The Good Life in Aggtelek National Park Part XXXVII: Bódvaszilas Cabbage Festival 2014

We have been looking forward to this year's Bódvaszilas Cabbage Festival ever since we had such a good time last year. The annual event is organised by the very active Bódvaszilas Friends Circle. We arrived just at the goat race final. You may roll your eyes to heaven, but we found it much more entertaining than the Formula 1. OK, so there were no tire changes or crashes; but many went off-road, there were definitely pit stops, and the goats had speed! This seemed to be the main attraction of the afternoon besides the delicious food. We were very disappointed that the sweet cabbage ünnepi langos had been devoured before we even arrived, but there was still stuffed cabbage, savoury stuffed cabbage bread and heaping plates of sztrapacska to be had for 450 HUF. Tasting of all the dishes, just like last year, was free. Also free were the baskets of baked potatoes and soda water (in reusable bottles!) on every table. We listened to the song stylings of the Sunset Ladies during our lunch. It was very cold outside. We only lasted 1.5 hours even though we dressed warmly. We would have very much welcomed, and most likely would have stayed longer, if there had been an opportunity to buy hot tea, hot chocolate, mulled wine, or even a shot of palinka, but no warm drinks were available. The good news is that seeds of the famous Szilasi cabbage were located in a neighbouring village, and the once thought extinct variety will with luck be planted in the region again from next year.

Photo gallery here.