First thing, and don’t let it scare you, is that the next time you roast a chicken you need to save a little of the chicken fat. That ingredient is also known as schmaltz, which you can make from scratch and keep on hand.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand, or if you decide against it, you can still bake this lovely breakfast bread. Just know that the chicken fat adds a certain “je ne sais quoi pas” that is fabulous. Know that it can add flavor to noodles and vegetables, too.
It will feed a family of 6, unless they are swept away by your wonderful home baking talents and gobble more than their fair share.
As with all recipes, you can substitute the fat that you feel best using, add the raisins or not, etc. but if you want the authentically delicious taste, stick with the recipe.
Yeast Raised -Approximate Cook Time
Prep time: 3 hours 30 min Cook time: 1 hour
Ready in: 4 hours 30 min Yields: 6 people
Ingredients
5 cups Flour, Sifted
1 Tbsp. Sugar
Small amount Water, heated
1 package Yeast
1 Tbsp. Chicken Fat, melted
1/2 lb. Butter
1/2 stick Margarine (or butter)
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 Rind of Lemon, grated
3-4 Egg Yolks
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Golden Seedless Raisins
2 cups Warm Milk
Cinnamon and Sugar, Mixture
Place flour in a large bowl and make a hole in the middle.
Add yeast, sugar, and warm water in center to activate the yeast. Let stand 1/2 hour.
Cut up butter, margarine and add chicken schmaltz. Then add to flour mixture with the 3/4 cup sugar, salt, lemon rind, vanilla, egg yolks, and warm milk.
Knead until bubbles appear.
Let dough rest until it rises.
While waiting for dough to rise, soak raisins in some hot water for about an hour. Squeeze out water and then add to risen dough.
Then knead dough well. Allow dough to rest.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a large tube pan (angel food cake pan).
Divide dough into 2 pieces shaped into balls. Roll out each like thick pie dough, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and roll up tightly.
Twist each into a rope, braid together, then spiral into the angel food pan.
Allow to rise for final time in the pan, then bake for an hour at 350 degrees.
Oma’s Tube Pan Breakfast Coffee Cake
German cooking has a layover with Eastern European countries such as Hungary, and Czech Republic. Certain cooking techniques are common to many cuisines, thus this video will be a great guide.
Another Name For This Coffee Cake
German’s call this type of cake Kugelhoph
More eggs, less fat, and I love Oma’s helpful tips.
My grandmother’s recipe has more shortening and is a rolled dough, rather than a soft batter cake.
You may notice in some of the old recipes that the amount of eggs and fat can seem more than what you are used to. I think many of the changes came about when sugar was not so dear, and before the large amounts of egg and fat became frowned upon.
Speaking of fat, many older recipes called for lard, and until recently that was the preferred shortening for pie crust. It is still considered more a more flavorsome ingredient than vegetable fats.
When I was first cooking in the sixties and seventies, you find “Oleo” or margarine is widely called for. This is no longer considered a more healthy choice, and I haven’t bought margarine in years.
If you want a healthier diet the answer is probably to take much smaller portions of the carb-laden cakes and add fruits to bring out full flavor, make it more filling and satisfying. I am of the opinion that it isn’t cutting out desserts, but cutting down amounts that is the answer. Maybe that is a cop-out because I love them so much.
European Directions for Similar Coffee Cake
It is sometimes confusing when switching from European to English measures (and vice versa). Yet many solutions online make the process easier.
Using Bundt Pans for Coffee Cakes
Many coffee cakes are simply baked in square pans, but if you have a larger recipe like this one a bundt pan gives a much prettier presentation. In line with the original intent of serving a simple delicious sweet when company drops by, makes this pan a real boon to the baker.
While there are variations in form, most have a decorative shape with a central opening. This center circle is perfect for some flavored whipped cream! Or simply dust the finished, cooled cake with confectioners sugar.
Bundt forms have some beautiful curves for drizzles and glazes, too.
Don’t underestimate how this shape will add to the tempting look of your cake.
Fat In Your Diet
People who give you Hungarian recipes so often say, “It isn’t for dieters” or tell you it is unhealthy in some way. The recipes do traditionally incorporate plenty of dairy and fat, usually in the form of sour cream and butter. But also with nuts and eggs, etc.
The new nutritional information that is transforming what we know about healthy diets is that fat is no longer the bad guy.
Usually what we need to watch out for is the modern inclusion of antibiotic and hormones, along with other things that are so different from our grandmother’s food sources; things that cause inflammation in our bodies. Some fats are necessary and they certainly are a source of flavor that make the foods more satisfying to our appetite.
What are you going to do? Tailor your diet to your own health needs, and use the best nutritional information available.
I remember a special jar to save bacon drippings that was always in my mother’s and grandmother’s kitchen. I don’t do that, but I think the idea of using schmaltz might have a place in my cooking future. Jewish cooking often includes it. It is what makes the difference between plain old noodles and delicious noodles, for me.
Franz Liszt, was born October 22, 1811 in Raiding, near Sopron, Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father worked at the court of Count Esterházy, and gave him his first music lessons. He became an established concert performer by 12 years old, a prodigy. The Austro-Hungarian nobility gave him opportunities to study abroad and as a result his Hungarian language skills were poor, and French was his preferred language. In Vienna, on December 1,1822, he made his first appearance beginning his career as a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer.
Carl Czerny had taught him, Chopin and Camille Saint-Saëns were his friends, he is said to have performed for Ludwig van Beethoven. Hector Berlioz, Robert Schumann, and Richard Wagner were proteges and his daughter married Wagner. He lived in a time of great musical creativity and added his own genius to the fermenting mix of Romanticism.
He lived in the Romantic Age, when emotions were considered paramount. Whether this affected his relationships is unknown, but he did have numerous affairs, with a tumultuous personal life.
Liszt’s piano compositions are among the most technically challenging. He invented the term ‘Sinfonische Dichtung’ (symphonic poem) for orchestral works. History has recorded his great works and prestige as a performer, even though there were those who criticized and did not acclaim him during his life.
In 1861, he went to Rome, where he concentrated on religious works, and teaching. His last appearance was at the concert of the Musical Society of Luxembourg. His death occurred on July 31, 1886, at age 74.
Heard of Lisztmania? Read on and listen to the music…
Biography and Music
Portrait of Franz Liszt 1839
young Franz Liszt
Teacher of Great Musicians
after a bout of Lisztomania took place, Liszt taught others
It has been said that Liszt passed through six lives.
