Why is Chicken Soup or Stock so important!!

Why is Chicken Soup SOOOOO important!

These are notes from NT.....well worth repeating!

Why is chicken soup superior to all the things we have, even more relaxing than "Tylenol?" It is because chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine. This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system. It is easily pulled away from the intestine through too many laxatives, too many food additives. . . and parasites.

Chicken soup. . . heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength. Hanna Kroeger Ageless Remedies from Mother’s Kitchen

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The essential premise of stock is a good one: letting nothing go to waste. This means, first, finding a way to eat animals that, while edible, have not been raised strictly to be eaten. Once, not so long ago, much of the meat served on all but the tables of the rich came from animals that had already led useful lives as beasts of burden or wool producers, or careerists who had sent eggs and milk to the table before arriving there themselves.

Furthermore, in those days, because of the vexing problems of spoilage, animals were slaughtered locally, sometimes even at home, supplying ample trimmings and bones (not to mention offal). A cuisine based on stock begins with such butcher’s leavings— bones, especially, but also cuts of meat too tough to eat. Butchers then had whole carcasses to contend with, not cartons of selected parts. To keep the profitable cuts moving they had to shift all the rest, too, for such price as they could get. John Thorne Outlaw Cook

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Broth isn't much: a chicken back, some parsley sprigs, a carrot, a celery stalk and time, of course, to bring the flavors out. And after hours of simmering, its life begins, for broth is not a finished food—it is just the start of culinary magic. And it is the crux of all cooking. With it, the sauce is a snap and the soup is practically made.

The words "broth" and "stock" are used interchangeably in many cookbooks, and for good reason, because the differences between the two are hair-splittingly small. In general usage "broth" is a home-cooking term, while "stock" is the province of professional kitchens. Broth is made from spits and spots of leftovers, and its nature changes according to what's on hand.
Stock follows a prescribed formula. It is made on a regular basis and forms the groundwork for all of the sauces, soups and simmerings that are the mainstays of a classic kitchen. There is yet another distinction. The meaty element of stock is predominantly bone, while broth is typically made with meat. This difference changes the finished products in two significant ways. The large proportion of bone gives stock a more gelatinous texture and greater clarity. Broths tend to be thinner and cloudier.

Essential to all broths is starting with cold water. As the ingredients warm in the water, their fibers open slowly, releasing their juices to add flavor. Off flavors can result if the broth is not skimmed. The broth must be kept at a bare simmer throughout the cooking process to ensure clarity. Andrew Schloss The Washington Post