If convenience were an ingredient, it would be bouillon. There was once a time when making broth or stock took the better part of a day. Bouillon changed that. Although the word actually just means "broth" in French, bouillon generally refers to the powders or cubes used to turn water into broth. It's a low-cost, convenient alternative to boxed broth and stock, so it's no wonder it's spread to kitchens all over the world. But what is bouillon? Let's break down this versatile ingredient.
What Is Bouillon?
Bouillon (pronounced bool-yaan) is the French word for broth. The terms bouillon and broth are often used interchangeably. Both refer to the translucent, flavorful liquid that is made by simmering beef, chicken, vegetables, and other ingredients. Colloquially, bouillon is often meant to describe the resulting broth from cubed and powdered forms of bouillon.
What Are Bouillon Cubes?
Made from dehydrated meat or vegetable broth, bouillon cubes are essentially evaporated, condensed bouillon in the shape of a cube that, when added to water, makes broth. The cubes are typically available in chicken, beef, or vegetable bouillon.
The FDA puts it this way: "Chicken bouillon cube or beef bouillon cube are appropriate names if the product is made from evaporated bouillon with sufficient chicken or beef extractives present to give definite characteristics, especially flavor, of the designated source. When dissolved in water according to directions the resulting product is bouillon."
Vegetable bouillon on the other hand contains no meat extractives. Popular brands of bouillon cubes include Knorr and Maggi.
What Are Bouillon Granules?
Granulated bouillon is just a dehydrated bouillon that remains in powdered form instead of being shaped into a cube. It tends to dissolve more quickly than the cubes, and it doesn't require as much packaging.
Better Than Bouillon ($9; amazon.com) is a food base (this can be chicken, beef, vegetable, fish, etc.), that's marketed as an alternative to the often over-salted bouillon cubes and powders. According to Summit Hill, the makers of Better Than Bouillon, it's essentially a concentrated form of stock made from cooked meat or vegetables that has been evaporated down into a thick paste. It can be dissolved in water to make instant stock or simply used to add concentrated flavor to dishes. It's said to impart a stronger flavor than powdered or cubed bouillon without all the salt (but don't be fooled, it's still quite high in sodium).
Other Types of Bouillon
There are a number of soups and stews that go by the same name, though they have no relation to bouillon cubes or powders.
In Haiti, bouillon is actually a type of soup made with some combination of beef, leafy greens, root vegetables, plantains, and more. It's traditionally served on Saturdays, and is usually made to feed a crowd.
In France, court-bouillon, which translates to "short broth," is an aromatic cooking liquid used for poaching fish. There is a Creole dish popular throughout Louisiana by the same name; here court-bouillon refers to a tomato-based seafood stew normally made with red snapper and shrimp.
How to Use Bouillon
In addition to dissolving bouillon in water to make broth, you can use it any number of ways to add salty, umami flavor to dishes. All that's needed to access the bouillon flavor is to add water, so you can dissolve them into curries, dips, dressings, marinades, sauces, soups, and stews. Try using beef bouillon to make a simple gravy. Chicken bouillon has become a staple in Mexican cuisine, including Mexican rice. It can also be used to add umami flavor to egg drop soup.
How to Store Bouillon
Bouillon cubes or granules will last up to two years when packaged tightly and stored in a cool dry place. This puts it at a major advantage over boxed broth, which, once opened, will only last about five days.
Chicken bouillon is an ingredient made from dehydrated chicken stock, dehydrated vegetables, fat, and salt. It also includes a variety of seasonings, such as turmeric, parsley, and coriander. In some cases, it may also contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), an ingredient used to enhance the flavor of certain dishes.
The terms bouillon and broth are often used interchangeably. Both refer to the translucent, flavorful liquid that is made by simmering beef, chicken, vegetables, and other ingredients. Colloquially, bouillon is often meant to describe the resulting broth from cubed and powdered forms of bouillon.
Although broth, stock and bouillon are not exactly the same, they can generally be used interchangeably in cooking. If you have the option, go for broth or bouillon when the flavour of the liquid is a key element of your recipe, and reach for stock to add new depths to a well-seasoned dish.
Worcestershire sauce is basically concentrated umami and salt in a bottle, which means that it works really well as a bouillon replacement. A tablespoon or so of Worcestershire sauce replaces 1 tablespoon of bouillon paste or 1 bouillon cube.
What is Bouillon? Technically, a bouillon cube is a dehydrated cube or powder used to create an instant stock. You see a range of bouillon in stores, often available as vegetable, meat, or chicken bouillon. It is used to make quick, flavorful broth when cooking soups, stews, grains, risottos, curries, and the like.
Stock bases are usually sold as pastes or in liquid form, where broth bases are most commonly sold as powders or in cubes and can be referred to as bouillon. To use either of these in recipes, simply follow the package directions to add water to create the amount of stock or broth called for in your recipe.
A major concern with chicken bouillon and store-bought chicken broths is the amount of sodium they contain. Sodium is an essential mineral and an important component of a healthy diet. However, diets that are consistently high in sodium carry a risk of causing high blood pressure.
Better Than Bouillon is a concentrated food base made of cooked meat and/or vegetables that can be used in a variety of ways - from making a simple soup to adding flavor to your favorite meal.
“Vegetable broth works at multiple levels- it's a healing food, makes the dish alkaline [which helps protect healthy cells and balance essential mineral levels], adds additional multiple nutrients, plus you can customise it according to your needs,” says Delhi-based Kavita Devgan, a popular nutritionist and author.
Bouillon cubes can last for around two years. If they go bad there will be an unpleasant smell, funky taste, and the color may change. Homemade bouillon won't last as long since there are less preservatives, but it will still stay good for months, especially if kept dry and cool.
Stock! Whether homemade or store-bought it has more protein and usually less sodium per serving as compared to broth. Plus, the flavor is just better which means you'll start with something tastier and will hopefully use less salt to taste at the end.
In addition to basic bases such as roasted chicken, beef, and vegetable, Better Than Bouillon comes in a range of additional options like garlic and turkey, meaning you might have a few different jars on hand. Once opened, these products need to be refrigerated.
When a dish already has a lot going on, like a mixture of onions, garlic, ginger, and chiles cooked long and hard, agrees Baraghani, water can easily replace stock. If you don't keep stock on hand but you don't want to lose out on flavor, McKinnon suggests dissolving bouillon cubes in water.
It is typically made from dehydrated vegetables or meat stock, a small portion of fat, MSG, salt, and seasonings, shaped into a small cube. Vegetarian and vegan types are also made. Bouillon is also available in granular, powdered, liquid, and paste forms.
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