(1) he lived the life of a precocious and much loved child
(2) in Paris he plumbed the depths of a romantic idealism and lost reputation, but linked destiny with other great men and composers.
(3) lived with the Comtesse d Agoult for five years following the “Bohemian” life and performing to great adulation. See “Lisztomania” not unlike Beatlemania.
(4) became hailed in Europe as a virtuoso
(5) he settled in Weimer to live industriously as an supporter of art and music, becoming a church cleric.
(6) ended his life by traveling between Rome, Budapest and Weimer, eventually dieing July 31, 1886, at age 74
The Emperor Napoleon appointed him to be a Commandeur of the Legion of Honour and in 1871 the Hungarian Cabinet invested him a rank of nobility in Hungary with a yearly pension.
During his old age he lived at Weimar surrounded by his pupils.
He became known as a teacher of great musicians through his work in Weimer, where he mentored Wagner, Berlioz, Schumann and Schubert.
Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt: The Final Years, 1861-86 v. 3, 1861-1886. Cornell, 1996 v.3 p.169
Franz Liszt Compositions – You will find his life story fascinating
Now you must bear in mind, in the first place, that he had never seen nor heard the sonata, and in the second place that it was a sonata with a violin part, now above, now below, independent of the piano part. And what does Liszt do? He plays the whole thing, root and branch, violin and piano, nay, more, for he played fuller, more broadly. The violin got its due right in the middle of the piano part. He was literally over the whole piano at once, without missing a note, and how did he play! With grandeur, beauty, genius, unique comprehension. I think I laughed-laughed like an idiot. -Edvard Grieg
It is hard to imagine the emotional fanaticism that Franz Liszt inspired in his time. If one witnessed Beatlemania at its height one may have an inkling. Yet, here was one man whose musicianship and artistry transported crowds of people frenzied into mass hysteria.
Lisztomania
The writer Heinrich Heine coined the term Lisztomania to describe the outpouring of emotion that accompanied Liszt and his performances.
“Liszt’s playing was reported to raise the mood of the audience to a level of mystical ecstasy”
[Find out more]
Liszt Says
Quotable
As the mother teaches her children how to express themselves in their language, so one Gypsy musician teaches the other. They have never shown any need for notation.- Franz Liszt
Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.- Franz Liszt
In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance.- Franz Liszt
Supreme serenity still remains the Ideal of great Art. The shapes and transitory forms of life are but stages toward this Ideal, which Christ’s religion illuminates with His divine light.- Franz Liszt
You cannot imagine how it spoils one to have been a child prodigy- Franz Liszt
During what time do we find the Romantic era? From the 1770’s to about 1870.
“An artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe”, this period of time imprinted its philosophy on many composers and artists we admire and enjoy today, despite the modern rejection of many of the ideas that inspired their works.
The time was rooted in the German Sturm und Drang movement, and an earmark of it was the intense emotion and elevation of emotion in expressions both abstract and pragmatic, such as the political. It was the age of Byron, of heroes and anti-heroes, and the sum of it was expressed by Charles Baudelaire: “Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor exact truth, but in the way of feeling.”
[wikipedia article]
The Most Important Thing
Liszt is probably most highly acclaimed for his piano transcriptions. He transcribed Paganini’s capriccios which contained almost impossible difficulties.His Career and Musical Works, Article at Classical.net
Hans Christian Anderson
Said of Liszt,”The whole instrument appears to be changed into a great orchestra.”
Liszt
Comtesse Charles d’Agoult, née Marie d’Agoult, and Her Daughter Claire d’Agoult 1849, pencil heightened with white and touches of yellow watercolor
The Women in His Life
The Countess Marie d’Agoult was the mother of his children and helped nurture his time of greatest creativity and fame. Liszt began his relationship with her in 1833. “She was said to be ”six inches of ice over twenty feet of lava”.” The Russian Princess, Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, met him in 1847. It was his longterm relationship with her that endured through the end of his life
His daughter, Cosima Wagner born Francesca Gaetana Cosima Liszt, resented her absentee father. She married German composer Richard Wagner.
“I carry a deep sadness of the heart which must now and then break out in sound.”
Served with Nokeldi, a homemade noodle similar to German Spätzle
The Traditional Hungarian Chicken Dish with a Paprika Sauce
Would you like a recipe for chicken that is easy to make, cooks up in an hour, and is great enough to serve proudly to company? You would? Then this recipe for Chicken Paprikash should really be on your list of new dishes to try. Of course, if you have a Hungarian heritage like I do, it is already one of your family’s favorite meals.
My friends were always delightfully surprised at the mellow spiced flavors and the balance in this dish.
Real Hungarian Paprika
Never substitute other paprika if you wish to have the deliciously subtle taste of this authentic chicken dish.
Always use real Hungarian paprika, and not just any store-bought brand for the true flavor of Hungarian paprikas.
Hungarian families cook many variations
There are many ways to tweak this recipe. Some cooks add garlic, potatoes, a little tomato, and change around the basic method of simmering the bone-in chicken pieces, but this is the recipe I have used, and yes, I mix it around a little, but basically my way is as simple as possible.
The one thing that true Chicken Paprikash must always have is authentic Hungarian paprika. It is always a more tender and rich flavor than with paprika grown anywhere else in the world.
Here is my recipe, but with links to many renditions of this well loved dish, because they might tickle your taste buds with their variations. The fine points of Hungarian paprika are included for the true gourmet in you. Enjoy!
Chicken Paprikàs for Company
The aroma and taste will impress your guests.
Arguably the most loved and famous of Hungarian entrees.
A dish as traditional as Chicken paprikas is going to have more than one rendition. Try this one for company, it is the classic way to prepare this Hungarian favorite. Cosy homemade food, but with a simple elegance that amkes it special for your guests.
Hungarian Chicken Paprikas
Famously iconic chicken with paprika sauce is a dish Hungary is famous for: tender meat simmered in a piquant and creamy paprikainfused sauce.
Every family has a favorite way of making this famous and delicious dish. Online I’ve seen white wine added to the sauce, tomato puree and other variations.
My mother’s family also had a version which I call Homestyle Chicken Paprikash”, which includes tomatoes and potatoes and dispenses with the sour cream thickening, at times. But the recipe for what I consider the best chicken paprikash is the first one posted here, the one I revert to when I want my own idea of comfort food.
