''Székelykáposzta'' also known as " cabbage stew a la Székely" or "Székely

goulash Goulash () is a meal (not quite stew or soup) made of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is on ...

" (known as "segedínský guláš" in Czech, "segedínsky guláš" in Slovak, "Szegediner Gulasch" in German, "segedin golaž" in Slovenian and "gulasz segedyński" in Polish) is a distinctive dish in Hungarian and

Eastern European cuisine Eastern European cuisine encompasses many different cultures, ethnicities, languages, and histories of Eastern Europe. The cuisine of the region is strongly influenced by its climate and still varies, depending on a country. For example, Eas ...

. Contrary to its name, it does not originate from the

Székely people Székely may refer to: *Székelys, Hungarian people from the historical region of Transylvania, Romania **Székely Land, historic and ethnographic area in Transylvania, Romania *Székely (village), a village in northeastern Hungary *Székely (sur ...

, and traditional

Transylvanian Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

cuisine does not recognize it.

History

According to legend, the recipe for this dish is attributed to József Székely, a county archivist from the 19th century who was a contemporary and friend of the Hungarian poet

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; ; ; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet and Classical Liberalism, liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary's national poet, and was one of the key figures of the Hungari ...

. In 1846, while dining at the Komló Garden on Gránát Street in Pest, they found the available dishes running out. In response to Székely's request, the

innkeeper Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

served a concoction made by mixing leftover

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugar ...

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...

with

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

stew. Allegedly, Petőfi ordered the same dish on a subsequent occasion, referring to it as "Székely-cabbage." The recipe is not found in József C. Dobos's 1881 Hungarian-French cookbook, but it does appear in Ágnes Zilahy's 1891 "Valódi magyar szakácskönyv" (Genuine Hungarian Cookbook) in the section on side dishes. The occasional appearance of "

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

goulash" on international menus is likely the result of a mishearing of the name "Székely goulash" in Vienna. Alternatively, the name may suggest the inclusion of Szeged paprika, although such dishes do not originate from or characterize Szeged. In Hungary, "Szeged goulash" refers to a different dish made with vegetables and dumplings.

Serving

It is typically served with slices of a bread-like dumpling, accompanied by a light, spicy

red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties - (red grapes.) The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice fro ...

(such as

kadarka Cadarca or Kadarka or Gamza is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. It has a long history and is popular in Romania and Bulgaria, where it is known as Гъмза ''Gamza''. It used to be an important constituent of the Hungarian re ...

), cold

sour cream Sour cream (sometimes known as soured cream in British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturall ...

, and chili pepper cream.

References

Hungarian cuisine {{Hungary-cuisine-stub