Health: Why The Bone Broth Trend Isn’t Going Anywhere

Motherhood in my 40s has been an adventure filled with sleepless nights, gym efforts, and a newfound appreciation for all things convenient. Here I share how I discovered Freja Bone Broth and highlight the ease of incorporating this wonder powder into my daily self-care routine, especially when compared to making traditional Persian bone broth.

The Wonder of Bone Broth

Bone broth, often referred to as “liquid gold,” is nutrient-rich and derived from simmering animal bones, connective tissues, and vegetables. Packed with essential minerals, collagen, and amino acids, bone broth boasts a number of benefits for new mums over 40 (and anyone going through perimenopause or menopause). It’s ideal for helping to support overall health and well-being.

Sheep’s Head Soup – Kale Pacha

Now H doesn’t take his bone broth efforts lightly because he knows how good it is for him. Enter kale pacha – a concoction of sheep’s head and legs soup that takes ‘bizarre’ to a new level. If I take you back in time a few years to Christmas past, and we’ve got friends staying over. In the spirit of festive cross-cultural exchange, they decide to gift us a frozen sheep head. Cue the culture clash!

Now, imagine that fateful night when the frozen sheep head found its way on to our kitchen island and decided to thaw with a vengeance. The collision of cultures was then accompanied by the unmistakable aroma of sheep’s head simmering on our stove all night. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t an aroma I want to smell again in a hurry.

Courtesy and Diplomacy

But, in the name of courtesy and diplomacy, I helped H cook this Persian delicacy. Imagine a broth swirling with brain, tongue, teeth and eyeballs – oh my! There is one golden rule in Persian cooking, leave nothing to waste!

To make matters slightly more ‘palatable,’ I reached for the lime juice. Because nothing says ‘yum’ quite like a squeeze of citrus in your sheep’s head soup. Bon appétit, or should I say, Khāmūšh konid! (Turn it off).

Grandma’s Barley Broth

Growing up, barley broth was a staple in our house, but it always came with something a little more palatable – my grandma’s suet dumplings. Little C, however, seems to have inherited his baba’s (daddy’s) love for bones rather than the broth. He loves nothing more than knawing on chicken bones, any bones in fact and scooping out the marrow. The tradition continues to turn my stomach.

Persian Beauty Tip

Now, here’s a beauty tip Persian ladies have been laughing about for centuries – collagen-rich bone broth! Packed with collagen, bone broth is a skincare routine your face will thank you for. Move over, expensive creams – bone broth is the real secret behind that Persian glow! You can find out more about Freja bone broth and its incredible offerings on their website here.

However, instead of hours of simmering, straining, and clarifying, Freja bone broth leaving you time to binge-watch your favourite sitcom while pretending to be a culinary genius. Freja bone broth comes in various flavours too, notably chicken and beef.

One scoop and a stir is all it takes, and you’re ready to enjoy this liquid gold. No meaty taste, just a comforting warmth that feels like a hug from your maman bozorgh (grandma). Add it to your favourite soup for an extra punch of flavour and nourishment.

As a new mum over 40, bone broth has become my kitchen confidant, a daily source of sheer simplicity and convenience. I can’t help but marvel at the resilience of traditions, but the evolution of ease thanks to Freja. But if you really want to do things the long way around, here’s H’s bone broth recipe:

Bone Broth:

• Whole Organic Chicken-season generously with celtic salt, pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper
• 1 onion, halved
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 1 leek cut in big chunks
• 3-inch knob of fresh ginger, unpeeled, halved
• 2-inch turmeric root, unpeeled
• Handful of parsley
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Place chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, and leek on a large roasting pan and broil on high for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Browning your ingredients adds depths and rich flavour to the bone broth.

Combine everything in a pressure cooker and add enough water to cover all ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the chicken should fall off the bone and be easy to separate and set aside. H puts the bones back in the broth and cooks for another 90 minutes to two hours on high pressure.

To make this broth in a slow cooker, set on low heat and cook for 8-10 hours. The longer, the better. Low and slow, for the perfect collagen booster ladies!