Goulash

Hungarian national identity

Goulash (gulyás — originally meaning “cattle herder”) began as the food of Hungarian puszta herdsmen on the Great Plain, who drove cattle enormous distances to market in Vienna and beyond. They carried dried meat and paprika, rehydrating and stewing it over campfires. The dish was “discovered” by Hungarian intellectuals in the early 19th century as a symbol of national identity during the independence movement — peasant food consciously elevated to national symbol.

The paprika imperative

Authentic goulash uses a generous quantity of sweet (not hot) Hungarian paprika — at least 2 tablespoons per kg of meat. The paprika must be édesnemes (sweet noble) or félédes (semi-sweet) from Hungary, particularly from Kalocsa or Szeged. Paprika from Spain or California produces an inferior result — the flavour and colour are different.

The onion first

A fundamental technique: onions are cooked in lard until very soft and golden, then the heat is turned off completely before the paprika is added. Paprika burns instantly and becomes bitter in direct heat; cooking it in the fat from barely-simmering onions avoids bitterness.

Versions

• Gulyás leves — soup version (thinner, more broth)
• Pörkölt — meat stew without vegetables, more concentrated
• Paprikás — with sour cream stirred through (usually chicken or veal)
• Austrian and German Gulasch — often richer and darker, with more tomato