The Story of Soup

The Appeal of Soups, Stews and Chowders

By Deborah C. Harding

Soup, stew, stock, broth, chowder, chili or gumbo -- call it what you may, but it represents a form of sustenance for millions worldwide and a major source of comfort on a frosty evening or a cool summer afternoon. Soups and stews have been around almost since the beginning of time.

Soups and stews have date back to ancient times. Prehistoric humans found that if they placed bones and meat into a skin bag or animal bladder with liquid and added a few hot rocks, they would have a palatable, warm meal.

The first written account of soup is in the book of Genesis where Esau sells his birthright to inherit his father Isaac's wealth for a pot of soup his brother, Jacob, was cooking up. Esau's hunger was assuaged and Jacob became the Father of the Israelites.

The Romans made complicated soups cooking ingredients separately and straining several times during the process. The Chinese viewed soup not as a food, but as nourishment for the body or as a medicine to keep the body in good working order. In Britain, soup was not only considered a way to gain strength after illness, but also as a daily regiment to keep from being hungry. Gruel, or porridge, was what Scrooge ate before Morley's ghost appeared in Dickens book, A Christmas Carol. This was nothing more than a soup or stew of liquid, grain or bread, bits of leftover meat and maybe some vegetables.

The French took soup and stew to the level of art, creating different preparations and adding flavorings such as wines and herbs. Cold soups using fruits and vegetables came about. In Sweden, they make a wonderful fruit soup full of cherries, peaches, berries, raisins and plenty of sugar. Cucumber soup and strawberry soup

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