Kermit Mini-Statue

Kermit Mini-Statue
Szabadság Square 10 (Liberty Square)
GPS: 47.503886, 19.050268

If you are wandering along Szabadság Square (Liberty Square) near Parliament you could very well miss the Kermit mini-statue, if you don’t happen to look down.

Nestled under the fence looking upward towards the square’s café you’ll find this beloved Muppet. But why is there a Kermit mini-statue in Budapest?

Before World War II, fried frogs legs would only be found as a dish on the festive tables of noble families, and mainly as a delicacy at a several course meal. However, after the war, it became the most sought after item at the local market. Modest households that used to prefer beef, pork steaks and fried chicken turned to frogs legs when those meat became unavailable. In some of the larger markets, they operated large frog farms to help supply the demand. In the countryside, children made money by catching frogs, and with the right culinary expertise, many compares the taste to chicken thighs. – So maybe this is the origin of the phrase “tastes like chicken.”

While the statue was created to recognize when frog legs became a Hungarian delicacy in the late 19th century, don’t worry! Kermit is well-loved and not likely to be eaten. If you happen to see him during the winter months, you may find that someone has dressed him in a cozy little scarf (because it can get awfully cold in the snow).

Don’t ask us why people leave coins on the Kermit mini-statue. We do not know. But they come and they go, so I guess Kermit takes a break to go shopping every now and then… and he needs his legs to do that.

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