Obstruction of the oesophagus by a piece of goulash meat resulted in tracheal stenosis in an 18-year-old girl. Because of the history of the illness and information supplied by others, as well as the marked stridor, it was first thought that the tracheal stenosis was at the level of a previous tracheostomy with aspiration, but bronchoscopy revealed marked bulging of the posterior wall of the trachea. Subsequent oesophagoscopy then detected the foreign body, which was removed whole.