bouillon cube

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Various stock cubes

A bouillon cube (US) or stock cube (UK and Australia) is dehydrated broth (bouillon in French) or stock formed into a small cube about 15 mm wide. It is made by dehydrating vegetables, meat stock, a small portion of solid fat (such as hydrogenated oil), salt (usually well over 50%) and seasonings (usually including monosodium glutamate) and shaping them into a small cube. Dehydrated broth is also available in granular form.

Broth made from rehydrated cubes is different in taste from fresh broth because of its higher salt content and flavors changed by the boiling process. Bouillon cubes are convenient and inexpensive. The cubes are widely used in English cooking to add flavor.

Bouillon cubes were commercialized by Maggi in 1908 and by Oxo in 1910 as a cheaper version of meat extract. By 1913, there were at least 10 brands available, with salt contents of 59–72%.^[1]

Its invention is attributed to Nicolas Appert in 1831 ^[2] but the principle was known long before, and called portable soup.

Common brands include Oxo, Knorr, Jumbo brand (Gallina Blanca), Maggi, Hormel's Herb-Ox, Wyler's, Goya and Kallo.

See also

• Meat extract

References