Homestyle Variation
Like my Mother and Grandma Used to Make
Made in this manner, it is a more simple way to serve the flavors in a hearty Sunday meal. The pan can keep warm in the oven for a few hours while you are in Church. My grandfather was a pastor and we had Sunday dinner there whenever we visited. Traditionally it started with soup, but this stewed version of Chicken Paprikas skips that course. I combines the entrée and side dishes into one easy recipe. Serve with rolls and cucumber salad.
Brown the Chicken in oil, with salt and pepper, first, to give the skin a nice color.
This dish can cook in the oven at low temperatures (slow cooked), and is probably fine for a slow cooker, although we always baked it in a glass roasting/baking pan and a large Dutch oven is fine, too.From my posting on Facebook Hungarian Recipes.
Homestyle Paprikash
An easy and delicious chicken stew with all the famous flavor of Hungarian paprikas
Brown the chicken pieces in oil; add to baking pan with quartered potatoes.
Cook onions and green peppers in chicken drippings until soft. Add to chicken in baking pan.
Add water. Sprinkle liberally with paprika, season with salt and pepper.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until done.You can toss in a tomato or two, if you wish.
Notes
Serve with or without noodles. Especially good served with slices of homemade bread!!!!
Which Paprikàs Recipe Do You Prefer?
Paprikas labeled into a bowl with dollop of sour cream
Nokedli Dumplings
Of course, you may use any type of egg noodle, but Chicken Paprikash tastes special with homemade little spaetzle-ype noodles. So easy, too!
You can use any recipe for Spaetzle or Nokedli dumplings.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 egg
a little water added slowly
salt
Instructions
Mix ingredients together to a medium stiff dough. Place on a cutting board and use a knife to separate off little 1/4 inch dumplings into simmering stew or boiling water. When they rise to top they are done.
Dough may also be rolled into lump and grated into the broth using a large-holed grater.
Paprikàs Tips
Sliced onions are not only easiest, they are best. Forget mincing or chopping. Tomato sauce is for goulash, let the taste of the paprika and peppers reign in this dish. Stir a little of the chicken juices into the sour cream before adding it to make the final gravy.
Don’t ever let Paprika burn.
My Paprikash Pan
It can be used on the stovetop or in the oven, which means you can make either style of Paprikash in it. Great for one dish meals, with a large cooking surface and a cover. Sold on Amazon
My Favorite Cooking Pan – an Everyday Pan
I once used a Dutch oven for making hearty stews like Chicken Paprikas, or sometimes a deep sided fryer, but once I purchased an Everyday pan I fell in love with the way it cooks and serves this kind of meal beautifully.
Using a large attractive pan to prepare the meal means that it can be served attractively at the table, no need to plate separately.
The pan above is the exact one I own, it has a tempered glass cover and is made of aluminum encased in stainless steel. its sloping sides and flat bottom are great on my glass top cooking surface.
I Love to Prepare this Chicken Paprikas Method
Why all my Friends Love Paprikas Chicken!
In the Magyar language this dish is known as “Csirkepaprikas”, a staple recipe that can be dressed up enough for company or easy enough for regular family meals.
It may be served as a family dish with the meat picked off of the bone with more sauce. Classically, pieces of bone-in chicken are served on a platter, with a reduced sauce, thickened with sour cream, spooned over the top of noodles.
Unquestionably, freshly prepared noodles are preferred, but any good egg noodles will be almost as delicious.
The flavors of this dish are outstanding, the method of cooking is easy, and the ingredients are quite simple. That makes it an ingenious choice to add to your cooking repertoire.
Because you are a busy mom, what is better loved than a dinner that is easy to make and doesn’t take too long, but can be slow cooked, too? Reheated, it is even better.
I love the fact that the flavors are different enough to pique the tastebuds of most everyone, yet appeals to most palates, as well.
Your Favorite Hungarian Paprika – Hot, Sweet, or Smoked
sweet red pepper
No Narration, Visual Directions
Types of Hungarian Paprika – I prefer the Sweet for my Paprikash
The two most famous growing regions are Kalocsa and Szeged; you will notice they lend their names to brands of Hungarian paprika.
Extra special (Extra különleges)
Special (különleges)
Delicatess (Csemege)
Noble sweet (Édesnemes)
Rose (Rózsa)
Paprikash or Paprikàs?
What difference does an “h” make? Not much. Drop the “h”, add an accent mark with the diacritical ” à ” for the Hungarian spelling.
Learn How To Make Classic Hungarian Style Chicken
These recipes are as easy as they look- and absolutely delicious.
These are variations. All things considered, I don’t think you should add tomato sauce. That is more of a goulash type of dish, and prefer the simple recipe with less steps and less ingredients. I do sometimes add a tomato or two.
Hungarian Chicken Recipe Links – Other Paprikash Recipes
Sofia’s Chicken Paprikash Recipe | Eating Well Brilliant red paprika, the main seasoning in Hungarian cooking, gives this light version of chicken paprikash its color. Vary the heat by using hot, s
Goulash was originally a camp dish in the Old Country
Beautifully presented bowl of Goulash
Church Cookbooks, Immigrants Legacy
These spiral bound recipe collections aren’t the popular fund raising project they once were. Perhaps reflecting the fact that we aren’t the avid home cooks we once were. I can’t remember the time I swapped recipes face to face with a friend. It must have been a couple decades ago.
Now I get all my new recipes on Pinterest. But if you want a slice of how that important center of life, the kitchen, might have smelled and tasted when your grandparents came to this country… try looking through some of the old Church fundraising publications that featured the Ladies favorite foods.
Ethnic cookbooks published by immigrants of old were the repositories of their favorite everyday recipes. Some locally renowned home cooks of excellent ability and reputation, contributed the own rendition of many common dishes.
There were several paprikash, stuffed pepper and stuffed cabbage variations along with the famous goulash.
My Grandmother’s Recipes
Of course, the culture of the church would be reflected within the cookbook they produced.
As I peruse my Grandmother’s cookbooks, I come into contact with examples of fine Hungarian home cooking. She was the wife of a Hungarian Reformed Church Pastor, and one of her very favorite things in the world besides playing the organ was cooking!
Sadly, I rescued only a few of her many, many recipe books, but I had some of her hand written ones, from swaps with friends. And the thing is with some of these cooks of a bygone time, especially Hungarians, is that they never divulged their very best recipes. It was like pulling eye teeth. But my Grandmother (being the Reverend’s wife and all) managed to lever out a few.
