The Latin word caldus, which can be translated as “hot”, came to our language as a soup. The concept is used to name the liquid that is used when seasoning or cooking certain foods.
The broths are made by boiling different ingredients in water, so that the flavor and aroma of the chosen products remain in the liquid. It is possible to prepare broths with vegetables or meats of different kinds.
To prepare a pumpkin broth, for example, it is necessary to place this fruit in water and make it boil for several minutes. You can use both the pulp of the pumpkin and its skin and seeds. In addition, you can add salt, pepper and other seasonings to the water. When the broth is ready, it will have an orange hue and will retain the flavor of the pumpkin, even when the solid components (pulp, skin, etc.) are extracted.
It is possible to make broth fish, chicken or chicken and beef broth, among many others. The preparation is always the same: the ingredients must be cooked in water.
When the broth is boiled for a long time to reduce the liquid, you get a bottom. According to the color, we can speak of a dark background or a white background.
This color difference is obtained according to the time the food is left dry in the water (if it is barely sautéed, a light background remains, while if it is left for a long time, a dark one is obtained) or at the temperature of the water before to pour them (cold water for the light ones, and hot for the dark ones). The funds are used as a basis for the preparation of other dishes. The difference between these and the broths, in addition to their thickness and color, is that they are not prepared with salt.
With a broth you can prepare multiple meals. The most common is that they are used to make soups, adding noodles or other ingredients to the broth so that they are cooked in it. The broths are also used for the preparation of rice dishes and stews.
Although the preparation of the broth may seem extremely simple, since in principle it consists of boiling different ingredients in plenty of water and seasoning it with spices and herbs, the experts have certain secrets that allow you to give the dish an extra touch, that indecipherable character that the purchased food that makes us think that it is impossible to reproduce at home.
One of the tips of those who prepare the best broths is to start with cold water and simmer the mixture for a long time. This serves so that solid foods provide the broth with the greatest possible amount of nutrients and flavors, so that at the end of the cooking process they are well dry and squeezed.
Regarding the vegetables that should be selected to prepare a good broth, there are no very strict rules, although among the most common are carrot, leek, tomato, onion, celery and garlic. The important thing is the variety, as much for the flavor as for the consistency and the color.
It should be noted that the broth is sold dehydrated, in the form of cubes (dice) or in powder. By adding water, you get the traditional broth.
The dehydrated broth is one of the most useful and most used inventions in the gastronomy field, since it allows to considerably enrich the flavor of the food with a minimum effort: just place the cube or a small amount of powder in hot water so that dissolves by itself. In addition to flavor, the dehydrated broth also provides greater consistency and improves the presentation of the dishes.
