As long as humans have recorded their culinary excapades, chicken soup has been documented as both a food stuff and a remedy. The ancient Egyptians left us stories in tomb paintings of the elixir and its’ ability to quell their ills. Maimonides, a 12th century Jewish Sage, wrote that “soup made from an old chicken is a benefit against chronice fevers, and also aids the cough.”

In the last century, a yet-to-be determined comic in the Catskills postulated that chicken soup and all it’s curative powers was in fact, Jewish penicillin. The monkier has lovingly remained to this day. And for some, it’s also referred to New York Penicillin, since not a deli or corner café in Manhattan is worth it’s salt if chicken soup is not on the menu.

No one disputes the comfort food status of chicken soup. But, significant studies show that the medicinal attributes of chicken soup are more than folk lure and kitchen fable. When piping hot chicken soup is sipped, the heat actually spreads throught the upper body, acting as a natural decongestant, thus aiding in the release of mucus, the harbinger of the nasty stuff that causes cold and flu symptoms.

Besides, homemade chicken soup is nutritious, especially if long simmmered to increase the nutritional content. When turkey is added to the mix, additional iron is the benefit to the recipient. Depending on the household and it’s ethnicity, the addition of either matzo balls or noodles render it easy food to eat and digest, a plus when fed to someone who’s ill.

Regardless of the style or origin of any cuisine, chicken soup is among the recipes. The base is the same, it’s the additives that separate the preperations from eachother. Some cultures add coconut milk, others chopped almonds, lemon leaf or curry. The end results are the same: chicken soup is a comfort food that’s both medicinal, satisfying and capable of unlocking mealtime memories.