The Origins of American Goulash

Is American Goulash the same as American Chop Suey? What are the origins of American Goulash?

While researching my article, The Origins of American Chop Suey, and after it was published, there were those, especially in the Midwest, who stated that the dish of American Chop Suey was known to them as American Goulash, or simply goulash. The three main basics of this dish include ground beef, macaroni and tomato sauce, with some variation of other ingredients. 

Obviously, American Goulash owes its ancestry to Hungarian Goulash, known in Hungary as gulyás, but the two dishes are very different in a number of ways, especially the modern version of American Goulash. The Hungarian version is more of a soup or stew, consisting of meat and vegetables with a variety of seasonings, including paprika. The modern versions of American Goulash are more like a casserole, and often do not include paprika.  

Most sources claim that the earliest printed recipe for American Goulash was from 1914, but my own research has uncovered recipes from as early as 1909. In addition, the early recipes for this dish are very different from the modern version, slowly evolving over time to its present form. It's also interesting to note that this dish was known all across the country, and wasn't limited to just the midwest. It might currently be thought of as more of a regional dish, but it certainly didn't begin that way. 

The first printed recipe I found for American Goulash was from California in 1909. The Morning Union (CA), January 16, 1909, printed the recipe above, and as can be seen, it called for a sirloin steak, cubed, rather than the usual ground beef. The recipe also called for carrots, rice, tomatoes, celery and optionally an onion. No paprika was included. This certainly is not like the modern version of goulash. 

I'll also note that the first recipes for American Chop Suey, which differed significantly from Chinese Chop Suey, were from 1908. One of those recipes called for ground beef, spaghetti, and a can of tomatoes, a clear ancestor to the modern versions. 

However, later in 1909, a different American Goulash recipe appeared. First appearing in the San Antonio Light (TX), June 13, 1909, the recipe also appeared in the Boston Herald (MA), July 2, 1909, Star-Gazette (NY), August 2, 1909, Evening Chronicle (NC), August 7, 1909, Cincinnati Post (OH), August 17, 1909, and the Jersey Journal (NJ), August 5, 1909. This recipe called for "beef cakes" (basically ground beef) and spaghetti, but no tomatoes or paprika. Again, this recipe doesn't reflect the modern versions of goulash. We also see that American Goulash was known throughout the country, from Texas to Massachusetts, New York to North Carolina, Ohio to New Jersey.

In 1910, the first recipe for American Chop Suey appeared which used ground beef, tomatoes and macaroni appeared. When would the first recipes of American Goulash ask for macaroni?

In Mexican Cooking: The Flavor of the 20th Century (1911), there was a recipe for American Goulash, called for cubed beef, chili powder, bacon, onions and garlic, but no pasta or tomatoes. 

The Denver Post (CO), June 19, 1913, offered another American Goulash recipe, although it called for mutton rather than beef. It also called for rice and tomatoes, as well as carrots, and optionally onions. Again, this is not a similar dish to the modern version.

As I mentioned previously, most sources claim the first printed recipe for American Goulash was in 1914, from The Woman's Educational Club Cook Book (1914) by the Women's Educational Club of Ohio. And as I've shown, this claim isn't true as there are other recipe extending back to 1909. This cookbook had two recipes, one for Goulash and one for American Goulash. The two recipes are fairly similar, although I'll note neither recipe called for pasta. The American Goulash recipe also called for paprika, as well as tabasco.

By 1914, recipes for American Chop Suey were published in Illinois, Nebraska, Indiana, New Jersey and California which all called for the use of ground beef, macaroni, and tomatoes. American Goulash recipes still hadn't called for the use of these three ingredients, so it's also clear that American Chop Suey was the ancestor to modern versions of American Goulash. 

The Omaha Daily News (NE), May 23, 1916, printed this recipe, which called for veal rather than beef, and didn't include tomatoes, rice, or pasta. 

The Boston Journal (MA), June 27, 1917, had a recipe which also didn't include tomatoes, rice, or pasta, but it did call for paprika. 

Another recipe was presented in the Rutland Daily Herald (VT), August 1, 1917, as well as the Middletown Times-Press (NY), August 1, 1917. This recipe called for both chopped pork and beef, as well as rice and spaghetti, plus strained, stemmed tomatoes (or tomato soup). 

A number of newspapers would print restaurant ads, which offered American Goulash dishes. The San Antonio Light (TX), October 6, 1917, had an ad offering American Goulash with "Paprica" for 25 cents. The Portage Daily Register (WI), November 28, 1917, noted a restaurant's Thanksgiving  menu with American Goulash as one of the dishes. The Times (LA), August 17, 1918, had a cafeteria ad with American Goulash as a lunch entree. The St. Louis Stars & Times (MO), October 17, 1918, printed a supermarket ad offering American Goulash with vegetables for 25 cents. 