Hungarian Church Recipes
The story of these collections reflects something else going on in the culture of the offspring of the immigrants who originally baked and cooked according to their traditions. Along with everything else in their lives, they became Americanized.
Ingredients Weren’t Always Available
If they couldn’t grow it here, there might have been need for substitutions. Different foods became available, and inventive home cooks added them. Variations of old world foods were as widespread as the adventurous immigrants.
Well Loved Dish In Many American Homes
Anything that is quick and easy and delicious, too, is going to become an family favorite.
You need a Dutch oven- it is a basic pot for cooking so many dishes to perfection. I own a Le Creuset and it is my absolute favorite cooking pan of all time. Mine is a brown color which tells you it is vintage, but this cherry one is gorgeous. What I love about these is the enamel coating over the cast iron which makes cleanup so easy, and the beauty of it allows it to go straight to the table. Great for simmering stews, soups, and one pot meals. Buy Now
Cultural Cooking for American Tastes
This worked both ways, the flavors and recipes of a culture were modified and the American standbys received some tweaking of their own.
I see this clearly in the Church cookbooks which by and large are proudly presenting some family specialities, but also some of the food favorites of the day. For instance, The Dorcas Guild published a cookbook that starts out with Deviled eggs and Moss cheese ball (Bleu cheese rolled in chopped pecans), but then gives some favorites such as Kocsonya (jellied pigs feet) and Majas Nokedli (liver dumplings) and no less than three recipes for Csörōge which are my very favorite “cooky”.
Served Over Medium Wide Noodles
Ingredients For this dish, you add what you have to the mix. Do you love kohlrabi? Add that! Or chopped fresh sweet peppers, carrots, parsnips… you get the idea. Use the given recipe as a base.
Americanized recipes call for some catsup, and Worchestershire sauce. I like those additions, personally, because they make up for the loss of flavor we give up when we use leaner meats (fat gives flavor).
One Pot Meal
Cook everything in a large, heavy pot. A dutch oven is ideal.
You can add potatoes or make your own dumplings to add right into the pot, as well, although I usually cook noodles separately and serve the goulash over those.
Stewing, Slow Cooking Is Best
Prep time: 30 min Cook time: 3 hours Ready in: 3 hours 30 min Yields: Serves 8
Use What You Have
2 lb. Beef, Chuck or Round
1 cup Onions, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. Cooking Oil
3/4 cup Tomato Sauce
1 tsp. Vinegar
1 tsp. Brown Sugar
2 stalks Celery, chopped
1 Parsley Root and Greens, minced
Black Pepper, to taste
2 tsp Salt
2 1/2 tsp. Sweet Hungarian Paprika
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
Method
Brown beef chunks in the 3 T. fat (you choose the type of oil for your taste – regular vegetable oil is typical, although I have been substituting virgin olive oil.
Add onions and garlic, stir and cook until softened.
Mix together the spices, salt and pepper, and everything except the vegetables, add to meat.
Add 2 cups water and bring heat to simmer. Add vegetables. Simmer about 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Some cooks add a flour and water mixture to add thickening. Others add bread crumbs. Still others add only some homemade dumpling noodles later in the cooking (like the chef in the video at the bottom of this page.) I add 2 Tablespoons flour dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water. After addition of flour be sure to cook for long enough to thicken and lose the “raw” taste of the flour. Alternatively, add a roux to thicken.
Tips for Hungarian Paprika
I was cooking one of my favorite Hungarian dishes for my son and his supply of Hungarian paprika was outdated. When it turns dark and is out of date there is little flavor. He had grocery store paprika and a smoked version, but the flavors do not yield the same results. I had to make a special trip to obtain the real thing.
When storing your genuine Sweet Hungarian Paprika, consider refrigerating it if you won’t be using it in a reasonable amount of time.It will last 3 to 4 years when stored properly.
Store in a cool, dark cupboard, away from direct heat or sunlight.
Fresh Hungarian Peppers, Test For Hotness
Add fresh Hungarian (AKA “Banana”) peppers. This type may range from sweet and mild to moderately hot. If spiciness is not desired, taste test the pepper before adding to your dish!
Don’t Change This
The source of the paprika spice.
Not if you want real Hungarian flavor, at any rate.
The paprika tastes different from other kinds because of the climate and soils of Hungary.
The Paprika Must Be Hungarian
There are sweet, and hot types, but Hungarian paprika has a particular taste that nothing rivals. No substitutes, please. Regular grocery store paprika will leave a slightly bitter aftertaste. Look for “Sweet Hungarian”. You can also order it online.
I include a table for the various designation of paprika flavors, but I usually use the Delicate. The others tend to be harder to find, although you can find almost anything on Amazon.
Types of Paprika
Designation
Description
Hungarian
Special Quality
mildest and brightest red, excellent aroma.
Különleges
Delicate
light to dark red, a mild yet rich flavor
Édes csemege
Exquisite Delicate
slightly more pungent than Delicate
Csemegepaprika
Pungent Exquisite Delicate
much more pungent Delicate
Csípos Csemege, Pikáns
Rose
Pale Red, strong aroma, mild pungency
Rózsa
Noble Sweet
most common paprika- bright red, slightly pungent
Édesnemes
Half-Sweet
blend of mild and pungent paprikas
Félédes
Hot
Light brown in color, this is the hottest paprika
Eős
What Are You Waiting For?
Make it for your family today! It will become a favorite.
Remember:
Use real Hungarian Sweet Paprika, never a substitute
Make the beef base, then create your goulash with your favorite stew vegetables
Don’t add the paprika during the beef browning, add it with the liquid. (paprika must not burn)
Are You Ready For A Comforting Beef Stew?
This is no run of the mill beef stew, and it is the paprika and the method that sets it apart. Trust me, this is real comfort food. Make it into the perfect meal by baking some homemade bread to serve with it, maybe instead of having it over noodles.
Are you ready to make this recipe? I hope so. And it is good enough to serve to friends at the bowl game get together, or have some simmering on the stove during busy holiday time.
Hungarian Cowboy
The csikós is a horse-mounted herdsman of Hungary.
Hungarian Goulash
This is probably the most well known Hungarian cooking term. The original word is spelled “Gulyas” and it is something between a stew and a soup, but always highly flavored with paprika.
