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| American "goulash" | |
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| Gulyás, in a traditional cauldron. |
Goulash, or gulyás, is a stew or soup that may contain vegetables and is spiced generally with paprika (introduced by the Ottoman Turks around the 15th century CE). The original gulyás was made by herders in the 9th and 10th centuries and can be thought of as a Hungarian counterpart to the stews of American cowboys. Nowadays such goulashes are often eaten poured over egg noodles. I posted an article about the original goulash in 2014; you can read it here.
But there is an "American" goulash that started appearing in cookbooks around 1914. Wikipedia claims that "Originally a dish of seasoned beef, core ingredients of American goulash now usually include elbow macaroni, cubed steak, ground beef or 'hamburger,' and tomatoes in some form, whether canned whole, as tomato sauce, and/or tomato paste." It may even contain cheese. I suspect that this kind of 'goulash' was heavily influenced by Italian-American cooking and owes very little to any traditional Hungarian recipes. Significantly, "American" goulash typically contains paprika in small amounts (i.e., less than a tablespoon) compared to Hungarian recipes, modern or otherwise.
The following websites contain a bit more information about both types of goulash.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulash
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guly%C3%A1sleves
https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodsoups.html#goulashhttps://www.besthungarianrecipes.com/hungarian-goulash
http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Goulash/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_goulash
https://www.tastingtable.com/972143/hungarian-vs-american-goulash-whats-the-difference/
This is such a fascinating look at how dishes evolve over time—especially how "American" versions take on a life of their own! I grew up thinking goulash was the elbow macaroni and ground beef version, and only later realized how far it strayed from the Hungarian roots. It’s amazing how ingredients like paprika get reduced to just a hint in the transition. When I’m not in the mood to cook, I sometimes turn to comfort food classics at Culver’s—their menu with prices is great to browse when that nostalgic craving hits: Culver’s menu with prices . Food heritage in all its forms is pretty delicious, honestly!
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