The traditional Hungarian dish known alternately as Székelykáposzta (“SAY-KAY-EE KAA-POSTA”) and Székelygulyás (“SAY-KAY-EE GOO-YASH”) is essentially a pörkölt (stew) mixed with savanyúkáposzta (sauerkraut) and tejföl (sour cream).

Despite its name (Székelyföld is a region in Transylvania home to a unique group of ethnic Hungarians known as the Székely, or “Seklers”), this dish originated in Pest in 1846. In The Cuisine of Hungary, George Lang writes that the dish is named for the Librarian of Pest (whose last name was Székely), who arrived late at a restaurant one evening and asked the proprietor to serve him some leftover sauerkraut mixed with pork pörkölt. The poet Sándor Petőfi happened to overhear the order and returned the next day to order “Székely’s gulyás.”

Whether called Székelykáposzta or Székelygulyás, this hearty main dish remains a staple in Hungarian homes and restaurants.