Chovlent (Zakarpattia cholent)

What it is

Chovlent is a thick, almost liquid-free dish made of beans, pearl barley, and meat, which are simmered together in one pot or cauldron for several hours. Onions, carrots, garlic, and spices are added, and various types of meat can be used: beef, goose, or chicken, preferably slightly smoked for a richer aroma.

Zakarpattia writer Andrii Liubka notes that at home, chovlent was one of the favorite dishes during the cold season, and it is served in establishments in the cities of Vynohradiv, Mukachevo, and Uzhhorod; in other regions of Ukraine, this dish is not found on the menu. Therefore, chovlent is often considered purely Zakarpattian.

In fact, this is a local name for cholent—a Sabbath dish of the Jews who lived in the neighboring Zakarpattian towns; today, Liubka writes, these neighbors are almost gone from the cities. The pot was placed in the oven on Friday, and the dish cooked overnight as the oven slowly cooled, being ready and still warm on Saturday when it was forbidden to kindle a fire.

Modern home recipes are noticeably more 'Zakarpattian': smoked ribs, pork belly, homemade sausage, paprika, and even dried mushrooms are added to the beans and pearl barley, and the dish is prepared much faster.

History and name

Cholent was first described in the 12th century: the Viennese rabbi Isaac ben Moses mentioned it as a dish of the Jews of France. The name is often derived from the Old French 'chalant' meaning 'hot'. In Eastern Europe, the dish's base became beans, barley, and meat; Hungarian Jews call it 'sólet', and in Hungary, it has long transcended Jewish cuisine.

The Zakarpattian 'chovlent' is the local pronunciation of the same name; Andrii Liubka conveys the Jewish pronunciation as 'chount'. His essay 'Chovlent' tells the story of how he searched for the dish's homeland in Hungary and Romania, only to find it 'on the neighboring street': in the Jewish families of his city.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: traditional, long simmering

Dry beans1 partDried beans (in Transcarpathia 'pasuli', Hungarian bab) — the basis for thick soups of the region's Hungarian cuisine.

Pearl barley1 partPolished barley; it simmers for a long time with beans in the Transcarpathian chovlent.Contains allergens: gluten

Beef1 partThe classic meat for Transcarpathian bograch is best from the shoulder or shank.

Onion1–2 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Carrot1–2 pcs.Added to mushroom soup.

Garlica few clovesA seasoning for bograch, kiselytsia, sausages, and trout.

Also: salt (to taste), water (to add during simmering), black pepper (to taste, optional)

Contains allergens: gluten

Variant: modern, with smoked meats

dry beans, pearl barley, pork, smoked pork (ribs, hock), smoked homemade sausage, lard, onion, carrot, tomatoes, dried porcini, ground paprika, salt, black pepper

Contains allergens: gluten

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

• Dry beans — 1 part
• Pearl barley — 1 part
• Beef — 1 part
• Onion — 1–2 pcs.
• Carrot — 1–2 pcs.
• Garlic — a few cloves
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste
• Water — to add during simmering

1. Rinse the beans and pearl barley separately and soak them in water for several hours, preferably overnight.
2. In the bottom of a thick-walled cauldron or pot, brown the meat cut into large pieces; add the chopped onion and carrot.
3. Add the beans and pearl barley, finely chopped garlic, salt, and spices, and pour in enough water to cover the ingredients.
4. Cover with a lid and simmer on the lowest heat for 5–7 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed.
5. The finished chovlent is thick: the beans and barley are soft, and the meat easily separates from the bone.
6. In a quicker modern version, the smoked meats and pork are sautéed in lard, stewed with onion, carrot, and tomato, the soaked pearl barley is added, and the cooked beans are added at the end.

How it is served

Hot, as a standalone dish—most often in the cold season: chovlent is hearty and heavy.

Variants

The proportions of the classic recipe are equal parts beans, barley, and meat: during simmering, the barley and beans expand, while the meat reduces. In home Zakarpattian recipes, smoked ribs, sausage, paprika, tomato, and dried mushrooms are added.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

The cities of lowland Zakarpattia: Andrii Liubka mentions Vynohradiv, Mukachevo, and Uzhhorod. This is a legacy of urban Jewish cuisine, not a dish from mountain villages; the area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Everyday food

In tradition

In Jewish families, chovlent was the food of Sabbath—a day when no work is done and no fire is kindled. Today in Zakarpattia, it is a dish for the cold season: it is prepared at home and served in establishments in the cities of Vynohradiv, Mukachevo, and Uzhhorod.

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