Bonnie: I’ve been a faithful user of Swanson’s Organic Chicken Broth since we selected it as a Bite of the Best years ago. But, having received a sample of Manischewitz Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth to test, I decided to give it a try.

I’d been told that the kosher-products company Manischewitz makes this all-natural, reduced-sodium broth from a family recipe that includes kosher chicken, spices and vegetables – and they slow cooked it in small batches to give it a more-homemade taste than other broths.

To test it, I decide to cook brown rice in it. (If I didn’t like the taste, I wouldn’t have wasted expense foods!) I opened the container, poured it into a saucepan, brought it to a boil and immediately noticed the homemade-chicken-soup aroma, replete with the fragrances of onions, carrots and celery, just as I’d use for making my own (although I also add parsnips, parsley and, often, dill).

The flavor, aroma and the fact that this contains even less sodium than Swanson’s made this a winner.

Bryan: I laughed when I first heard from Bonnie that we were going to try Manischewitz chicken broth. “What could it possibly be,” I thought to myself, “broth-flavored wine, or maybe wine-flavored broth?” It was a mystery that begged to be solved. See, to me, the term “Manischewitz” meant something already; it was a term for kosher wine, or at least I thought it was a term for kosher wine.

There are only a few brand names worldwide that are so powerful that they can take over the essence of the product itself. Just about everyone has asked for a “Kleenex” instead of a “tissue,” or maybe a “Q-tip” instead of a “cotton swab.” Well, I would’ve asked for Manischewitz and expected a glass of alcoholic grape juice (hey, mass-produced kosher wine is not exactly Petrus), but apparently Manischewitz means a whole lot more than just wine.

News to me (where have I been?)… Manischewitz is actually the nation’s largest manufacturer of kosher food products. And what exactly is kosher, you ask? Well, kosher (aka, Kashrut) is a set of Jewish dietary laws. Food prepared in accordance with Halakha (Jewish law) is deemed kosher, literally meaning “fit” (fit for consumption to be exact). And what exactly are these laws? Well, there’s a whole slew of them, and you may chuckle at a few for sure, but let’s just say a rabbi is usually present somewhere in the preparation and you don’t mix milk and meat. Sound easy enough? Well, it took a very long time for a rabbi’s last name to become synonymous with “kosher;” a long time of creating quality food products.

For The Manischewitz Company, It all started with Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz in 1888, when Manischewitz opened its first bakery in Cincinnati. By 1932, the Manischewitz label was becoming a dominant brand in ethnic grocery stores and delicatessens throughout the East Coast (where larger kosher-observant populations resided). In 1940, Manischewitz wines were introduced throughout the country and the phenomenon never stopped. In 1954, the company began manufacturing a variety of canned and jarred products, specializing in Eastern European heritage classics such as chicken soup and borscht, essentially cornering the “kosher market.”

Today, Manischewitz continues in its tradition of crafting quality kosher ingredients with its newest product: natural chicken and beef broths. Manischewitz broth is slow-cooked in closed kettles, using only real kosher chicken or beef, never powders or bouillon. Real chicken is the key, and you can really taste the earthiness of this broth compared to a very common saltiness I find in most powder-based concoctions. It may seem subtle, but building your soup’s foundation with solid ingredients will make all the difference in your finished product. This is a quality staple from a respected manufacturer.

Eric: Chicken broth and bacon are synonymous in my household, the reason being that both have countless uses with regard to the added flavor they bring to any dish. Most people, I imagine, view chicken broth as the literal broth used to make chicken soup — and it is. However, what most people overlook is it’s potential.

The best way to approach chicken broth is to view it as “deliciously-flavored water.” Once you begin to realize it’s water, experimentation only seems natural.

Here are a few of my favorite chicken broth substitutions:
– Boil and add to couscous
– Use in place of water in your homemade pizza dough
– Add to any pasta sauce
The reason we tout Manischewitz Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth as being a Best Bite is the overall taste of the product. Comparing it to bouillon-based broths would be an Averah (Hebrew word for “sin”). The instant I opened the package, the smell of a homemade soup filled the room. This is good stuff….

NOTE: This product is certified Kosher for year, but is not Kosher for Passover.