Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Perpetual stew
Pottage which is rarely or never emptied From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
A perpetual stew, also known as forever soup, hunter's pot[1][2] or hunter's stew, is a pot into which foodstuffs are placed and cooked, continuously. The pot is never or rarely emptied, and ingredients and liquid are replenished as necessary.[1][3] Such foods can continue cooking for decades or longer if properly maintained. The concept is often a common element in descriptions of medieval inns. Foods prepared in a perpetual stew have been described as being flavourful due to the manner in which the ingredients blend together.[4] Various ingredients can be used in a perpetual stew such as root vegetables, tubers (potatoes, yams, etc.) and various meats.[3]
Remove ads
Historical examples
Summarize
Perspective
Perpetual stews are speculated to have been common in medieval cuisine, often as pottage or pot-au-feu:
Bread, water or ale, and a companaticum ('that which goes with the bread') from the cauldron, the original stockpot or pot-au-feu that provided an ever-changing broth enriched daily with whatever was available. The cauldron was rarely emptied out except in preparation for the meatless weeks of Lent, so that while a hare, hen or pigeon would give it a fine, meaty flavour, the taste of salted pork or cabbage would linger for days, even weeks.
A batch of pot-au-feu was claimed by one writer to be maintained as a perpetual stew in Perpignan from the 15th century until World War II, when it ran out of ingredients to keep the stew going due to the German occupation.[5]
Some medieval historians have, however, cast doubt on the historicity of the idea. Historian Jenni Lares from the University of Tampere notes that no medieval sources support its existence and argues that it was not a particularly probable dish. Although leftovers were utilised, surplus food was likely prepared regularly only during festive seasons. For the stew to remain edible, the pot would have had to be boiled constantly, which was not feasible in the Middle Ages. Fires in residential buildings were typically lit only during the day, and they were banned at night in cities due to the risk of fire spreading. Collecting firewood was also time- and labor-intensive, making it unlikely that so much would have been used on a single stew. Furthermore, Catholic doctrine forbade the eating of meat on one or more days weekly, as well as during Lent. On Good Friday, cooking or even lighting a fire was forbidden.[6]
Remove ads
Modern examples
The tradition of perpetual stew remains prevalent in South and East Asian countries. Notable examples include beef and goat noodle soup served by Wattana Panich in Bangkok, Thailand, which has been cooking for over 50 years as of 2025[update],[7][8] and oden broth from Otafuku in Asakusa, Japan, which has served the same broth daily since 1945.[9]
Between August 2014 and April 2015 a restaurant in New York City, United States, served a master stock in the style of a perpetual stew for over eight months.[10]
In July 2023 a "Perpetual Stew Club" organised by the social media personality Annie Rauwerda held weekly gatherings in New York City to consume perpetual stew. Hundreds attended the event and brought their own ingredients to contribute to the stew.[11][12][13] The stew lasted for 60 days.[14]
Remove ads
See also
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads