broth

Broth is a flavorful liquid obtained by simmering animal tissues, bones, or vegetables in water, often with aromatics such as onions, garlic, herbs, and pepper. In common culinary usage, broth is seasoned and intended to be eaten as is or used to flavor dishes, while stock, made primarily from bones with little or no salt and often not seasoned, serves as a base for sauces and gravies. The terms can overlap in everyday speech, but broth generally refers to a finished, consumable liquid, whereas stock emphasizes body from gelatin.

Preparation typically involves covering ingredients with cold water, bringing to a gentle simmer, skimming impurities, and simmering for 1 to 4 hours (vegetable broths), or longer for meat or bone broths. Longer simmering extracts more flavor and collagen from bones; the latter can gelatinize when cooled, giving a rounded mouthfeel. Strained broth is usually clear enough for soup or drinking, though it may be cloudy if not clarified.

Common varieties include meat or bone broths (beef, chicken, turkey, pork), and vegetarian or vegan broths made from vegetables, mushrooms, and seaweed. Bone broth, in particular, is valued for mineral content and collagen, though nutritional benefits vary. Uses include serving as a soup base, a cooking liquid for grains and vegetables, a base for sauces and risottos, or as a drinking broth in some cuisines.

Storage and safety: refrigerated broth lasts several days; frozen broth keeps for several months. Commercial broths may include added salt, fat, or flavor enhancers. To maintain quality, cool promptly, refrigerate in shallow containers, and reheat to steaming before serving.