known as Schwarzwälder- kirschtorte is a classical German cake. It contains several layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, cherry filling and sour cherries on top. This recipe includes Kirschwasser, a cherry brandy that gives the cake its distinctive flavor. For best results, make cake layers 1 day a head and refrigerate. Ingredients Cake Batter 3 [...]
European chocolate is known around the world and there is certainly no shortage of great chocolates from Central and Eastern Europe. Here are just a few of the most popular and biggest name brands. Bonbonetti – Hungary The Bonbonetti brand of chocolate and sweets tops the list of candy brands in Hungary. It’s most popular products are it’s traditional, [...]
