CATEGORY

Bouillon

2009 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER

Wyler’s

What Makes a Great Bouillon?

Bouillon—a powdered (or cubed) mixture of dehydrated meat stock, salt and vegetables—is an ideal way to make chicken or beef stock by just adding boiling water. Whether creating soups, stews or gravy, bouillon provides a deep flavor that’s loaded with just the right amount of seasoning and herbs. If you’re in the mood for a quick bowl of soup, drop a bouillon cube into a bowl of hot water and stir. Keep several boxes of bouillon in the cupboard and you’ll always have a crucial kitchen ingredient within reach.

Our chefs define high-quality bouillon cubes and powders as having a natural, bright color without appearing too neon or too dull. Good bouillon will be more clear than cloudy, but there may be a minimal amount of visible fat on the surface and a minimal amount of visible sediment on the bottom. The moderate aroma should have a complex character featuring notes of chicken or beef, herbs, vegetables and seasoning. There should be no off notes in the aroma, including chemical and metallic notes.

Chicken and beef bouillon are in taste balance when bold saltiness is the leading basic taste. Moderate sweetness will follow along with minimal sourness.

Among the flavors, chicken or beef should lead. Vegetable flavors will follow at slightly lower levels while still being discernible. Finally, a low seasoning flavor will add depth without overpowering the other flavors. Together, these flavors will create a flavor-balanced bouillon cube or powder. The flavor character will reflect the aroma character’s complex mix of chicken or beef, herb, onion, vegetable and seasoning notes. The flavor character should not be simple, one-dimensional or too salty. As with the aroma, there should be no flavor off notes.

Bouillon should have a heavy mouth weight, but it should not be as heavy as chicken or beef stock. It should never be light or watery, either. The mouthfeel is expected to have a light greasiness, but overall it should be clean and not coat the palate. Bouillon will have a moderate finish, not lingering too long. Being a broth or stock, bouillon should provide a harmonizing—not overpowering—impression.

When cooked in rice, both the meat and rice flavors should be evident, complementing each other without being overpowering. When used to prepare gravy, bold bouillon flavor should also flow through. High-quality bouillon should not lose its flavor complexity when combined with other foods.

Product Category Definition

The category judged was defined as beef cube, chicken cube and chicken powder bouillon for the consumer market, not including gravy or soup mixes.

Other Leading Brands:

Knorr, Herb-Ox