I’ve been busy stocking up on kosher canned soups at all the A&Ps and Pathmarks around here having “Store Closing” sales, but I just noticed that Manischewitz makes both “Clear Chicken Consomme” and “Chicken Broth”. The ingredients are very similar, and the fat content is the same. So what’s the difference?
you’re dealing with “definitions of terms” and oh-boy-by-golly , , , not everyone uses the same definition.
generally a consomme is completely “clear” - no suspended particulates.
“broth” I would expect to have some solid matter floating about.
and then of course there’s “stock” . . . .
Unlike their broth, Manischevitz’s consomme is listed as being “condensed” and has MSG. The added savoriness in the consomme means you should be able to sip it up without adding any extra meat or veggies.
I would assume that ZwiebelHash is correct - broth will be unfiltered and have some particles, consomme will have been clarified.
IIRC, one requires dilution with a can of water and the other can be used straight out of the can. I don’t think normal culinary definitions apply when you’re talking about Mani. 
A consommé is a broth or stock that has been clarified and concentrated, making for a strong flavored and perfectly clear soup.
The classic fining agent is eggwhite, the electrical charge of which attracts and attaches oppositely-charged particles and allows them to be taken out of suspension.
1 Like
You’re quite right, but the OP is asking about a specific commercial product. In that context, given the brand mentioned, correct culinary definitions are entirely irrelevant. That’s a reflection on this brand, nothing else.
More’s the pity if someone’s selling consomme that’s not consomme.
And why, pray tell, are culinary definitions irrelevant?
No, both are condensed and require dilution. I agree on standard definitions not applying to Mani, though!
I ended up with all chicken broth, and enough to last me through at least next Passover, so I doubt I will be doing a comparison any time soon.
(I’m really bummed out that my local store has apparently decided to stop carrying Streit’s canned soups and carry only Manischewitz. Streit’s made a vegetable soup that was much lower in sodium than most canned kosher vegetable soups. Manischewitz doesn’t even make a vegetable soup.)
This is yet another consequence of the new CH; those of us who are familiar with specifically kosher brands (like Manischewitz or Streits, as opposed to general commercial brands which get kosher certification) know what we’re dealing with, while the more general population that happens to encounter these posts and questions does not. Like it or not, these companies do their own thing, and don’t necessarily stick to what the “culinary definitions” are. This is actually probably true for all commercial companies, though, I’m thinking as I type this; I’m sure there are even non-kosher companies calling things by terms which are not used by the more knowledgable food community. Can’t think of a good example at the moment, though.
Oh my gosh, I totally forgot where I was when I typed this; I could have sworn I was in CH. Still, I am assuming kaleokahu is not as familiar with the kosher world; my apologies if I am wrong on that score.
Manischewitz holds like Rabbi Dumpty.
“When I use a word”, Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less”. “The question is”, said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things”. “The question is”, said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all”.
1 Like
