Goulash

Goulash is a tasty meal made of meat and vegetables flavored with paprika and other spices. It started in Hungary and is now enjoyed in many places, especially in Central Europe. Goulash is one of the special dishes that represent Hungary.

People believe goulash has been around since the 10th century. Back then, Hungarian shepherds made stews from cooked and spiced meat. They dried the meat and put it in bags made from sheep’s stomachs. All they needed to turn it into a meal was a little water. Paprika wasn’t part of goulash at first because it didn’t reach Europe until the 16th century.

Etymology

The name goulash comes from the Hungarian word gulyás, which means 'cattle herder' or 'cowboy'. In old times, Hungarian herdsmen used almost every part of the animal for their meals because meat was hard to find. They made a special meat dish called gulyáshús, which means 'goulash meat'. Today, the word gulyás can mean the herdsmen or their tasty soup or stew. For many years, large herds of cattle were moved across Central Europe to big markets in places like Moravia, Vienna, Nuremberg, and Venice. The herdsmen often had to prepare meals from cattle they slaughtered along the way, using the meat to make their special gulyáshús.

In Hungarian culture

Main article: Gulyásleves

In Hungary, gulyás is a traditional dish. It is often made as a soup called gulyásleves. It is made with beef, onions, paprika, caraway seeds, potatoes, carrots, and noodles called csipetke.

The original recipes used less flour and tomatoes. The color comes from Hungarian paprika. The meat is cut into pieces and cooked with onions and paprika, then simmered with vegetables. Noodles are added at the end.

International goulash is similar to pörkölt or paprikás, which are stews that use different meats like chicken or pork. These dishes became popular in Hungary and have many variations.

Outside Hungary

Thick stews like pörkölt and the original cattlemen stew are popular across the former Austrian-Hungarian Empire, from Northeast Italy to the Carpathians. These stews are often served with boiled or mashed potatoes, polenta, dumplings such as nokedli or galuska or spätzle, or simply with bread. The Romani people also have their own special version of goulash.

In Albania, some people in the north eat goulash as a traditional dish.

In Austria, especially in Vienna, there is a special kind of goulash called Wiener Saftgulasch or Fiakergulasch. This is a rich, pörkölt-like stew with lots of onions but no tomatoes or other vegetables. It is usually served with dark bread. The Fiakergulasch variation comes with fried egg, fried sausage, pickles, and dumplings called Semmelknödel.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, goulash is a popular and traditional meal. It was introduced during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is made with a thicker consistency, focusing on slow-cooked onions and meat. It is commonly served with bread, mashed potatoes, or polenta, and sometimes includes veal, carrots, or beans.

In Croatia, goulash is very popular, especially in the north and in Lika. In areas like Gorski Kotar and Lika, venison or wild boar are often used instead of beef, known as lovački gulaš. There is also a type of goulash made with porcini mushrooms, called gulaš od vrganja. Bacon is an important ingredient. Goulash is often served with fuži, njoki, polenta, or pasta, and it is flavored with vegetables such as green and red bell peppers and carrots. Sometimes extra meats like pork loin, bacon, or mutton are added.

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, goulash is usually made with beef, though pork versions exist, and it is served with boiled or steamed bread dumplings. In Slovakia, it is more often served with plain bread. In pubs, it is often topped with fresh onion slices and enjoyed with beer. Beer may also be added while cooking. Seasonal versions include venison or wild boar goulash. Another popular type is segedínský guláš (Székelygulyás), which includes sauerkraut.

In Germany, goulash can be made with beef (Rindergulasch), pork (Schweinegulasch), venison (Hirschgulasch), or wild boar (Wildschweingulasch). It might include red wine and is usually served with potatoes in the north, white rice or spaghetti noodles in canteens, and dumplings in the south. Gulaschsuppe is a soup version, often served with pieces of white bread.

In Italy, goulash is enjoyed in regions like Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, which were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is a common Sunday dish and can also be found in nearby Veneto. A special recipe from the Pustertal in South Tyrol uses beef and red wine, seasoned with rosemary, red paprika, bay leaf, marjoram, and lemon zest, and is served with crusty white bread or polenta. Goulash is also popular in the city of Ancona.

In the Netherlands, goulash is typically made with beef and served as a stew, similar to pörkölt.

In Poland, goulash is eaten throughout the country. A version similar to Hungarian pörkölt has existed since around the 9th century. It is usually served with mashed potatoes or various noodles and dumplings, such as pyzy.

In Serbia, goulash is popular, especially in Vojvodina, likely brought by the region's Hungarian population.^{[citation needed]} It is a pörkölt-like stew, usually made with beef, veal, or pork, and sometimes with game meat like venison or boar. Key ingredients include meat and onions, paprika, and lard or oil. In Serbia, it is often served with macaroni or mashed potatoes.

In Slovenia, partizanski golaž, or "partisan goulash," was favored by Slovenian partisans during the Second World War and is still served at large public events. This version uses equal parts onion and meat, often with two or more types of meat. The most common home version is a thick beef stew served with mashed potatoes. As in other nearby regions, Szeged goulash, known as segedin, is also popular for home cooking.

In the United States and Canada, North American goulash has been around since at least 1914 and comes in many forms. Originally made with seasoned beef, it now often includes elbow macaroni, cubed steak or ground beef, and tomatoes in some shape, like canned whole, tomato sauce, soup, or paste. This version likely comes from a type of Hungarian goulash called bográcsgulyás, where all ingredients are mixed together at the end. The dish is especially popular among American Jews.