Goulash: 3 surprising facts

There are a resurgence of classic dishes in recent years, and the traditional Hungarian goulash that makes mouths water the world over is no exception. Maybe you’re like me and remember goulash from your childhood, it’s the fantastic meal that might have had macaroni and ground beef and it cooked all day, slowly making the whole house smell delicious. The macaroni is what makes it American, but did you know this is a variation of a traditional Hungarian meal . Today we are going to take a deep dive into both the newer versions and where these meals came from originally. Read ahead in our article titled goulash: 3 surprising facts.

Hungary’s traditional

First let’s look at the history of goulash. Goulash is the Hungary’s traditional stew. The goulash’s origins date back to the ninth century, when the Magyar shepherds used to have stews. Before going out with their flocks they prepared the portable food stock . Gradually cooking meats with onions and other flavors until the liquids have really been absorbed. They would then dry the stew in the open sun and pack it into bags made using the stomachs of sheep.

reconstituting

At  mealtime, they would add water to the portion of  mead for reconstituting it into the stew or soup. The goulash originates from Gulyas which  a Hungarian word and it  pronounced about the same just with L silent. This word used for the Hungarian cowboy or Herdsman.

American style

You may not know about goulash is the differences between the traditional Hungarian dish and the new classic American style.Why, The huge disparity is the American version macaroni noodles, it’s what the majority of individuals these days think of when they hear goulash, meat and macaroni sauce. But there other main disparities comprising what really served with goulash. The Hungarian style usually  serve with Hungarian dumplings or Hungarian style noodles. For the America style it is not strange to see this amazing dish served with rice or mashed potatoes.

paprika

Another fact about goulash that’s rarely reported is the fraught history of paprika and its role in  evolution of  dish. During ancient times this much sought after spice was difficult to obtain . This led to herdsman of  Hungarian plains going to great pains to acquire paprika through warfare   other means at disposal. Eventually trade opened up new avenues for the procurement of paprika and once it became more common. It entered the kitchens of not just nobles but the common people as well. Today goulash and paprika go hand in hand but for many centuries there was much societal upheaval over just this simple spice.

eighteenth century

So, where does the word goulash come from? Although the food itself began gaining the ground in the seventeenth or eighteenth century, the goulash word dates back to the Árpád-dynasty.The cause for that is that the goulash isn’t just the name of the food but also a terminology utilized for describing the Hungarian Shepherds. Since well-liked among the peasants, the food’s name got linked with the shepherds.

Now that you a bit about goulash you might want to try it yourself. There’s really no substitute for cooking this classic dish yourself or with your whole family. You really want to get a feel of the historical  that made this dish so famous. I would suggest slow cooking the traditional Hungarian style over a whole day.