Lobscouse
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| Type | Stew |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Norway; United Kingdom |
| Main ingredients | lamb or beef |
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Scouse is a type of lamb or beef stew. The word comes from "Lobscouse", a stew commonly eaten by sailors throughout Northern Europe, which became popular in seaports such as Liverpool.
The first known use of the term "lobscouse" is dated 1706, according to Webster's dictionary.Smollet refers to "lob's course" in 1750. The roots of the word are unknown, but there are at least three competing theories. It has been suggested that the dish is "almost certainly" of Baltic origin, and labs kauss in Latvian and labas kaušas in Lithuanian both mean "good ladleful". Similar dishes are traditional in countries around the North Sea, such as Norway (lapskaus), Sweden (), Denmark ( meaning "skipper's lobscouse) and northern Germany (Labskaus). Another theory posits a Low German origin from lappen (dewlap) and kaus (bowl). An English origin has also been proposed: through "lout’s course", via "lob’s course" to "lobscouse".
19th century sailors made lobscouse by boiling salted meat, onions and pepper, with ship's biscuit used to thicken the dish. Modern English scouse resembles the Norwegian stew lapskaus, although it differs from the German labskaus which is similar to Hash. Scouse is a stew, similar to Lancashire hotpot, usually of mutton, lamb (often neck) or beef with vegetables, typically potatoes, carrots and onions. It is commonly served with pickled beetroot or cabbage and bread.
Scouse is strongly associated with Liverpool, where it remains popular and is a staple of local pub and café menus, although recipes vary greatly and often include ingredients which are inconsistent with the thrifty roots of the dish. "Scouse" has become part of a genre of slang terms which refer to people by stereotypes of their dietary habits, e.g. Limey, Rosbif (for the English), Frogs (for the French) and Kraut (for Germans).
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