The Billings Gazette (MT), November 13, 1918, noted a luncheon special of American Goulash with macaroni. This was the first reference I found mentioning macaroni in connection with American Goulash. The Billings Gazette (MN), October 23, 1920, had another restaurant ad, offering American Goulash with Spatzen. 

The Fresno Morning Republican (CA), February 25, 1920, printed a restaurant ad, with menu items including American Goulash tagliarini. The Detroit Free Press (MI), April 2, 1912, presented a restaurant ad with American Goulash for 35 cents. The Oroville Daily Register (CA), July 30, 1921, had a restaurant ad with American Goulash Canape, while their August 5, 1921 issue had a similar ad but with American Goulash with Stars and the September 14, 1921 issue had American Goulash with Home Made Noodles. 

The Kansas City Star (MO), August 25, 1921, had a brief article, with a recipe, on Hungarian goulash. This makes an interesting comparison to the American Goulash variations I've already presented.  

The Portland Evening Express (ME), February 3, 1923, presented recipes for American Goulash and American Chop Suey, which make for an excellent comparison. As you see, the Goulash recipe didn't include the use of pasta, while the Chop Suey recipe called for spaghetti or macaroni. The Goulash recipe also called for kidney beans, although that was the first use of that ingredient I'd seen in these recipes. The American Chop Suey recipe is basically like the modern version, but the Goulash recipe still hasn't reached that point in its evolution.  

The Buffalo News (NY), March 14, 1923, and the Long Beach Telegram (CA), April 20, 1923, offered another recipe, which also included the use of kidney beans. It didn't call for the use of spaghetti or macaroni, but stated you could add rice to vary the flavor. 

The San Antonio Light (TX), March 23, 1923, and Oregonian (OR), July 8, 1923, printed a different American Goulash recipe. Once again, the recipe does not call for rice, spaghetti or macaroni, or even tomatoes. 

The Evening Star (D.C.), October 22, 1924, presented another recipe for American Goulash, similar to some prior ones, which included the use of kidney beans, tomatoes, cayenne and pepper, but not the use of spaghetti or macaroni. 

A similar recipe was then presented in the Richmond Times Dispatch (VA), March 5, 1926. Still no spaghetti or macaroni.

Pasta! The Coos Bay Times (OR), June 21, 1928, published this recipe and it included the use of spaghetti and tomato soup. This is the most similar recipe to the modern version, except for the use of spaghetti rather than macaroni.  

But the use of spaghetti was far from the norm at this point. The Daily News (PA), November 21, 1928, offered this recipe, which also called for potatoes and tomato soup but no pasta. 

Again, kidney beans were called for in this recipe in La Belle Star (MO), February 1, 1929. And there was no spaghetti or macaroni.

A similar recipe was in the Brooklyn Times Union (NY), February 5, 1929, and again, no spaghetti or macaroni was used.

Another similar recipe in the Boston Globe (MA), February 8, 1930. We also see from the last few recipes that American Goulash was known in Massachusetts, New York, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Oregon. It certainly wasn't a regional dish. 

The Record (NJ), March 10, 1932, offered a slightly different recipe, which called for spaghetti. It also called for carrots, onions, and the use of Worcestershire sauce. 

Macaroni! The Democrat & Chronicle (NY), April 6, 1936, presented the first American Goulash recipe that used macaroni. This was 26 years after the first recipe for American Chop Suey used macaroni. However, this Goulash recipe didn't use tomatoes, making a creamy sauce with butter, flour and milk. This recipe was reprinted in the Abilene Daily Reporter (TX), April 17, 1936, The La Belle Star (MO), May 15, 1936, The Commercial Appeal (TN), May 29, 1936, The Missourian (MO), June 18, 1936, and The Morning Call (PA), October 16, 1936. 

The Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph (PA), November 15, 1938, also published a recipe calling for macaroni, but also using tomatoes. This is essentially the modern version, that which is also known as American Chop Suey. 

During the 1940s, recipes for American Goulash continued the use of ground beef, tomatoes, and macaroni, although still with some variation. Some recipes still called for kidney beans, while others offered the option of rice instead of macaroni. Recipes also continued to be published all across the U.S,, including as far as Hawaii. There was no indication in any of these recipes that American Goulash was a regional dish. For unknown reasons, over time, the term "American Goulash" became much more commonly used in the Midwest, although its origins extended all across the country. 

American Chop Suey, the version with ground beef, tomato sauce and macaroni, clearly predated, by over 25 years, that of American Goulash. Goulash also appears to have followed a similar path to American Chop Suey, from first, no use of rice or pasta, to second, the use of rice, and finally, the use of pasta. However, it took Goulash much longer to make that evolution than it did American Chop Suey.