How can you properly wrap up an academic year?
Of course—with an outdoor cookout, great company, and, naturally, a bubbling cauldron! This year, for the first time, our faculty hosted a communal “bogrács” cooking event—and to mark this debut, we managed to choose possibly the hottest Thursday afternoon of the year. But even the heat couldn’t dampen our spirits: many of us gathered to consciously and joyfully avoid work hours.
A total of seven enthusiastic teams competed for culinary glory: six of them took up the wooden spoon to prepare stews, while one brave squad tackled the dessert front, charming everyone with homemade pancakes. The atmosphere was fantastic, the cauldrons were bubbling, and good cheer was guaranteed from the very first stir.
The jury was selected based on rigorous professional criteria—namely, the number of stew portions they had consumed in their lifetime. Our professors thus contributed not only their academic expertise but also their gastronomic experience. The evaluation was strict yet fair—guided by the principle “more stew = stronger basis for comparison.”
Professor Dr. Zoltán Szegedi, Chair of the Tasting Committee, shared the secret to good judging, based on his latest “recipe”:
- Starve yourself the day before, so there’s room for everything!
- Wherever they offer pálinka, accept it immediately! (It helps awaken your taste buds!)
- Start arguing with your fellow judges as early as the evaluation criteria!
- If you see true teamwork around a cauldron, ask yourself: what’s better—cooking or teaching?
- Enjoy the atmosphere, the teamwork, the aromas, the company… leave the wooden spoon to others!
- Taste and smile! (Did you eat everything on your plate?)
- Argue again when ranking the dishes—even if you yourself can’t choose between all the delicious options! (Indeed, life is not a piece of cake!)
- Moral of the story: admit to yourself that you couldn’t have cooked (much) better either.
Dr. Ilona Papp also shared her thoughts on the jury experience:
“Varietas delectat (Variety is the spice of life)!”
“We learned a lot about ourselves, each other, and our faculty campus. First, it became clear that the MC building is larger than its square meters suggest, since its garden can be put to great use. Second, our colleagues’ dishes rivaled those of professional chefs. Third, the family-extended teams brought joy to everyone. Thank you!!!”
The winning team was The Stew Professors, and we managed to speak with two of its members.
According to Czakó-Vasic Tihana, the event was a fantastic experience: they had to cook as a team, and while doing so, they had wonderful conversations not only within their group but with members of other teams as well. The relaxed and cheerful mood made it a true community-building event. The icing on the cake? Their team won the competition!
Team captain Dr. Szabolcs Rámháp reflected:
“The father of French cuisine, Georges Auguste Escoffier, once said, ‘Good cooking is the foundation of genuine happiness.’ If that’s true, then we cooked up real happiness at the first KGK Faculty Cauldron Cooking Contest. It’s just a bonus that our team, The Stew Professors, was honored with the ‘Cauldron Michelin Star’ award by the expert jury. I’m grateful for the amazing teamwork, the great atmosphere, and the organizers. We’re looking forward to the next round!”
Dr. Attila Makai wowed everyone with a pork knuckle tripe stew. A thoroughly prepared and seasoned participant, he left nothing to chance—even the team name, Cholesterol Club, hinted at rich flavors to come. His creation was packed with collagen and flavor.
“It was great to spend quality time with colleagues. These kinds of events offer the chance to get to know each other better and talk about topics we rarely have time for during workdays. I’m looking forward to the next community gathering.”
Dr. Anikó Husz, member of the Derelye team, shared:
“Though our team was small, we were very enthusiastic. I enjoyed cooking so much I almost forgot the intense heat. It was wonderful to chat freely with colleagues. The many smiles, good vibes, and tasty food helped us relax a bit. Thanks for organizing!!! Viva la stew!!!”
The Special Prize went to Dr. Czipf Csongor and his family—after all, every great meal needs something sweet!
“We had a fantastic time with my family at the Faculty Cauldron Cooking event, where six experienced teams competed alongside us. Amazing savory dishes were prepared, complemented perfectly by the 300 pancakes we made on a gas flame in the open air, using 20 liters of batter. My wife spent four hours cooking them, and they were served with homemade peach and strawberry jam by our colleague Gabriella Imre, along with Nutella, cocoa, and sweet cheese filling. As I told my son during the event: the market rewards the unique and the extraordinary. That’s why we received a special award—as the only dessert, and also for the largest quantity cooked. Spending those four hours with colleagues right next to the university yet in nature—without a single word of shop talk—was truly fantastic. 😊”
Dr. Judit Petra Koltai also had a wonderful time and was thrilled to see so many people join the event. She was especially delighted that her department’s team placed third, receiving the “Not Even My Mom Makes It Like This Award.”
Among the teams cooking chicken dishes, Patrícia Horváth noted:
“This cauldron cooking was a perfect occasion for colleagues to close the semester in a relaxed and joyful way. Everyone took part in the cooking, and by the end of the day, not only were delicious dishes served, but the competition itself turned into a real team-building experience. The conversations, laughter, and shared moments around the cauldrons made this day unforgettable—we’ll be talking about it for a long time.”
Congratulations to all the teams and participants! Have a wonderful summer full of cauldron cooking!
