I collect bouillon cubes and concentrates

[hummingbirdkiss]

People come to my house eat my food and are astounded at the herbs and spices all over my kitchen ..I have two huge cabinets one for savory cooking one for baking and a very large curry drawer ...

I have extracts of every type ..but nothing gets my friends like my collection of bullion cubes! comments like "there is no way you collect bullion cubes!!!" "you are so wierd" "why?" ect...

when people travel and say "do you want me to bring you anything from (insert place or country here) " my answer is always "can you stop at a grocery store and get me any unusual bullion cubes?

the answer is generally similar to this "only you would want bullion cubes from my trip to Egypt!!!" I get so excited when they come through!!! I think it is an easy request takes no room in the suitcase and costs so little that it is a perfect souvenir when I travel!

but somehow when I have brought them back for others it did not go over too big...

I love Knorr or Star cubes especially because they are so varried ..I have cubes from Vietnam, Thailand, Chinese cubes..Middle Eastern cubes..Eastern Europe (Hungarian ham, and garlic cubes are my favorite) , Italy, Spain, all kinds of Latin American cubitos..I am astounded at the variety of regional cubes there are

I dont know if there is a thread on bullion cubes but I figured if there wasn't you folks would not think I was nuts for asking about them our outing myself as a bullion cube collector...

Does anyone else love world wide cubes?

do you have any favorite kinds that you love to use?

I used to buy a Curry Cube made my Knorr in a tiny Middle Eastern Market in LA and have not found them in a couple of years anywhere if anyone knows where I can get some I would be thrilled..

I have no favorites actually ...well maybe the Italian style porccini cube for stock enhancement

or a Knorr Italian fish cube for marinara...I dont know ...depends on what I am cooking...

I used them for pilaf, pasta sauces, curries, to enhance soup, to repair soup...for stews ...alll kinds of things ..they are just so fun to have on hand!

there are a million Asian style cubes I love the Chinese Ham one from Knorr

even Pho' cubes but I have not tried those yet

even the boxes are cool that they come in ...I just love bullion cubes ...

maybe you could call me a cubist but I would love to talk about what is out there that maybe I am missing, how you use cubes? any recipes to share?

[therese]

Count me in. Though I don't collect them with quite your enthusiasm, hummingbirdkiss, I do make a point of picking up bouillon cubes of varying sorts when I travel, and also when I visit ethnic markets here in town (Atlanta). They're lightweight and compact (and so easy to pack for the trip home) and provide a nice souvenir of the place.

Favorite at the moment in Knorr Chinese ham: nice smoky ham flavor that I use to cook greens.

[hummingbirdkiss]

Count me in. Though I don't collect them with quite your enthusiasm, hummingbirdkiss, I do make a point of picking up bouillon cubes of varying sorts when I travel, and also when I visit ethnic markets here in town (Atlanta). They're lightweight and compact (and so easy to pack for the trip home) and provide a nice souvenir of the place.

Favorite at the moment in Knorr Chinese ham: nice smoky ham flavor that I use to cook greens.

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I knew I was not alone

I love the Chinese ham one and will have to try it in greens what a great idea!

I have used it in hotpots ..and for sauces in stir fries ...in beans or lentils ....

I adore the Asian fish cube as well it is so good to add that little something in a Korean style hot and spicy tofu seafood soup

I do make my own stock but sometimes there is that little something something missing ..you drop one of these good cubes in and voila' that is it!

I dont like the oxo cubes or the other ones that are tiny squares that taste like nothing but salt ...although as a kid I would eat them ..but as a kid I ate a lot of things!

[JanMcBaker]

What a great idea! I think I like that even better than collecting shot glasses, which is what I would usually try to get when I travel!

[rooftop1000]

What No PICTURES?

tracey

[Kouign Aman]

I used to eat them too. (ummm. how long ago is "used to"?)

I've picked up interesting flavors a time or two but not thought to make a pattern of it. Cool idea.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am so happy people like cubes!!! they are great gifts even when people look at you funny they come back and tell me later .."wow I had no idea these are really good" then they will get me some and the chain continues ..

it is a safe addiction!

I will post pics of some of mine when I get time ..I am at work now

if anyone ever sees the Knorr curry cubes please tell me

I wish I had gotten a case of them last time I saw them ..they are very good

[LoriZig]

That is such a cool idea!

Count me in as one who would definitely like to see pictures! (Spice closets too, if you please!)

And if anyone ever gives you a hard time, be comforted by the fact that I have a friend who collects silica gel packs. No, I'm not kidding. (Silica gel packs are the ubiquitous dehumidifier packs you find in your shoe boxes, new purses, etc.)

[Sam Salmon]

OTOH-I take my own Bullion cubes with me wherever I travel.

Too sensitive to the gross amount of MSG in so many brands.

[Jensen]

The latest boullion cube fad in my kitchen is Knorr's Onion Mini-Cubes.

When you taste them, they really do taste like minced onion!

[hummingbirdkiss]

sigh I am amongst friends here how cool!

I have not seen the Knorr Onion Cubes!!! I must find them!

