On September 13, 2025, the town of Kunszentmiklós - the heart of Hungary’s Kiskunság region - offered its residents and guests a unique celebration. The city hosted the 30th anniversary of its traditional mutton kuirdak cooking festival.

The festival’s highlight was Kipchak-style kuirdak, whose taste and preparation are strikingly similar to the Kazakh national dish. Notably, the tradition of using a sheep’s head in the meal is a phenomenon preserved in Europe only among the Hungarian people, reminding both nations of their shared historical roots.

For the first time, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Hungary took part in the competition and won a prize. The national dishes presented by the Embassy, along with its hospitality, won warm appreciation from festival guests.

More than 100 participants and nearly 15,000 residents attended the festive event, turning the city into a large family table for a day. During the award ceremony, Mayor Árpád Lesi emphasized that the participation of the Kazakh Embassy enhanced the prestige of the festival and gave it an international dimension. He noted that many residents of Kunszentmiklós are descendants of the Kipchaks and have always held Kazakhstan in special respect.

The festival also featured the promotion of Kazakhstan’s new tourism opportunities. The Embassy showcased the BornBold brand and promoted Scat Airlines’ newly launched direct flight between Shymkent and Budapest. Booklets about tourist services in Shymkent were distributed, presenting new facets of Kazakhstan to Hungarian friends.

Thus, the anniversary festival in Kunszentmiklós not only united taste and tradition but also became another vivid example of Kazakh–Hungarian friendship.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-budapest/press/news/details/1068319?lang=kk