Bone Broth

This broth was “rich” and “well seasoned,” with a “meaty,” “umami” flavor and a “hint of black pepper.” Though it had the highest sodium level per serving of all the broths we tasted, it still tasted “balanced” and only “gently salted.” Many tasters also remarked that this product had a “nice brightness” and “freshness” that was “very homemade-tasting.”

This product, from the brand that makes our favorite regular chicken stock, was “deeply savory,” with “good chicken flavor.” It had a “clean,” slightly “herbal” flavor with “hints of carrots and stewed vegetables.” While most tasters thought it was “well seasoned,” a few “wished it had a bit more salt.”

This broth was “savory” and “vegetal,” with a “mild” chicken flavor. Tasters liked its “earthy” notes of celery and onion, though a few noted that it was short on chicken flavor. We also thought that, like other products, it “could use more salt.”

Although this broth had the shortest ingredient list of all the ones we tried, with no added vegetables or spices, most tasters thought it was “hard to discern any chicken flavor” from this product. Many thought it tasted “overly roasted” and “bland,” like “dry chicken.” Others picked up on a “bitter,” almost “burnt” aftertaste, likely from the process of roasting the bones before boiling.

A “lack of salt” (it had the least sodium of all the products we tried) was just the start of this broth’s issues. Tasters thought it was “lacking in chicken flavor” and “overpowered by seasoning ingredients” such as apple cider vinegar and poblano and green peppers, which made the liquid taste “tart” and “tannic,” like “bad vegetables.” A number of tasters remarked that it tasted overwhelmingly of “old oregano” or “pizza,” thanks to the unusual addition of tomato puree.