Going Primal

It wouldn’t be the first week of 2015 without a new health and wellness trend to fixate on…especially for those who over- indulged in holiday food and drink. Luckily for us, Bone Broth is having a serious moment. All the rage these days, devotees of the hot liquid broth- and not just those Paleo’s- claim this brew helps with everything from joint pain to serious medical conditions…not to mention a fresh alternative to juicing- snore. The broth is made by boiling bones- poultry, beef and fish will do- for a minimum of four hours, although some people will go as long as 48. This can be done in a pot or a slow cooker, if you can’t slave over the stove for hours on end. The goal is to boil the bones long enough so that they begin to disintegrate and release their structural components- that being calcium phosphate and collagen. Bone broth is not to be confused with regular broth you pick up at the market or your Jewish grandmother’s, which is typically made by boiling meat, some bones, and vegetables and spices for an hour or two.

Some experts say drinking bone broth delivers a range of benefits, from stronger bones and joints to shinier hair, and even improved immune function. However, you will need to down one cup three to four days per week, minimum, before you start to see results. So if you’re like me- I’m not a slave to my stove, or any other kitchen appliance for that matter- or you happen to be a New Yorker, you can score some bone broth from Brodo, a broth-to-go window in downtown Manhattan. Marco Canora, owner of the east village restaurant Hearth, introduced Brodo- devoted to sippable broths- two months ago where you can find ingredients like grass-fed beef broth, made with bones and infused ginger. There is evidence of bones being broken into bits by fire pits throughout the world in prehistoric times, and there are proverbs from South America that say a good broth can revive the dead. So if you can’t make it over to Brodo, check out one of the many online broth shops. Or find an attractive Neanderthal who will hunt some down for you. www.restauranthearth.com