It can preserve flavor, but it becomes concentrated as the water evaporates away, so i wouldn’t say you should ever grab a bowl of just that.
Master stocks are used as a base in Chinese cooking the same way a lot of recipes already start from a stock; but it is rarer and rarer for home cooks to make stock from scratch and not just use a box from the store in the US. I have a lot of friends that categorically do not cook meat with bones in it. The Chinese one is also different from hunters’ stew in that it is a specific soup used as a base for future versions of said specific soup
>It's rarer and rarer for home cooks to make stock from scratch
Pity, it's really easy and super delicious.
This past weekend my family was sick so I went to the store and got one of the deli roasted chickens (was in a hurry), pulled off most of the meat, and put it in a stock pot with celery, onions, carrots and some seasonings (S&P, fines herbs, star anise, bay leaves), and filled with water. Simmer for 3 hours, strain.
Amazingly delicious, pretty easy, and the chicken and dumplings I made with it turned out fantastic.
Pretty much any time there's a bone or carcass I'll use it to make something. Had a work lunch last week and I took the ham bone to make ham and beans.
Master stocks are used as a base in Chinese cooking the same way a lot of recipes already start from a stock; but it is rarer and rarer for home cooks to make stock from scratch and not just use a box from the store in the US. I have a lot of friends that categorically do not cook meat with bones in it. The Chinese one is also different from hunters’ stew in that it is a specific soup used as a base for future versions of said specific soup