Hungary’s national dish—and arguably its most famous—is goulash (called gulyásleves in Hungarian). Known around the world, this traditional dish is a paprika and meat soup with origins that can be traced back as far as the 9th century. In 2017, gulyásleves was granted the title of Hungarikum, a classification that designates items, foods, and other cultural values as significant to the Hungarian community.
Gulyásleves is a hearty soup that originated with Hungarian shepherds in the Great Plains in eastern Hungary. Its name comes from gulyás meaning “cattle herder” or “herdsmen” and leves meaning “soup”. Nomadic herdsmen would boil the meat in large cauldrons called bogrács, adding potatoes to make filling meals.
The original dish differs from today’s recipe, showcasing the evolution of Hungary’s culinary history. Onions, which now help shape the base of the soup, did not make an appearance in Hungarian cooking until 1476.
Paprika is the key spice that defines gulyásleves today, yet has an even more convoluted history. It is theorized that paprika was not introduced until the Turkish occupation in the 16th century, although it was not widely used until the 18th century. Records show that paprika was first grown and cultivated in Szeged, in the south of Hungary. It slowly rose to popularity, as the Hungarian invention of grinding the paprika into a powder allowed for it to be a cheap substitute to black pepper.
It was farmers of the Great Plains who first discovered that frying paprika with onions in lard released its rich flavor and color. This technique quickly became the foundation of Hungarian cooking, transforming not only how guylásleves is prepared, but a significant portion of Hungary’s national dishes.
The first written mention of a paprika-based Hungarian national dish came from a German traveler in 1794. Despite its popularity among Hungarian nomads, travelers, and soldiers, written evidence of gulyásleves only began to appear in dictionaries in the early 1800s and in cookbooks by the 1810s. This sudden rise in documentation is closely tied to major political changes in the region.
During the reign of Joseph II, ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1765 to 1790, attempts to unify Austria and Hungary under the same German system alarmed Hungarian nobles who feared losing the Hungarian language, clothing, and traditions. This led to a widescale attempt to protect symbols of national identity, including food.
There are several theories that explain why gulyásleves was chosen to represent Hungary’s national identity. Once a simple peasant’s dish, gulyásleves was not eaten by the nobility. Yet, its widespread appeal, its deep red color that was shared with many of Hungary’s national dishes, and its unmistakable local origins made it a national choice.
Today, gulyásleves reigns as Hungary’s national dish. Across Europe, the dish has also taken new forms that often vary widely to the original dish. In the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Germany, you can find regional adaptations that are often served as a thick stew instead of a soup.
Although each family and restaurant may prepare it slightly differently, the base ingredients remain the same: onions, lard, Hungarian paprika, meat, potatoes, and small soup noodles. In its most traditional form, and how my father continues to prepare it, is in the bogrács over an open fire. In this way, preparing and eating gulyásleves is as much a social experience as it is a meal.
Recipe (for 10 people):
- 600g beef shoulder, cut into small 1cm cubes
- 600g potatoes, diced
- 250g Hungarian red onion, finely chopped
- 100g tomatoes, diced
- 50g mangalica fat (pork lard or oil)
- 30g salt
- 20g Hungarian spice paprika powder
- 5g garlic
- 2g whole caraway seeds
- 100g csipetke (small pinched soup noodles)
- Water
Instructions:
- Cut meat into small cubes and sear on high heat until browned on all sides. Remove from pot.
- Melt lard or oil in same pot and add the onions until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, caraway seeds and paprika. Do not let the paprika burn or it will get bitter.
- Add the beef, salt and water and let it come to a boil.
- When the beef has softened, add the potatoes.
- When the potatoes are almost done, add in the csipetke and cook until done.
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