大象传媒

John Laurenson explores the enduring appeal of stock. A century and a half ago, a butcher at the big Parisian food market Les Halles started selling beef broth 鈥� 鈥榖ouillon鈥� in French - to the people who worked there. In a few years this had developed into what was perhaps the world鈥檚 first restaurant chain. By the end of the Nineteenth Century there were hundreds of 鈥榖ouillons鈥� in Paris.

Today, with inflation making traditional French restaurants too expensive for many people, these big, affordable eateries are making a comeback.

The French aren鈥檛, of course, the only people to discover the delights of this simple, warming, nourishing food. John learns how bouillon influenced Vietnam鈥檚 iconic dish, pho, as a result of the French colonial presence in the region in the 1800 and 1900s.

Producer/presenter: John Laurenson

(Image: A dish of stock with chicken and herbs with a ladle sticking out of it. Credit: Getty Images/大象传媒)