Gulyás – a History of taste buds pleasure

Photo: facebook.com/GulyásTunkolóBüfé

Food has always had a special place in our hearts and people like to see it as a guilty pleasure. We always feel good while eating and after we eat, but our favorite recipes always make us feel really special.

When you make a comparison between the best scooters on the market, it is not hard to decide which one suits you best.

However, people who have tried to make a comparison between the best Hungarian food recipes could compare some of them but the goulash has always been part of a special category and has always been considered by foreigners the best Hungarian food ever made. But what do you know about this recipe? We will tell you all about it here.

Gulyás or Goulash?

Both of the terms are correct. In English, it is called Goulash but in Hungarian, the term gulyás is correct.

The word comes from the term ‘gulya’, which in Hungarian means ‘herd of cattle’ and ‘gulyás’ means cowboy or a person who takes care of cattle. Therefore, this term refers now also to the food that was prepared by herdsmen.

There are many recipes that herdsmen make. Goulash is referred to in Hungarian also as Gulyásleves which means goulash soup. But this food can also be prepared like a stew. It all depends on how you like it. If you go to a Hungarian restaurant, you usually are able to choose between the different types.

What are the goulash ingredients?

Goulas was originally made with beef or veal. However, throughout the years, people started to prepare it also using lamb or pork. Some recipes also require a mixture of two kinds of meat. Besides meat, you need to use a lot of onions, garlic, and vegetables like carrots, peppers, potatoes, and parsley root.

Paprika, a powder made of dried peppers, is one of the main ingredients of this dish. Bobgulyás is a variety of goulash that instead of potatoes uses beans and it is very popular among Hungarian cuisine.

Where did it all begin?

The history of the goulash is closely related to paprika, and therefore, it has a lot to do with the history of peppers. In Hungary, peppers were grown as ornamental plants by the Hungarian nobles who got them from people who went to North or South America.

In the 19th century, people began to use peppers for culinary purposes and it easily got into the kitchens of regular people, not just nobles.

Paprika was a common ingredient for many meals, people used it for bread, cheese, salami, and stews.

That’s when herdsmen started using it in their regular recipes.

During that period, herdsmen usually went away in groups of 6 to 7 people, walking their cattle on the green pastures of Hungary.

During that time, they had to cook for themselves and the main dish that has since then become the national Hungarian dish was the goulash.

Because they got tired of cooking the same recipe every time, they started making variations, like bobgoulyás, but the base of the dish was the same: meat, onions, paprika, and broth.

Other countries

One of the main herdsmen meals was pörkölt, which is a stew that is closely related to the goulash. It is not a distant recipe from the ones in other European countries and it is often eaten with potatoes and polenta all over Europe.

Many people call it goulash as it is a dish related to herdsmen, but the original goulash is the one with the Hungarian recipe that is loved by most tourists who fill up the restaurants in their search for the most exquisite Hungarian food.