Bouillon cube

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Various bouillon cubes

A bouillon cube /ˈbjɒn/ (Canada and US) or stock cube (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK) or broth cube (Philippines) is dehydrated bouillon (French for broth) or stock formed into a small cube about 15 mm wide. It is typically made from dehydrated vegetables, meat stock, a small portion of fat, salt and seasonings, shaped into a small cube. Vegetarian and vegan types are also made. Bouillon is also available in both granular or powdered form.

History and general information[edit]

Dehydrated meat stock, in the form of tablets, was widely known in the 18th century, at least as early as 1735.[1] Various French cooks in the early 19th century—Lefesse, Massué, and Martine—tried to patent bouillon cubes and tablets, but were turned down for lack of originality.[2] Nicolas Appert also proposed such dehydrated bouillon in 1831.

In the mid-19th century, Justus von Liebig developed meat extract, but it was more expensive than bouillon cubes.

Industrially produced bouillon cubes were commercialized by Maggi in 1908, by Oxo in 1910 and by Knorr in 1912. By 1913, there were at least 10 brands available, with salt contents of 59–72%.[3]


The general recipe for a stock cube is: Salt, hydrogenated fat, flavor enhancers, flavors.[4]

Production process[edit]

Contrary to popular belief, stock cubes are not made by “drying out stock” but by mixing already dry ingredients into a paste. The ingredients are usually mixed in a container (batch mixing), let to mature and then shaped into the cube form. Alternatively, they can be mixed directly into an extruder.[5]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Vincent La Chapelle, Le cuisinier moderne, as cited in Davis
  2. ^ Jennifer Davis, Defining Culinary Authority: The Transformation of Cooking in France, 1650-1830, Louisiana State University Press, 2013, p. 154f
  3. ^ Cook, F. C. (1913). "Bouillon Cubes". Journal of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 5 (12): 989. doi:10.1021/ie50060a009. 
  4. ^
  5. ^