The Hungarian Cowboys and shepherds made it in a big iron pot cooking over an open fire out on the Puszta.
There are so many ways to make this dish that you just have to try a few to see which type is your favorite. I suppose it is the Hungarian version of chili. Hearty, easy to make, and flavorful way to cook beef stewmeat.
In our vernacular it also came to mean a hodgepodge or jumble of elements (1)
Trivia From Out On the Plains
In Magyarol (Hungarian), “gulyás” means “herdsman” which gave the name to this quasi stew/soup we call goulash. Goulash is the phonetic way English speaking people pronounce the Hungarian sound for “s” . This is an “sh” sound to us. The herdsmen on the Puszta the cooked their meat in cauldron over an open fire. (The “Puszta” or open plains.) Most often beef was the main ingredient. Today we can use the recipe for any stewing meat we choose.
Why was paprika not added to the recipe for goulash until the 17th-century?
Because the plant was brought to the country by the Turks only in the 16-17th centuries. It was the herdsmen on the plains who first introduced it into their cooking… then the peasants got wind of it… and finally, the Aristocrats caught on that this was a delicious flavoring.
Not until the 19th century was the production of paprika refined enough to control the amount of hotness in the spice. Kalocsa and Szeged are the two main areas still famous for their paprika. People from those areas were instrumental in improving the production process that results in the best paprika in the world.
How Accurate Are Self Published Recipes?
Obviously, they don’t have the same professional checking and testing that a Cook’s Magazine might, but overall I found that they produce a quality food product. Missing is the nutritional info, sometimes the baking pan sizes, and occasionally the details of cooking method.
I guess those old time cooks took for granted that we would know all that.
Because of the tested quality of a professional cookbook, we should look over the amateur recipes of a personal collection with a bit more scrutiny. Although the Hungarian ladies had much more trustworthy recipes than the ones published by my own Church (which shall remain unnamed).
My advice: test a recipe before serving to guests.
This Recipe
That said, this recipe is so simple, basic, and forgiving it will turn out well (and become one of your favorites) no matter what – as long as you follow the basic directions.
Cakes and baked goods aren’t quite so forgiving!
Trinkets of Hungarian culture
A Word On Church Cookbooks
Church Cookbooks often hold sayings and poems, along with sweet little line drawings. Occasionally they have mistakes or repetitions of the same recipe. However, nothing is better for giving you a taste of the time and the interests of what often was the last bastion of the old country culture is ther loved, but strangely new world.
Authentic Goulash
The video gives the basics on Hungarian Goulash
There are a number of videos online, but this one is easy to follow with all the basics. Forget about the advice that you can use Spanish paprika.
Some people like a bit of fire added with jalapeno pepper.
This video advises caraway, while others say cumin. I don’t usually add either of these.
If you have typical American tastes (love the meat, but not too spicy, this is the version for you)
Many cultures share this ancient art form, including the Greeks, Czechs, Russians, Romanians, and, perhaps best-known, the Ukrainians. Historically egg decorating is rooted in pagan symbolism and is often practiced when the winter season becomes spring. In the same way, pysanky represents good wishes and blessings, so it’s no wonder that performing the craft aligns easily with the Christian celebration of Easter.
In this article, you will learn:
Egg decorating methods
Different motifs and their meanings
A short history of pysanky eggs
Most Important Tip: Flawless Egg
A very important tip in making your own, is to choose eggs with no cracks or imperfections in the shell.
Whether in Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, or Ukraine (and many others!) you can find highly decorated eggs during the Easter season. For some, it is an integral part of their Easter holiday tradition.
1. Making a Decorative Egg
It’s important to use high-quality eggs when planning pysanky. Smooth-shelled, white, strong eggs are best. You can find high-quality eggs from independent purveyors at farmers’ markets or organic food stores. Once you have your eggs, it’s best to carefully clean and empty them so they do not smell.
My Oldtime Method of Preparing the Shell
When I was a kid, i decorated eggs. My method was a bit simpler, but similar to the above video.
Using a large darning needle, I poked holes on both ends of the egg. One larger, one smaller.
I then inserted the needle and broke up the egg.
I simply blew the contents out with my mouth.
Not terribly sanitary, but in those days I wasn’t too worried and threw away the removed egg insides.
In order to color your egg, you’ll need what’s called “kitska,” or a stylus with a reservoir for beeswax. You may want to find different sizes because they will allow you to draw thick or thin lines. There’s a kit to purchase on Amazon that has everything you need for making pysanky.
Hungarians call this technique, “writing” the decoration on the egg.
Dyes are added to the egg from the lightest color to the darkest in the pysanky method. Wax is placed on the egg to preserve the color before the next darker color is applied.
The Scratch Method (or Drapanka)
Shepherd motif on scratchwork or etched egg | Source: Magyar Vagyok
With the scratching method, the dark color is scratched away to produce two-tone designs.
There is an age-old method of using plants and plant dyes to give the eggs a subtle color. Leaves are steeped in a dye solution, or onion skins are wrapped around the egg, and the plant imparts color. Often onion skins were used for the dye, which gives a warm red-brown color.
After the shell is dyed, a sharp tool such as a needle is used to carve the design into the surface. The color of the undyed eggshell contrasting with the dye makes the design.
A Variety of Designs
Pysanky made to look like cross-stitch embroidery.
Bright, Vibrant Colors Eastern European Easter Eggs
Modern Design Pysanky
2. Hungarian Symbols and Motifs
Typical Hungarian Motif: Bird and Flower
Traditionally, Magyars (native Hungarians) exchanged decorated eggs the way we use greeting cards today. Using symbols and symbolic colors would send a message, usually consisting of good wishes for long life or family and personal blessings. A number of pre-Christian symbols included:
The Universe: The universe was symbolized by geometric shapes and heavenly bodies. It symbolized the highest forces of the natural world.
Spring: Floral patterns and some animals symbolized spring and were symbolic of hope. Spring rituals celebrating new life from winter’s death are ancient and even predate dynastic Egypt.
Birds: Different birds were symbolic of different things. Hens symbolized fertility, roosters a rich marriage, and storks were symbolic of babies.
Bears’ Paws: Bears’ paws symbolized the protection of the home.
Like their embroidering, the Hungarians originally preferred intricate patterns, but very simple color choices for their Easter eggs. Avacal.org offers an extensive history of pysanky that’s worth reading—they include how-tos and more detailed information about symbolism and dyes.
