Borjúkötél is an old Kun recipe, a kind of sweet bread with a savoury topping. Kuns are part of the broader Hungarian ethnic community, but have distinct cultural and historical characteristics. The people known in Hungary as the Kuns were a tribal confederacy of Turkic-speaking peoples – Kipchaks, Yellow Uyghurs, Asian Kuns – who emerged in the 11th century, and for a long time troubled the neighbouring eastern Slavic, Hungarian, Polish, Byzantine and southern Slavic territories with their attacks. The tribal alliance was crushed by the Mongols in the 13th century. A part of the Kuns (which is only a fraction of the total population compared to the Kuns as a whole) then settled in Hungary and assimilated into the Hungarian population.

The Kuns historically lived in the Great Hungarian Plain, also known as the Puszta, which is a vast and flat region in the eastern part of Hungary. During the assimilation of the Kuns in Hungary, a language change took place, they adopted the Hungarian language, became Christians, and used Hungarian surnames and first names. However, they have preserved unique traditions, including culinary practices like the preparation of calf ropes. Borjúkötél is made from a soft yeast dough, which is cut and rolled into ropes. The ropes are braided and topped with a mixture of bryndza (sheep’s milk cheese), sour cream, garlic and dill.