*slurrrpp*
Ahhhh, nothing beats that first spoonful of hot soup on a cold day. Growing up, countless soups brought me immense joy and coziness during the cold months. I’ve enjoyed them all, from your classic chicken pasta to the Italian wedding, a lovely veggie lentil to creamy tomato and especially my mom’s famous egg and tomato soup. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a clearer and more fluid moment, but other times I need the hearty thickness of a good clam chowder or broccoli cheddar. The good news is that there is always a soup to satisfy every hunger. And when the weather turns crunchy and snappy, it’s customary to indulge in endless bowls of this savory delight.
Soups have been around for thousands of years, understandably because boiling water and adding ingredients to a nutritious stew isn’t the most revolutionary of concepts. Soup was really starting to trend around the time clay pots and crocks were invented, and from then on experimenting with all sorts of flavors and ingredients was the name of the game. Once a dish for the poorer classes without the ability to prepare copious meals, soup is now rightfully considered a gourmet yet comforting dish around the world.
The beauty of soup is that it can take a million different forms. Each culture has its own take on it, and each will give you a taste of that culture’s history. As I write this, I’m daydreaming about the rich veggies of a simmering minestrone, the coconut essence of a tom kha gai, or the silky rice noodles of a giant bowl of pho. There are even cold soups like Vichyssoise, which strike me as a bit off-putting, but I might be willing to try one.
As a child, congee was a staple in my household. The Chinese dish is prepared by boiling rice in an excess of water and bringing it to a mushy consistency. The soft texture, chopped beef or pork chunks, and pickled veggies served as a blanket every time I was terminally ill or just needed foolproof comfort.
All of which is to say that there’s never been a problem that a steaming bowl of broth, veggies, meat, grains, and a boatload of spices couldn’t solve. To commemorate the healing experiences that soups give us with every bowl, allow us to serve you a piping hot selection of soup tattoos that will make you feel right at home on the bitterest of days.