Interested in Symbolic Meanings?
Birds = harbingers of spring
Rooster or hen = fertile, abundance
Deer, horses and rams = wealth
Spiders = patience
Ladders = prosperity
Pine = health
Sun = vitality
Various geometric designs and symbols such as the triskele are used. Significantly, they often mean life or good fortune.
Painted Egg Colors
Dr. István Györffy, in his study on painted eggs, writes:
… “The Hungarian folk Easter eggs are characterized by tasteful simplicity in a one color pattern which are mostly red. Brown, black, and blue rarely occur. They do not care for the multi-colored eggs. The most beautiful patterns are made in seven Csango villages (Brasov county) and in Szekely.”
Creative Inspiration
Floral Elements
Unquestionably, floral elements are favored in all Hungarian folklore decorative arts. Tulips, leaves, roses, and daisy forms, as well as cornflower and others might well be seen; especially when decorating surfaces.
Hungarian style designs from a vintage book. Source: PAINTED EGG OF MAGIC POWER
More Hungarian Designs | Source: Ajándék Katalógus
Regional Designs | Source: Huszadik Szazad
How Painted Eggs Became an Easter Symbol
The Christian holiday Easter marks the resurrection of Christ from the grave, and this new life for a believer was represented well by the age-old symbolism of the egg.
Hímestojás
Magyar word for the decorated Easter eggs.
Decorated Eggs Are Symbolic of Rebirth and Eternal Life
Similarly, symbols for concepts found inside this most important event for Christians found their way into designs painted on the eggs:
Trinity Symbols and Rounds: Intertwined loops symbolize eternal life.
Straight Lines: Dividing lines around the egg symbolized temporal and eternal life.
Half Circles: Half circles symbolized a new day or resurrection.
Moreover, the old motifs came to have new meanings with the spread of Christianity. Layered meanings of these beliefs on the ancient pysanky made this a central custom that carried on, even when the original pagan beliefs were gone.
History, Symbolism, And Ritual
Origins of the Easter egg reach into the pagan customs and motif meanings.
Hungarian-Style Pysanky
Short History of the Symbolic Egg in Eastern Europe
A very early find of an Avar burial ground in Croatia yielded evidence of these iconic mementoes with carved designs as grave goods. Slavic peoples decorated eggs and some from the 10th century were discovered. In similar fashion, the ritual act of using designs on eggs reaches far back in time and is found in ancient Mesopotamia.
Motifs In Modern Times
As time progressed, the designs changed from abstract symbols to more recognizable motifs that are common to the painting and Magyar-style embroidery decorations that Hungarians adorn in everyday life. Hearts, leaves, roses, and tulips are among the most popular and familiar to us today.
Do you collect any type of Easter egg?
Decorated Hungarian Easter Egg Links
How to Make Beautiful Pysanky Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs created in the springtime ,much like Easter eggs, are called Pysanky. Learn more about this ancient craft.
Please leave comments about your experience with egg decorating or collecting. Can you see the similarities and distinctions of the regional styles of egg decorating?
Perhaps it was the name, or perhaps it was just my nature, but curiosity and machinations of the mind led me along an investigative trail. Not merely into the definition of the name which began the whole venture, but into cultures, history, and the subjects of etymology and linguistics.
Ilona Is an Unusual Name
Now here is the story of it all. My name is an unusual one in American culture; and as such, it is often positively remarked upon, misspelled, mispronounced, and requiring attention from those addressing me. So, it is not surprising that I have had a fascination with its meaning. It has become a bar by which I judge the quality of baby-name books and name lists. If the author does not include the name, Ilona, then I can only conclude a lack of scholarship on their part.
There was the tantalizing knowledge that this was not only a “name”, it was a family name, and one which was popular in the Hungarian heritage. It meant something, stood for something, greater than my own unique self. What could that be? And what import could that hold for my destiny, if any?
In other cultures, a name often holds much for an individual. In fact, in the study of the Bible many insights may be gained by name meanings. The Hebrews always had a meaning for their names, and their language is very picturesque. When naming an animal,for example, they used descriptions of qualities, which in turn helps to identify the animal in question. Sometimes the people of cultures were expressing qualities they valued when naming their children, and sometimes names of individuals changed as they exhibited certain qualities. A name is a most personal identifier.
In the Baby Name Books
Almost all name books identify the name “Ilona” with the name of “Helen”. The further I look into things, the less I might question that. And yet, there are some things to look at in this. The name Helen is a “Hellenization”, a Greek version of the name. In other words, it was the Greek interpretation of a name which perhaps originated within a different sort of language.
The name ‘Helen’ seems identified with the Greek god “Helios” representing the sun, and usually interpreted as “Bright and shining”. One of the main reasons I questioned the identification of “Ilona” with “Helen” is the fact that it turns up in both the cultures of Finland and Hungary. To me, that suggested that perhaps it was derived from within the language group of the Ugric/Finno forms rather than the Indo/European one of Greece.
Although the Greeks named people after their gods and goddesses regardless of the sexual identification, the ancients didn’t usually correlate the sun with femininity. To further complicate the quest for the name meaning is the story of Helen which is entwined with the city of Troy, found in the land which is now Turkey, a country whose language is in the Ugric/Finno group. So upon a circuitous quest I went.
Down the Name Meaning Rabbit Hole
Not being a scholar, but a curious sort of person, I started looking around at the word groups common between the languages in the Hungarian and Finn category. I started by looking at sites that were about the Ugaric/Finno language group. Then after finding some leads on word roots and (pre/suf)fixes for words, I went to language dictionaries in the related languages and put in queries on words that might produce another lead. Unscientific, but producing a couple interesting possibilities. This is the type of thing curious people do, and I suppose it seems a monumental waste of time for the more practical minded! Among the things I came up with are these:
The ‘na’ ending in these languages had the connotation of” having the qualities of ” or back in the Sumeranian “to be with”. I saw a possibility that it might be the usage of the end portion of the name Ilona, particularly in the way a Hungarian pronounces the name: E’-LOH-nah … the nah being a short end sound, not drawn out as other similar names in more western Euro countries.
The “Ilo” part had several possibilities, but since the idea usually associated with the name was of beauty, I found the ideas of the Hungarian “illat” meaning fragrance as close, and they also have an “illő” meaning fitting or decorus. Within the Finn definitions for the word “ilo” are ideas of bliss, delight ,satisfaction, rejoicing, all of which could be reactions to a fragrant smell or perfume.
