Victor wrote on Wed, 7 Apr 2010 23:58:02 +0200:

>> Excellent material. I am however sticking to my guns
>> concerning Goulash(that's the English spelling)as a main
>> course. When we have goulash as a soup, we call it goulash
>> soup. Everyone from the village that we're from does this.
>> They are however ethnic German and may have altered what's
>> what.

> In German(y), it is indeed Gulasch if it is a stew, and
> Gulaschsuppe if it is a soup.


Based on my vacations in German, I'd fully agree. In fact, I did not
know that Hungarian usage was different but I've never been to Hungary
anyway.


>> My aunt also worked in Hungarian
>> restaurant in Kaposvar during the 1940's and made the
>> goulash. It was served as a main course. Here is the
>> wikipedia entry; it's a primarily a soup but also exists as a
>> stew: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goulash. If you wish a soup
>> you ask for Gulyásleves.

> In Hungary, if you ask for gulyás at a restaurant, you will
> always get a soup. You won't have to specify gulyásleves (but
> you could do so, of course). "Gulyás", after all, means
> "cowboy" or "herdsman" and not everyone wants to get served
> one.

> The stew counterpart of gulyás is pörkölt. If you define
> gulyás as a stew, what is then pörkölt? One has to remember,
> though, that all these dishes with paprika, in their modern
> guise, are of relatively very recent origin. Paprika did not
> get into general use in Hungary until the 19th century. The
> distinction between various dishes with paprika is more recent
> still and, according to Gundel, is more or less a result of
> the gentleman's agreement between restaurateurs, so that
> people actually know what they get when they order a
> particular dish.



--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not