I will take pictures tomorrow...

silica gel packs huh? far be it for me to say anything about anything anyone else saves!

I am sure they work they do suck humidity out of things! but once they are done are they done? can they not absorb so much?

believe it or not until this month(we have been really muggy) here we have not really ever had much humidity! Suddenly it is thick and no one knows what to do with it ...maybe we all need to stock up on silica gel!

[JanMcBaker]

By the way-- any idea if there's any problem with boullion cubes going through customs? I have a friend who's in China with her husband visiting her daughter, SIL and new granddaughter. She said she'd get me 'something interesting' but had no idea what. Well, now I know! And I emailed her this morning about checking for boullion cubes!

[hummingbirdkiss]

I have never one single time had anyone say anything about my cubes! I have been mostly to the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico and Central America no one cares I just pack them in my bag and they never even make the declaration minimum!!! so I have $10 of bullion cubes? they are so processed and mostly salt anyway ...

the packaging is really cool as well because they totally "represent"

I am so glad I started this because I bet you guys find all kinds I have never seen!!! I am trying to find the picture of the curry cubes I may not have saved it ..

[gfron1]

I have to admit that I think this is one of the most bizarre topics ever started on eGullet! But, now I'm fascinated by the whole thing - the concept, the addiction, the absurdia.

So it seems you're buying these for the package more than the salty cube...are you keeping these? I think you should have them sewn into an apron. Or decompage (spelling is probably wrong - but glueing them to a table). The thing about absurdia is it can only get more bizarre!

Hummingbirdkiss - I think I'm learning too much about you I'm glad you found your fellow collectors.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I have to admit that I think this is one of the most bizarre topics ever started on eGullet!  But, now I'm fascinated by the whole thing - the concept, the addiction, the absurdia. 

So it seems you're buying these for the package more than the salty cube...are you keeping these?  I think you should have them sewn into an apron.  Or decompage (spelling is probably wrong - but glueing them to a table).  The thing about absurdia is it can only get more bizarre!

Hummingbirdkiss - I think I'm learning too much about you     I'm glad you found your fellow collectors.

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thanks!!! actually..they are salty cubes and I love the packages ..but I do use them and am so sad I did not save the package of the curry ones because I really want them now! they taste different I promise! the Italian fish and the Mexican fish and the Asian fish cubes are worlds apart ..then there is the break down of the Asian ones to Chinese cubes, Vietnamese cubes, Thai cubes and then you have the cubes from Japan...the Hispanic cubes have sub catagories of more Mexican style and Caribbean ones like Cuban/Puerto Rican style cubes...

Eastern European cubes ..Western European An ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST of cubes I have even seen cubes from Somalia!!!..everyone has cubes!!!..I could go on...

I live in the land of Absurdia..how did you know?

honestly it is a very serene and wonderful place

Edited July 24, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[CaliPoutine]

Please take some pics!!!

[JTravel]

Several years ago I discovered "cubes" in Italy at an Elderhostel. The leader told everyone to go to the supermarket and buy the Italian mushroom flavored cubes to take home. Most did, I bought several boxes and used them for what was probably long past their "date". They were wonderful but I have not found them locally,,,,,I must look harder.....they really boosted risotto.

[JanMcBaker]

Good lord.... this thing has really struck my fancy-- or my weirdness, I haven't figured out which! For some reason various things are going through my head: boullion cube-of-the-month club..... boullion cube collector clubs.... boullion cube exchange clubs or swap meets.....eeeeeee!!!

[hummingbirdkiss]

Ok I had time before work to take a picture and could not wait to share ...please do not judge my mess or cringe ok???

oh and the stuff in the strainer is parsley sage rosemary and thyme did I give you an earworm????

[hummingbirdkiss]

I have a fairly large bowl of unidentifiable cubes that fell out of the box ..I use those when I am feeling reckless!!!

[gfron1]

Okay, so some of those boxes look like they could be 30 years old. I'm curious about the inner packaging - the little foil wrappers. I'd like to see a framed collection of all of them (unless they are just plain silver).

[hummingbirdkiss]

Okay, so some of those boxes look like they could be 30 years old.  I'm curious about the inner packaging - the little foil wrappers.  I'd like to see a framed collection of all of them (unless they are just plain silver).

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they are not old just grubby from my fingers

I am a very messy cook ...good cook but very messy!!!!

hmmmm frame them huh?

Edited July 24, 2007 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[Daniel Rogov]

Weird but very, very cool!!!!

Questions:

How long do you store them?

How do you store them to keep them from going wormy or worse?

[Kouign Aman]

Boullion cubes dont go wormy or worse. The salt content sees to that. Held long enough in the wrong environment, they can liquesce.

(Not that I have first hand knowledge of that or anything. No, uh uh, not me, no 20 year old chicken boullion cubes in my cupboard, no way...)

[srhcb]

Boullion cubes dont go wormy or worse. The salt content sees to that. Held long enough in the wrong environment, they can liquesce.

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Liquesce is such a good cooking word, I'm amazed I've never run across it before!

SB