The Estonian word for perfume also has a form very similar and could be pronounced like “Ilona”.
All this led my own conclusions to identify the feminine name “Ilona” with a meaning more identified with the delight of a fragrant perfume rather than dazzling the eye, as the name of Helen would indicate. So now to end with a sound byte useful for a name definition book, how about “Ilona- one who has a delightful perfume of joy”? I’ll go for that, since I think fragrance is one of the enjoyments of life.
Linguistics, History, and Names
Sometimes I can’t believe all the eye-straining lists of words I pored over, but it does take one into the history of origins of language and nations. The migrations and settlements of those that became the Hungarian people ranged across the Asian steppes to possibly be a part of the Scythians, and traces of these peoples seem to be within the Carpathian mountains retaining an unusual language formation to this day. The confederations of early times, and even some of the values of cultures are traced within names and languages. My dad grew up around the lakes, where a a number of Finns immigrated, and states ” They are the hardest working, toughest people I know”; and the history of their land and that of Hungarians are of people who survive in spite of the toughest of circumstances. Not always the wisest, but very brave people. People who have stood against the armies of empires, at great cost to themselves, people as unique, complex, and eccentric as their languages.
lényeg- essence,MAG illat- fragrance,MAG illő – fitting,decorus,MAG na =mother /Scyth nä =to be with /Sumerian “n., human being; incense” Õ difficult sound for Russians and Finns; like the first part of the diphtong in ‘most’ or ‘road’. Do not confuse this with Portuguese – the only other European language using o with tilde. -Estonian dialectical mark íl, íla, íli = to carry; deliver; carrier; etc. -Sum. iha = desire; ihalda- = desire, long (Es) / iha = allurements, charms; grace; merry; ihaile- = admire; ihalta- = admire, gape at; long, yearn for; ihaile- = admire; ihana = delicious, lovely; ihastu- = be captivated, be charmed, become delighted; fall in love (Fi)
Summarizing
Now to end on a note of further speculation, years ago within a fairly extensive book of names (which I now forget the name of) the name Ilona was interpreted as meaning “Beautiful Spinner”. None of my sources turned up anything similar,so it remains a mystery whether that could have highlighted any other shades of meaning. Perhaps the fact that the Magyars were a herding nomadic people,along with the long association of the name with “beautiful” may have inspired the author of that definition?
In further reading on Hungarian and other fairy tales, especially in Eastern Europe, the fairy folk were often identified as those who interfered or helped with household duties such as spinning or milking. I could guess that the spinner and the fairy were the same person, and that the definition chosen for the name derived from one of the old fairy tales.
And how might I have been different, as a person, if my parents had named me “Jane”? …would the rose, by any other name, have been the rose that we now know?….and could this lead to an essay on the Latin nomenclature of plants? …Let’s all hope not.
I have found more on the beginnings of the name, ‘Ilona’. One of the early pagan beginnings had a myth of someone called “Tündér-Ilona”. I believe it is from this that the long association of the name with ‘beautiful’ derives.The word, Tündér, is sort of a fairy person. The word relates to the Altaic languages TEN-GRI and Sumerian DIN-GIR, who are the the lesser gods of the Sumerians of Mesopotamia. The stories most related to Ilona: The queen of the “nymphs”, who were often associated with heaven and wet places, mountains etc., was the beautiful “Tündér-Ilona”, who often was represented by the swan in Hungarian fairy tales.
Perhaps a variation of the Parthian and Mesopotamian NANA or Sumerian goddess Dingir-INANA, the daughter of the Moon, who was the young goddess of the heavens and also at times was warlike, and a seductress. Sometimes she is called szép-aszony meaning beautiful queen, in Hungarian. (széép means beautiful, asszony is a title for wife now, but was also for “queen”). It was sort of a weird coincidence that I had chosen “Reflecting Pool” and the motif of a swan for my website. Although the swan was used earlier in my designs.
When you have an unusual name, it is easy to wonder along with those who ask you: “where did you get that name” and does it have a meaning?
This page was written for my old Squidoo pages, it will now reside here.
Furthermore…. the following will likely sound redundant in places since it was my original html page on what was, for me, a subject of fascination.
Investigating the Name Ilona
Meaning of the Name, Ilona
I’m Hungarian by descent, and my name is Ilona. Those two facts are linked and provide the basic reason to share this story of the investigation of my name with you.
Names have meanings and at times people attach great significance to their names. For some, the name of a child portends their future, or it may designate something special within the child or their family. It just might represent the hope of the parents. There are many reasons a name may be chosen.
In my family there were a number of the girls that were named Ilona: my grandmother, my aunt, a cousin, and myself. Both my cousin and I named one of our girls, Ilona. In the mainstream of America, though, this name is not all that common, but people tend to react positively to it. Perhaps that is one reason I was quite interested, for many years, to investigate the meaning of the name.
Names have interesting stories, and they are not always what you would expect. The name of Ilona turned out to be one of those unusual stories, which seems quite appropriate for a somewhat unusual name.
Baby Name Book – where I sought the first information – … so many,many names
Most good baby name books give fairly accurate name meanings and root source of a name. In fact it was a particularly good name book that started me wondering why it listed a different meaning for “Ilona” than many of the more common books I had referenced.
People have long attached more than the mere word to names. For many cultures it called out the destiny of the person, or memorialized a significant event of their lives.
There have even been secret names that only the clan knew, and though we seem far removed from that today, it remains that people still attach special meaning to themselves through their name. This book is meant to give background on a very large number of names for those interested in that information.
Tunder Ilona
This was a fairy or being that was associated with watery places in Hungarian mythology.
Almost every baby name book will say that the name ‘Ilona’ comes from the name ‘Helen’. Helen is a Greek name originally, and the Russian form of Helen is Elena. When you hear it pronounced, it sounds very much like Hungarian pronunciation of Ilona.
That linguistic phenomena is called a cognate. The dictionary tells us: “Linguistics descended from the same language or form: such cognate languages as French and Spanish”.
A cognate word: The English word water is a cognate of German wasser. In fact, the two languages have many cognate words with each other.
