Goulash is a savory beef stew originating in Hungary, and usually made with cuts of shank, shoulder or shin. While sometimes thickened with flour, the heft of traditional Goulash comes from the collagen-rich muscle and tendon in the meat.

Like Pupusas in El Salvador and Borscht throughout Eastern Europe, goulash is traditional peasant food, absorbed into its national culture in the 19th and 20th centuries as peasants moved to cities. In Hungary, the dish has the additional significance as a symbol of native Magyar culture in a region that has been variously occupied by Turkey, Germany, Austria, Romania and Russia.