What is stock?

What is stock?

• A. A flavorful liquid formed by simmering bones and/or vegetables
• B. A finished sauce
• C. A type of dairy-based cream
• D. A sweet broth made with sugar

Answer: (C)

Stock is a savory liquid produced by simmering bones and/or vegetables, often with aromatics, to extract flavor and collagen. The bones release gelatin, giving body and a smooth mouthfeel that makes stock a foundation for soups and sauces. The other descriptions don’t fit: a finished sauce is something you create from stock or by reducing it further, not stock itself; a dairy-based cream is a different, dairy-rich product; and a sweet broth sweetened with sugar would be inappropriate for stock, which is used as a savory base. In practice you can make white stock from bones and vegetables, or brown stock by roasting the bones first for deeper flavor, and you can also make vegetable stock.

Stock is a savory liquid produced by simmering bones and/or vegetables, often with aromatics, to extract flavor and collagen. The bones release gelatin, giving body and a smooth mouthfeel that makes stock a foundation for soups and sauces. The other descriptions don’t fit: a finished sauce is something you create from stock or by reducing it further, not stock itself; a dairy-based cream is a different, dairy-rich product; and a sweet broth sweetened with sugar would be inappropriate for stock, which is used as a savory base. In practice you can make white stock from bones and vegetables, or brown stock by roasting the bones first for deeper flavor, and you can also make vegetable stock.