Indulge in the festival’s sparkling vibes through tasting emblematic Jewish foods and don’t miss out on the additional festival programs.

Cholent is one of the most ancient and authentic Jewish dishes. The earliest written record of the stew dates back to the 12th century, stating that it was a meal favoured by many. Since then, cholent’s popularity has grown even more.

As a matter of fact, the exceptional dish was born as a result of a religious rule and the ingenuity of housewives. According to the Torah, lighting a fire and cooking food are among the activities prohibited on Shabbat (it begins Friday evening at sunset and ends Saturday evening at sunset), therefore, it was necessary to prepare meals a day before.

The slow-cooked Jewish stew was required to be kept hot, often placed among pillows. It is pretty versatile: cholent can be made from beans or other legumes, smoked goose breast or beef, eggs or onions, tailored to the local tastes in every country.

In Israel, hummus is a popular ingredient, while in Morocco, dried fruits are added to the recipe. Chefs go even further in the United States spicing up their cholent with whisky or even coffee.

The Jewish culinary festival will be organized in the heart of the Jewish District for the fifth time, by the Chabad Lubavitch congregation and the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH).

Cholent speaks everyone’s language, whether you’re Hungarian or not, Jewish or gentile, young or old. The free-to-attend strictly kosher festival will present you with the cholent variations of several countries, in addition to live music concerts and theatre shows. What’s more, you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about Jewish culture.

Date and time: 
25 August, 10 am - 8 pm

Venue: 
1075 Budapest, Kazinczy street

Photo courtesy of the organisers