Mental Illness Fellowship Northern Territory

@Faith-and-Hope@Shaz51@Former-Member

You're not far wrong.  In the days before refrigeration (which is still nowadays in some parts of China) it would have been used daily to keep the bugs at bay, and may have been kept constantly simmering except for occasionally straining it through a cloth or fine sieve. The alcohol, salt and sugar in it help to keep it from going toxic, but if there's solids left in the broth, particularly meat solids...uh oh.

There's stories of masterstocks that are decades old in China, and of chefs paying a five figure sum for a potful as their "starter". It's a technique that's been picked up by some western chefs too. Neil Perry has a masterstock for his Rockpool restaurant, and is enthusiastic about passing on the concept to others.

Inevitably, when I'm straining the stock to go back into the fridge, some gets on my fingers. Always, the reaction when I lick it off is "Oh nyum, that's good!".