Cassell's dictionary of cookery

As preparations of meat called essences or extracts are now largely introduced, and are attracting considerable public attention, we should be wrong in omitting to mention them here. Their great merit is their convenience, and the almost instantaneous promptness with which by their means a basin of soup can be served. The essence must be selected and prepared ■ftith some care and judgment. If the dose is too large, the broth becomes unpalatable. This subject has recentlyy received much attention from members of the medical profession and others, and various opinions have been expressed, but we nevertheless think our readers, like ourselves, will prefer relying on an able medical opinion rather than on their own unsupported judgment. These essences are prepared from fresh meat in such a manner that the fibre and fat are left behind, only the ozmazome (or flavouring property), certain salts, and a very small quantity of albumen, remain. The quahty of this food is determined by the firstmentioned substance, and with a tea-spoonful of the essence about a pint of broth may be made, which, although thin to the palate, is as full of the flavour of meat as when beef-tea is prepared at home. The salts are not perceptible to the senses, but they consist, in part, of phosphates, and are very valuable. The albumen is necessarily in very small quantity, from the small amount of the extract of meat which is used. Liebig's essence of meat, however, is a valuable addition to a traveller's stores, since it occupies a very small space, and, with hot water, he may at any time prepare a basin of soup in two minutes, which would be more useful to him than any other fluid. It is particularly suited to those who abstain from intoxicating drinks. A considerable amount of fibre, with fibrine, gelatine, fat, and some albumen, is left behind. That fibre is digestible is proved by the fact, that in fresh meat it is nearly all digested ; that it is highly nutritious is proved by its chemical composition. Hence, where health exists, it is best not to throw away this material. That it will not alone support life is true ; the salts necessary to hfe, and fat highly important to life, are absent from it ; but that does not in the least prove that it is not of great value as part of a dietary. When one teaspoonful of the essence has been dissolved in about a pint of hot water, and seasoned with pepper and salt, it forms an agreeable and stimulating beverage, but should not be regarded as food for every-day use. In this respect it must be ranked with tea and coffee. It may be advantageously thickened by adding a little sago ; and vermicelli, macaroni, and various Italian pastes, are agreeable and proper additions. Its proper place is that of a luxury, and in some states of disease it is also a valuable food ; but in health, the quantity of nutriment is too small to be computed, and its action upon nutrition is rather indirect, by stimulating the vital actions, than direct, by supplying food. For ordinary use, it is better for the housewife to make beef -tea from shins of beef, so as to obtain much gelatine, or from gravy beef, and to serve up the solid part as food at the same meal. Our continental neighbours eat their bouilli and potage at the same meal ; and so should we.