Lobscouse

Lobscouse

Type	Stew
Region or state	Northern Europe
Main ingredients	Meat, potatoes, occasionally other root vegetables and spices

Lobscouse is a stew made of meat, potatoes and vegetables common to multiple Northern European maritime countries. ^[1]

It is particularly well known in a nautical context in the age of sail, when a long voyage might require the sailors to eat and drink whatever limited rations were available. Numerous maritime memoirs and naval logbooks refer to the dish,^{[ citation needed ]} as well as fiction such as Patrick O'Brian's adventure series Aubrey and Maturin. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Etymology

Lobscouse is called "Scouse" in north-western England, especially Liverpool, hence the name of their accent, and the nickname "Scouser" for Liverpudlians. ^[5]

Lobscouse is likely to be linked (historically and etymologically) to the Welsh word lobsgows, a variety of the Welsh dish cawl, which is inherently connected to scouse, a European sailors' stew or hash strongly associated with major ports such as Liverpool and Hamburg. ^[6] It may also be linked to a Swedish dish of a similar name (lapskojs). ^{[7] [8]}

Ingredients and variations

There are many variations of the dish. The dish may be made of fresh or leftover meat (usually beef or lamb, but sometimes also chicken, pork, or ham) and potatoes. Other typical ingredients are vegetables (such as carrots, onions, leeks, celery root, and rutabaga), spices (such as pepper or ginger), salt, and herbs. ^{[1] [9]}

Similar dishes

• Lobby ^[10]

Dishes with similar names

• Lapskaus

See also

• Food portal

• List of meat and potato dishes
• Scouse, a Liverpudlian accent

References

1. Sandvold, Irene O. (2011). Gudrun's Kitchen: Recipes from a Norwegian Family. et al. Wisconsin Historical Society Press. pp. 87–89.
2. Stivers, Valerie (February 15, 2019). "Cooking with Patrick O'Brian by Valerie Stivers". The Paris Review . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
3. "Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels by Anne Chotzinoff Grossman". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
4. Ringle, Ken (November 14, 1997). "Ahoy There, Meaties!". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
5. Rohrer, Finlo (March 22, 2002). "'My Scouse pain'". BBC . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
6. Seal, Rebecca (December 16, 2025). "Deconstructing cawl, the hearty Welsh stew". National Geographic . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
7. Smith, Emma (February 10, 2024). "Everton: Why WSL club are 'almost like home' for large Scandinavian contingent". BBC . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
8. Svenska.se, including Svenska Akademiens ordbok. Accessed 2025-12-30.
9. Chotzinoff Grossman, Anne; Grossman Thomas, Lisa (1997). Lobscouse & Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels. W.W. Norton. pp. 18–19. ISBN   9780393320947.
10. "Lobby v scouse at The Pheasant > A Little Bit of Stone". September 26, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2025.

Further reading

• Lurie, April (2009). Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn. Dell Yearling. ISBN   978-0385729420.
• Scott, Astrid Karlsen (2011). Authentic Norwegian Cooking. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN   978-0963433978.
• Sinclair, Charles Gordon (1998). International Dictionary of Food and Cooking. Routledge. ISBN   978-1579580575.