United Kingdom-Xmas lunch with Oxo gravy.

URUGUAY.

OXO CUBES AND FRAY BENTOS CORNED BEEF.

When Joseph Leibig invented beef extract in 1865, it was a wonderful way to be able to store protein without refrigeration that had not been invested at that time. However it took 30 kilos of beef to make one kilo of extract, that is sold today in the likes of Oxo cubes or Bovril jars.

At the time cattle were being slaughtered for the hides only and the carcass being thrown away, as there was no way of preserving the meat other than salting it, which was a limited market to naval vessels.

Leibig began making beef extract in the town of Fray Bentos in Uruguay, on the banks of the River Plate and within 30 years was slaughtering 1400 cattle a day to keep up with demand for his product.

Oxo was initially in liquid form until the cube was invented in 1898 and the rest is history. Most homes in England have a packet of Oxo cubes in the cupboard in their kitchen. No one can deny that the humble cube makes a wonderful gravy on festive occasions such as Xmas lunch.

The remaining 29 kilos of meat from the 30 kilos required to make the Oxo cube, was placed in cans and sold as corned beef. That is the origin of the world renowned Fray Bentos corned beef.

.