Goulash in different countries

Goulash (Hungarian: gulyás) is a stew or soup of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central and South-Eastern Europe. It is prepared differently in several countries.

The history of goulash actually reaches back to the Middle Ages.
At that time, Hungarian shepherds slaughtered their old or injured sheep. Then, they flavoured and sun-dried the meat to store it in a bag made of sheep`s stomach. When hungry, they cooked the meat in a cauldron over a fire. Depending on the volume of water, this meat dish then became more goulash soup or stew.
This recipe then spreaded throughout almost all the former Austrian-Hungarian Empire, changing to diferrent country-typical varieties.

Goulash in Hungary:
The history of "gulyas" (English = beef shepherd`s meat) as it is called in Hungary goes back to the 16th century, when Turkish garrisons brought the paprika with them. Black pepper was very expensive at that time, so the cheaper paprika powder was used to season the dishes instead. Goulash meat in particular got its typical spicy paprika flavour at that time.

Gulyas was considered a typical Hungarian dish for a long time, even though it was mostly eaten by farmers or shepherds. When the national identity was established at the end of the 18th century, the dish also made its way into the cuisine of the high society and became known throughout the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and beyond.
The typical Hungarian goulash is more like a goulash soup than a meat dish. The original recipe from Hungary is not that hot, but everyone can individually heat it up to taste.

If you visit Hungary and would like to eat a thick meat stew rather than gulyas soup, you might try the so-called pörkölt or paprikás. This is more like a typical Central European goulash and has that certain kick of heat.

Goulash in Austria:
The people of Vienna included the shepherd`s dish "gulyas" in their cuisine and perfected it in a way that could be presented to Viennese society. There was always a strict difference between the Viennese "Gollasch" and the Hungarian "Gulyas".

The Viennese defined the style of goulash, which is still one of our most popular dishes today.
Whether cooked with beef, veal, pork, chicken, lamb or sheep, the secret behind its recipe has always been hours of cooking in the meat`s own broth with onions and spices. Especially by keeping warm for a long time, the meat gains more and more flavor intensity. Therefore, a typical Austrian saying is:"Aufgwärmt is nua a Gulasch guat" which means: "Only a goulash is good when warmed up.")

Goulash in France:
A similar dish to goulash also exists in France with a different name: "Boeuf Bourguignon" from Burgundy. This delicious and popular dish is a beef stew with veal stock and a large glass of red wine (Burgundy). According to the original recipe by Paul Bocuse, who died in 2018 at the age 91 and who had a decisive influence on French cuisine, you should use 500 ml of red wine. However, most French people see this quantity as an approximation and prefer to take a little more ;)

This recipe is also one that is not prepared in a short time, so it should always be remembered: Goulash and meat stews do not belong to the fast cuisine.

Goulash in Russia:
Even in Russia, a goulash variety has its place on the table, called "Boeuf Stroganoff". It was originally created more than 100 years ago by the cook of the princely Stroganoff family. The Grand Duke is said to have arranged a big feast among friends and the chef Charles Briere served this tasty dish.

Later, at a cooking competition of the chefs of the Russian High Society, he is said to have won first place with the Boeuf Stroganoff.
This led to a newspaper article, which made the dish internationally known. However, the dish experienced its worldwide breakthrough after World War 2, when it was tasted by American soldiers and taken home.
So if you want to serve a real prince`s dinner with history , you should definitely try the Boeuf Stroganoff.