Difference between stew and boil

[maral55]

What's the difference when we say this dish is stewed and when boiled?

[JMurray]

I am certainly not an expert on cooking, but to stew something usually means to cook it slowly in a liquid, often inside a dish with a lid on it. To boil simply means to cook something by heating it in boiling water.

not a teacher

[maral55]

Thanks. The terms seem to be similar ! Can I say the difference is that the liquid in stewing isn't necessarily boiling?

[JMurray]

Thanks. The terms seem to be similar! Can I say the difference is that the liquid in stewing isn't necessarily boiling?

Yes. The stewing process tends to be slow, with the water and juices never coming fully to the boil but simmering for a comparatively long period. This process is particularly good for making food tender, especially meat that may be too tough to prepare in other ways.

[BobK]

The liquid isn't necessarily boiling, and the liquid in a 'boiled' recipe is usually water. Meat isn't 'boiled in its own juice'; in fact 'in <possessive-pronoun> own juice' is more often than not figurative: 'Leave them to stew in their own juice - they'll see sense in a while'.

b