Is bone broth really that healthy?

A stock cube in the soup? That is so last year! No, homemade broth is the new drink for foodies, and preferably bone broth. Is this trend really as healthy as claimed?

It may have started with the British cookbook writers and sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemley. They wrote the bestseller The art of eating well, full of gluten-free and sugar-free recipes. In their book, they value self-drawn broth. They even made linen bags with the imprint â € Boil your bonesâ € ™. Bouillon is now embraced in more places in the world. There are many bouillon bars in New York, where you can easily pay 4 dollars for a paper cup-to-go with stock. And in Amsterdam there is also the Bouillon Bar, where the slogan is: â € Bouillon, the ultimate health kickâ € ™. [! 179673 => 1130 = 2!] Healthy?

The hip foodies claim that broth is very rich in nutrients. Yet that is not true. What you find in broth are the flavorings, some minerals, vitamins, a little bit of fat and a meager amount of protein. That's not bad, certainly not! But it is definitely not the concentrate as it is now being promoted. For example, bone broth is said to also contain collagen and gelatin (from the bones), which is said to be a natural anti-wrinkle therapy. Or that broth stimulates the immune system. Not proven, these claims and again: the nutrient content is so low that you can expect little from it. But broth is a healthy drink for in between meals (because hardly any calories) and a nice basis for the kitchen.

Umami

What stock does have in abundance is taste. That taste is umami, which is best described as 'hearty' and which gives a dish a rich, full flavor. It is one of the basic flavors, in addition to salty, sour, bitter and sweet. Mind you, umami is not the same as salt! A self-made stock contains hardly any salt. And that is something that you can definitely not say about ready-to-use bags of drinking stock, solution soup or stock from a stock cube. Lots of flavor and little salt: in that respect, drawing broth yourself certainly has its advantages! It is a perfect and healthy basis for soup, sauces and, for example, for the preparation of risotto.

There is another big advantage to homemade stock. It is in line with the aim to use ingredients sparingly and to eat pure and unprocessed food. It is great that you can now turn ingredients that you would normally throw away into a wonderful product. In that respect, the bouillon trend is definitely recommended. You can draw a broth from so many products. Think of marrow bones, beef shank, a calf's leg and other beef bones, the carcass of a chicken or turkey, fish bones, vegetables and herbs. Asparagus peels are also perfect. Add spices such as thyme, mace, parsley, celery and peppercorns. Heat the ingredients with cold water and let it come to a boil. Important: let the stock steep on a very low heat, it should not boil. And take your time when drawing a broth from bones. The longer, the better: three hours is the least for a beef bone broth, but it can also be a whole day or longer. If you reduce (reduce, say chefs) the stock after steeping, the stock will be concentrated and even more powerful in taste. Season your homemade stock with salt and garnish with fresh herbs or finely chopped vegetables.

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