Portable soup

Portable Soup is a type of condensed food used in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is also known as pocket soup or veille.

History

Portable soup was a staple of British and colonial American diets during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was made by boiling seasoned meat until a thick, resinous syrup was left that could be dried and stored for months at a time. It was a precursor to the modern bouillon cube and dehydrated food.

Preparation

The preparation of portable soup involved boiling down meat or vegetables in water until a gelatinous residue was left. This residue was then dried, either in the sun or over a slow fire, until it became a hard, brittle cake. When needed, the cake could be rehydrated with hot water to produce a nutritious broth.

Uses

Portable soup was used as a convenient and long-lasting source of nutrition, particularly on long sea voyages, military campaigns, and exploratory expeditions. It was also used as a base for other dishes, much like modern bouillon cubes.

Legacy

The concept of portable soup has been carried forward into modern times with the development of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, which are used in a similar manner for camping, emergency supplies, and space travel.

See also

• Bouillon cube
• Dehydrated food
• Food preservation
• List of dried foods