3rd Strudel Day in Čentiba

One of the most popular baked pastry dishes of Prekmurje is still to this day the strudel (known by the locals as retaš or rétes). It is an indispensable part of a celebratory table setting and it can be made with various fillings, hence there are numerous variations of it. To keep the tradition of strudel making alive, the people of Čentiba dreamt up the so-called Strudel Day. After pausing for two years in light of the Covid-19 restrictions, last Saturday, at the local village hall, the smell of strudel finally welcomed visitors again.   
Thanks to the good response the event had, the Local Community of Čentiba, the Pomurje Hungarian Self-Governing National Community (PMSNS) and the Hungarian Self-Governing National Community of the Municipality of Lendava (MSNSOL) jointly organised this day, dedicated to gastronomy and the preservation of tradition for the third time in a row. This year, the weather played along, therefore, the event´s programme turned out to be very rich, interesting, and very well-attended. 
Visitors of the event could, apart from tasting the strudels, admire the exhibition of traditionally embroidered aprons. The most beautiful apron was awarded a prize. This year´s most beautiful apron turned out to be the one that was made by the hands of Darinka Antolašić. The best strudel, on the other hand, was made by the group Lóbarátok Egyesülete. Prior to the awards ceremony dedicated to the best strudel and the most beautiful apron, a cultural programme awaited visitors in the tent next to the village hall. It started with the welcoming speech of the president of the Čentiba Local Community, Romeo Gal. In his speech, he thanked all of the numerous skilled makers of strudels and the owners of the aprons for their participation, and emphasised the significance of the strudel dish in the lives of the people of Prekmurje. Tomi Horvat, the vice president of the Hungarian Self-Governing National Community of the Municipality of Lendava, also welcomed the visitors. In his speech, he also talked about the historical background of the strudel and mentioned that its pastry is something that was left behind by the Turks. Finally, Ferenc Horváth, Member of Parliament for the Hungarian Minority and the president of the Pomurje Hungarian Self-Governing National Community, expressed his joy over the fact that, despite the two-year pause, people attended this event in such a huge number. 
The speeches were followed by the award ceremony for the most beautiful aprons. Among the 60 aprons that were brought in for the contest, the jury of three members decided that Darinka Antolašič´s apron was the most outstanding. The best strudels of the 3rd Strudel Day were marked by a jury of five, and the winning strudel was submitted by the group Lóbarátok Egyesülete whose strudel had a curd cheese filling. 
The splendid atmosphere was ensured by the star guest of the day, Attila Dolhai, a musical and operetta singer whose show, voice and humour enchanted the audience. His show was followed by the band Skok who did their best to amuse visitors till late in the night.