History of ‘perpetual stew’ viral TikTok trend revealed

Known as forever soup, this dish has been around since at least the Medieval times in Europe and is basically the original bottom-of-the-fridge stock meal.

The 'perpetual stew' trend has gone viral.

TikTok followers are happy to get on board with just about any trend and the latest unlikely fad to take over your FYP is ‘perpetual stew’.

TikTok creator Annie Rauwerda (@depthsofwikipedia) is leading the charge and at the time of writing, has been slow-cooking her perpetual stew since June 11 this year as a sort of social enterprise, inviting friends, new and old, to contribute to the pot.

Most are bringing staples like stock, garlic, potatoes, celery and onions, and one chaotic-neutral even brought a fennel.

But at 30 days old, Rauwerda’s soup is practically in its infancy. Especially when compared to the perpetual stews of history.

Also known as hunters pot, or forever soup, the dish has been around since at least the Medieval times in Europe and is basically the original bottom-of-the-fridge stock.

@depthsofwikipedia

more medieval behavior!

♬ original sound - Annie Rauwerda

Kept in a cauldron just above the ‘danger zone’ of 60 degrees Celsius, the stock would be made of ale, bread, beans, salted pork, cabbage and whatever else might be at hand, constantly evolving depending on what had been thrown into the pot each day.

It would then be served up as a cheap meal for weary travellers.

Winter is a great time to test out this stew trend.

One writer for the New York Times, Arthur Prager, wrote a love-letter of sorts to his pot-au-feu in 1981 in his article ‘From, Pot-Au-Feu, Many Happy Returns’ in which he wished his stew a happy 21st birthday, while also referencing a 300-year-old perpetual stew that lasted from the late 1500s until WWII in France.

While he doesn’t give any particulars on where this centuries-old soup hailed from, it’s not hard to imagine a cosy French inn, filled with the complex aromas of a stew that never stopped evolving, and being lovingly tended to until the end.

While the idea of a cauldron – or benchtop slow cooker – bubbling away for weeks, months, or years on end, might give some the heebie-jeebies, it’s far from the only example of a constantly evolving ‘mother’.

Consider the sourdough starters that we all went nuts over during lockdowns – many bakers use starters they claim are over a century old, though the true age of some mother doughs could be much, much older.

There is a history behind this trend.

Mexican restaurants the world over celebrate their mole that can be nurtured for upwards of 2500 days.

In Chinese cooking, master stocks are used to poach or braise for generations, getting more complex and imparting different flavours from the soy base, and in Bangkok restaurant, Wattana Panich, their beef and noodle soup base has been used daily for 45 years.

So, how does one create this history-making soup? Obviously, with great caution and the knowledge that food safety guidelines wouldn’t recommend this.

The rate at which microorganisms can multiply in food that isn’t stored correctly would make your head spin (and your guts churn).

However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and for time immemorial folks have been upcycling their stocks, soups and stews to create flavours that are truly unique, and leave a legacy well beyond their lifetimes.

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Originally published as History of ‘perpetual stew’ viral TikTok trend revealed