The 14th Hungaricum Days in Sibiu Start This Weekend

The three-day event, which will take place from June 30 to July 2 at the Astra Museum in Sibiu (Nagyszeben in Hungarian, located in today’s Romania), will feature a wide range of gastronomic and cultural events, including a fair with local farmers and craftsmen, craft demonstrations, folk dance and musical performances, children’s shows, and concerts, all of which will contribute to the promotion and cultivation of Hungarian folk culture and tradition, and Hungaricums – reported Magyar Nemzet.

This year’s event, the best-known Hungarian open-air event in the region, will again feature craftsmen and artisans, with the opening of the fair taking place on Friday. Among the varied traditional goods on offer will be honey and beekeeping products, lavender and various herbs, chimney cakes, artisanal cheeses, traditional clothes and accessories, cosmetics, and various decorative items.

Visitors can also take part in craft demonstrations and taste traditional Hungarian delicacies, pálinka, craft beers, and wines. The fair is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm. On Friday, a youth concert by the DreamFlow band will add color to the day.

In addition to the cultural program, the Hungaricum Days will also offer visitors the chance to taste delicious dishes.

Children’s activities are very popular during the event, where the youngest can learn about Hungarian folk culture and traditions. This year, there will again be a variety of activities for children, including shoe weaving, ribbon embroidery, wood carving, and bead embroidery. On Saturday and Sunday, participants can familiarize themselves with yurts, archery, whipping, and weaving too.

The main attraction of the festival for the general public this year is the cooking competition,

which will take place on July 1, with 25 teams competing. The contest is open to teams of at least two people, with teams from Sibiu (Nagyszeben), Sighisoara (Segesvár), Cluj Napoca (Kolozsvár), Berghia (Mezőbergenye or Bergendorf), Nicolești (Csíkszentmiklós), Borsec (Borszék), and from Debrecen, Kecskemét, and Pécs in Hungary, as well as Bačka Topola (Topolya in Vojvodina, Serbia) having registered, all of whom will prepare traditional dishes in pots. The dishes will be judged by an eight-member professional jury.

On Sunday, the last day of the Hungaricum Days, the chefs of the jury and invited guests will present the world of Hungarian cuisine with their dishes, which will also be available for tasting. Among other offers, there will be Alföldi goulash, Karcag mutton stew, Gypsy-style venison stew, Sibiu cauldron, Sokác bean from Mohács, Transylvanian mutton goulash, Székely goulash, pig feet stew, Carp fish soup, chicken paprika, Hungarian mushroom soup and stew, Székely lángos, and chimney cakes with paprika. Visitors can taste a dessert specialty on Saturday as well.

There will also be cultural programs on Saturday and Sunday, with a citera performance, brass band concerts, orchestras, folk songs, and a folk dance theater show, topping it all off with a dance house.

The Hungaricum Days are organized by HÍD – Association of Hungarians from Sibiu, and the Astra Museum.

Featured image: Facebook/Hungarikum Napok Nagyszeben