Soup bleg 5

So, it happens that a number of Gristies are having soup-based lunches today. Me, I'm having chili. Which prompted a comment from a colleague: "Well, that's a kind of soup, right?" Me: "Or is it a kind of stew?" Other colleague: "Or is stew a kind of soup?"

So, a few seconds googling some intense research has confirmed that this is a contentious question -- even prompting a recent lawsuit -- but it has not revealed a definitive answer.

Grist's audience seems rather food savvy. So we turn to you to bring clarity to this intolerable murk. Enlighten us.

David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.

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  1. Steve Bloom Posted 12:49 pm
    23 Oct 2007

    Soup to nutsAnd everyone knows that stew is just a sloppy kind of casserole.  The nuts reference was a trick.

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  2. Adam Stein's avatar

    Adam Stein Posted 1:44 pm
    23 Oct 2007

    Where are you eating your chili?Because if you're eating it in Texas, it's definitely not soup. Texas chili contains no beans -- it's pretty much just meat in a bit of chili-based sauce. Perhaps you could call it a stew, but I'd prefer to call it a ragout, mainly because I think that would really annoy most Texans.
    (Note: I lived in Texas for three years, which in no way makes me a Texan, but does acquaint me with some of their freakish customs.)

    www.terrapass.com/blog

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  3. jfellrath Posted 12:07 am
    24 Oct 2007

    Chili!Chili is chili.  It's self-defining.  

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Jamie Fellrath

    Columbus, OH

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  4. gmunger Posted 2:28 am
    24 Oct 2007

    sshhhh!Texas chili contains no beans -- it's pretty much just meat
    Quiet. You'll rile the militant vegans once more.

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  5. mihan's avatar

    mihan Posted 5:16 am
    24 Oct 2007

    soup vs. stewI think the difference is in how it is eaten, which is influenced by the seasoning. A soup is something eaten as is (or with some bread to dunk at most), while a stew is ladled over noodles (like Cincinnati chili, stroganoff, etc) or rice (Brunswick stew) or some other starch before eating.
    Or it could be the stuff:liquid ratio, as the USDA seems to think, but I don't think that's as useful a definition.
    But this should not be a matter of legislation:
    According to the US Department of Agriculture, in addition to beef, a beef stew must contain 20 to 30 percent potatoes, eight to 14 percent carrots, and at least three percent peas.
    What if I like celery root instead of peas? Good god.

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