Hospitable Hungary in Ten Words Quiz

Answer: grassy plain

The Puszta is a vast, flat, treeless grassland that stretches across parts of eastern Hungary, particularly in the Great Hungarian Plain. Known for its open skies and sweeping horizons, the region has long been associated with pastoral life, characterised by herds of cattle, sheep and horses tended by csikós, the Hungarian horsemen.

The most famous section is Hortobágy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which preserves traditional rural culture and unique steppe wildlife. The word puszta simply means "barren" or "empty" in Hungarian.

Answer: traditional dish

In Hungary, "gulyás" refers to a traditional meat soup known as "gulyásleves" ("herdsman's soup"), made with beef, onions, paprika, potatoes and sometimes other vegetables. Despite the common international misconception, it is a soup, not a stew. It was originally cooked by cattle herders in iron cauldrons over open fires on the Great Hungarian Plain.

Outside of Hungary, the word "goulash" is often used to describe a thick stew, but this differs significantly from the original Hungarian version. In Hungary, stews have different names, such as "pörkölt" (a meat stew with paprika) and "paprikás" (a stew with sour cream and paprika).

Answer: dessert wine

Tokaji is a Hungarian wine produced in the Tokaj region in the north-east of the country. The name specifically refers to wines made from local grape varieties, most notably Furmint. The most famous style is Tokaji Aszú, a sweet dessert wine created by blending base wine with hand-picked, shriveled grapes known as aszú berries. The sweetness level is traditionally measured in puttonyos, indicating how many baskets of aszú grapes have been added.

Tokaji was once known as the "Wine of Kings, King of Wines", and was famously praised by monarchs such as Louis XIV and Peter the Great. It was also protected by Hungarian law centuries before modern wine classification systems were introduced. Today, both sweet and dry Tokaji wines are produced, but the region's historical reputation is tied to its complex, long-aged dessert wines with notes of apricot, honey and spice.

Answer: national park

Hortobágy is a vast steppe region in eastern Hungary that forms part of the Great Hungarian Plain. Established in 1973, it was the country's first national park and has since become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Renowned for its flat, open landscapes and traditional pastoral culture, the region is home to various bird species, including the great bustard and the red-footed falcon.

The area is also famous for its herds of Hungarian grey cattle, racka sheep and water buffalo, which are tended by csikós, or mounted herdsmen, in traditional attire. Near the village of Hortobágy stands the iconic Nine-Arch Bridge, the region's most recognisable landmark and the longest stone road bridge in historic Hungary.

Answer: layered cake

Dobos is a classic Hungarian sponge cake famous for its caramel-glazed top and multiple thin layers filled with rich chocolate buttercream. Created by the renowned Hungarian pastry chef József C. Dobos, it was first presented at the National General Exhibition in Budapest in 1885. The cake quickly gained fame across Europe thanks to its elegant presentation and long shelf life - a rarity before the advent of refrigeration.

Traditionally, a Dobos cake has five to seven layers of sponge and a firm, glossy caramel top, which was originally designed to help preserve the cake during travel. It is usually decorated with piped buttercream and sometimes has chocolate-covered sides or nuts. Dobos tortes can be found in cafés and patisseries all over Hungary.

Answer: carved pole

A kopjafa is a traditional carved wooden memorial post from Hungary, most commonly associated with the Székely people of Transylvania. These upright poles are usually placed at graves or used as commemorative markers and are decorated with symbolic carvings that provide information about the deceased, such as their gender, age, social role or occupation.

The word "kopjafa" combines "kopja" (spear or lance) and "fa" (wood). The carvings are not merely decorative; they form a kind of visual code with motifs such as tulips, suns or geometric patterns that serve as symbolic language. Although kopjafák have ancient origins, they are still used today, particularly within ethnic Hungarian communities across Romania and Hungary, as a way of expressing identity, heritage, and respect for ancestors.

Answer: folk dance

The csárdás is a traditional Hungarian folk dance and musical genre characterised by dramatic tempo changes and lively movements. The name comes from the Hungarian word "csárda", meaning a country inn or tavern, where such dances were often performed. A csárdás typically begins slowly before transitioning into a fast, energetic section.

The dance became particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, both in rural communities and among classical music composers such as Franz Liszt and Zoltán Kodály, who incorporated csárdás themes into their works. Csárdás dances are performed by couples and feature intricate footwork, turns and improvisation. They are usually accompanied by a band led by a violinist playing highly ornamented music. They are still performed at festivals and folk events throughout the country.

Answer: cube inventor

Ernő Rubik (born 1944) is a Hungarian architect and professor who invented the world-famous Rubik's Cube in 1974. Originally designed as a teaching aid to explain three-dimensional geometry, the puzzle quickly became a global phenomenon after its international release in the 1980s. It consists of a 3×3×3 grid of smaller cubes that can be rotated independently, and the objective is to align all the faces so that each one shows a single colour.

The Rubik's Cube has inspired competitive "speedcubing" communities and has been the subject of mathematical research in group theory. Rubik's invention is one of the most successful toys ever made, with hundreds of millions sold worldwide. Despite his fame, Ernő Rubik has remained focused on education and innovation. He has established foundations and design centres to encourage creativity and logical thinking in young people.

Answer: largest lake

Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe and one of Hungary's most popular holiday destinations. Often nicknamed the "Hungarian Sea", it stretches over 77 kilometers in length and is surrounded by vineyards, resort towns and rolling hills. The lake plays a major role in domestic tourism, with families flocking to the shallow southern shores for swimming and windsurfers and sailors who favour the deeper northern side.

The northern shore is also home to the Badacsony wine region, famous for its volcanic soil and white wines. Lake Balaton has long been a cultural hub, hosting music festivals, thermal spas and even literary retreats. During the socialist era, it became an important holiday destination for Eastern Bloc citizens who couldn't travel to the West.

Answer: folk embroidery

Matyó embroidery is a traditional Hungarian folk art known for its colourful floral patterns, especially the iconic "Matyó rose". Hailing from Mezőkövesd in north-eastern Hungary, this form of needlework typically uses red, blue, yellow and green threads stitched onto black or white fabric. The symmetrical, decorative designs are densely composed and often cover the entire surface of garments or textiles.

Originally used to adorn festive clothing, linens and ceremonial items, Matyó embroidery has become a symbol of regional identity and craftsmanship. It is named after the local Matyó people, but has gained nationwide recognition and was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.