Brunswick stew facts for kids
Brunswick stew made with chicken
|
|
| Type | Stew |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Southern United States |
| Main ingredients | Tomatoes, lima beans, corn, okra, other vegetables, meat |
Brunswick stew is a yummy and hearty stew from the Southern United States. It's usually made with a tomato base. You'll find lots of vegetables like beans, corn, and okra in it.
Originally, this stew often had meat from small animals. Think of squirrel or rabbit! But today, chicken is the most common meat used. The exact place where Brunswick stew first started is a bit of a mystery. Both Virginia and Georgia claim it began in their state.
What's in Brunswick Stew?
Recipes for Brunswick stew can be quite different. But it's almost always a tomato-based stew. It usually has different kinds of lima beans, which are also called butter beans. You'll also find corn and okra in it. Other vegetables are often added too.
The stew always has one or more types of meat. Long ago, people used small game like squirrel, rabbit, or even possum. Today, chicken is the most popular choice.
In Eastern North Carolina, Brunswick stew often has potatoes. These potatoes help make the stew thicker. But in Eastern Virginia, the stew tends to be thinner. It also has a stronger tomato flavor there.
Today, chicken and rabbit are common meats in Virginia. In Georgia, pork is often used. Recently, you might even find pulled pork barbecue in North Carolina versions. Some barbecue restaurants in the Piedmont-Triad area add Lexington-style barbecue to their stew.
If you're curious, you can find instructions for squirrel Brunswick stew. They are in a famous cookbook called James Beard's American Cookery.
Where Did Brunswick Stew Come From?
Nobody knows for sure where Brunswick stew started. Two places claim to be its birthplace. One is Brunswick County, Virginia. The other is the city of Brunswick, Georgia. Both places are named after a German area called the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This was where the royal family of Britain, the House of Hanover, came from.
In Brunswick, Georgia, there's a plaque on an old iron pot. It says the first Brunswick stew was made in that pot. This happened on July 2, 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island.
But there's another story from Virginia. It says a chef for a state lawmaker invented the recipe. This happened in 1828 during a hunting trip. Neither of these stories can be fully proven.
A writer named Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote about the stew in 1942. She suggested the stew might have come from Braunschweig, Germany. This city was one of the main cities of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. It was traditionally known as "Brunswick" in English. She also mentioned that it was said to be one of Queen Victoria's favorite dishes.
Images for kids
-
Brunswick stew made with chicken
-
The original Brunswick Stewpot in front of the Farmers Market pavilion in Brunswick, Georgia
See also
In Spanish: Estofado Brunswick para niños