So if you follow that line of thinking, similar sounding names could also be linked in that way. The related meaning of the name Ilona could possibly derive from the name Helen, the Trojan princess whose beauty ignited the famous Trojan wars of ancient time (at least that is how the legend goes…)
The trouble with that idea, for me, was the fact that Hungarian is such a different language group from the Greek. That, along with originations of the name “Ilona” which come from the Eastern hordes (from evidence and Hungary’s own stories), and not from later influence from European territories and languages. Besides that, I found that Finns, a language group that is supposed to have some distant relation to Hungarian (see the link on Ugaric languages) also traditionally has the feminine name, Ilona .
That triggered a desire to investigate further this family and cultural infused name of mine.
The old name book that I had read, back in 1967 (far enough back in time that I could not remember the name, or relocate it), had given the name meaning as “Beautiful Spinner”. I had latched on to that as an intriguing name meaning. It was very different from the usual “Bright Light” or “torch” of Helen which was given in most name books.
Here is a bit more of the etymology of Helen’s original name:
“Helene is a direct transliteration of the ancient Greek name found in English as Helen or Helena. Its etymology is disputed and has been complicated by shaky theories placing, for example, ‘helene’ as a cognate of ‘selene’ (moon). It has also been suggested that the name comes from an Indo-European root meaning ‘shine’. The strongest theory suggests the name comes from ‘helene’ (also found ‘helane’), meaning ‘torch’, or ‘helene’, meaning ‘basket’. The torches were made from bound together reeds and the baskets in question were woven wicker and rope. Therefore, ‘helene’ may mean ‘wicker’, ‘reed’ or ‘shoot’ (it was not uncommon in Greek for a word for a material to come to refer to an object itself made from that material). The modern French form of this name is written Hélène and pronounced ‘ey LEN’.”
The question for me was “Where did the spinner part come from?” “Why was the term “Beautiful” connected with “Ilona” in the old fairy myths of Hungary?
I followed a path that led to the “fairy” legends of Tunder Ilona, who was the Hungarian Queen of Fairies. I also took a look, not a scholarly one, but based on my own conjecture of the meaning of root words common to some of the languages related to Hungarian.
It is simply guesswork and nothing else, so I don’t know if there is any accidental accuracy or not!
One trivia fact I found was that often fairies were connected with the chore of spinning. This was true in the myths of a number of cultures. More well known is the way fairies are thought to spoil milk if offended.
Fate, fairies, and spinning or weaving are all interconnected in the early tales that people used to explain events and influences that impacted their daily lives.
Spinning was a woman’s particular duty in many cultures, and a very important one. Fairy tales which still contain elements of the importance of spinning; two tales including the interference of fairies are Rumpelstiltskin and Sleeping Beauty.
In many tales fairies come to help the spinner do their work. Their help often held an unpleasant price to pay, and so the women were forced to find a way to trick the fairy folk to leave. Such stories, I believe, would have been the source for Tunder Ilona- the fairy named Ilona and spinning. Of course, she was beautiful as most fae women were, which is the beginning of another story, one of the power of a beautiful woman and the cautionary tales about such things.
That thread is where the author of an old name book was likely to have derived the meaning for the Hungarian form of Ilona, at least in my telling of the story.
Here is a short excerpt of a Tunder Ilona tale:
THE WATER OF ENDLESS YOUTH
“In the very center of the copper castle is the chamber of wondrous fair Ilona, she is sleeping there now. The couch of fair Ilona is neither on the earth, nor in the sky, but is in the air between the earth and sky, and a stairway goes up to it. …
In the corner of the chamber gush forth two fountains. In one is the Water of Endless Youth, in the other is the Water of Death. Take water from each fountain. Here is a flask. Fill it for me from the fountain of Youth, for I, too, would like to be young again.” – Fairy Tales Of Eastern Europe
Seeking the origin of Ilona – Hungarian and Finnish Girl’s Name
This has more names than any other baby name book I’ve come across.
Name Day August 18th (Hungary) In Hungary, the name Ilona is celebrated as a Name Day on August 18th.
Ilona – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ilona is a Magyar (Hungarian) female given name. Etymology is uncertain. Ilona is the traditional name of the Queen of the Fairies in Magyar folklore,[1][2] though a possible etymo
Finnish ilona “as a joy”, as in Tämä lapsi on meille ilona : “This child is a joy to us”.
Root Words:Ilo
Finding what’s at the bottom of the name
To make a long story short, (although you can read the long story, here) I found that the most likely meaning of the word Ilona was the combination of the suffix -na and the root word “ilo”. From what I could piece together in the related languages.
In Finnish, which is grouped with the Hungarian language:
There is a word, the root “ilo” in the essive case, which is translated “as a delight”.
The ‘na’ ending in these languages had the meaning of “having the qualities of” or back in the Sumerian “to be with”.-Ilona
Ãl, Ãla, Ãli = to carry; deliver; carrier; etc. -Sumerian.
If you study fragrance you know that certain parts of the perfume ingredients are carriers of the other essences which comprise the fragrance. It is that idea that I began to see within the roots words for the name Ilona.
Finns celebrate the 9th of October as a Name Day for the name Ilona.
Ilona Zrínyi – and other famous women
Ilona Zrinyi, Hungarian heroine
… an odd assortment of women named ‘Ilona’ who I find interesting.
Ilona Zrínyi spent her life fighting for Hungarian freedom, as wife to Ference Rákóczi I and then to Imre Thókóly. She was the mother of Ference Rákóczi II.
Vlad the Impaler married Ilona Szilágyi, a cousin of King Matthias, and in the years before his final release in 1474, lived with her in a house in the Hungarian capital. She bore him two children.
Is Ilona Your Name, Too?It is not in the top 1000 names in the USA, see if yours is, here. Ilona is used as a first name 77.14% of the time and as a middle name it is used 22.86% of the time. One in every 20,063 Americans is named this.
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Essays brought together in Franz Liszt and His World advance our understanding of the composer with fresh perspective. 
During what time do we find the Romantic era? From the 1770’s to about 1870.
“An artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe”, this period of time imprinted its philosophy on many composers and artists we admire and enjoy today, despite the modern rejection of many of the ideas that inspired their works.
The time was rooted in the German Sturm und Drang movement, and an earmark of it was the intense emotion and elevation of emotion in expressions both abstract and pragmatic, such as the political. It was the age of Byron, of heroes and anti-heroes, and the sum of it was expressed by Charles Baudelaire: “Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor exact truth, but in the way of feeling.”
[wikipedia article]
Source: 
This has more names than any other baby name book I’ve come across.
