Lexington’s fitness nuts can raise a glass to a new health craze coming out of Warehouse Block – except it’s nothing new, actually.
“Our grandmother was right,” Caldo owner Allison Davis said about her recently opened broth concept. “Doctors are becoming more educated about food again and realizing what’s good for us. Grandmother told us to drink chicken soup when we were sick for a reason. The body absorbs the nutrients better from broth than it does solid food. What’s old is new again.”
The newness factor is what Davis is hoping central Kentuckians will latch onto with her new business. The owner of Wild Thyme on Chinoe Road, which offers cooking classes, catering options, event space and more, Davis is hoping for similar success with Caldo on North Ashland.
The concept came out of a weekly meal program that Davis started offering a couple years ago.
“The weekly meals are gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, Paleo inspired, and that’s where the bone broth started to come into play,” said Davis. “We started doing that in the summer of 2014, and then in January 2015 broth was the buzz on ‘Good Morning America.’ It was the new food word of the year, so we saw that as an opportunity to jump on it before someone else did.”
With clients already requesting bone broth as part of the weekly meal packages, Davis knew she was on to something. Now customers can stop by Caldo, which is located inside the North Ashland wellness center Centered, to get hot, savory broth in a cup to go – just like they would their coffee.
“The biggest [benefit] is getting those essential amino acids from the bones, and it being a natural source,” Davis said. “Because we have cooked it over a two- to three-day period, we’ve been able to pull a lot of those nutrients from the marrow itself and the bones, and then the vegetables and the minerals.”
Davis and her team spent time researching broth, learning how to clarify it, and how to get a smooth gelatinous quality from the bones.
“Through trial and error we’ve got our recipes pretty tweaked to the flavor we love,” she said. “The fish sauce is a big deal. It’s one of their key ingredients and brings a little more umami to the broth overall.”
Caldo offers beef, chicken and miso broths, with extra add-ins such as lemon, ginger, cayenne and turmeric.
The broth’s beginnings are special Caldo uses bones from pasture raised, organic, antibiotic-free, 100 percent grass-fed animals sourced exclusively from Pike Valley Farms and Marksbury Farms. No salt is added to the broth, which is slowly cooked with the bones and myriad vegetables.
Davis said local fitness enthusiasts have been embracing it, although she quipped that she’s not up as early as the 5 a.m. crowd that does CrossFit nearby.
“It’s surprising for people that don’t understand what broth is and how you enjoy it, and how savory and fl avorful just drinking a cup of hot broth is,” she said.
Bone broth has been used for centuries and proponents said it provides many health benefits.
“People come in here when they’re sick,” Davis said, adding that broth is popular among people who need to fast before medical procedures or are undergoing major treatments, including chemotherapy.
Caldo sells broth by the cup or the quart, and offers a host of other healthy products such as salads, smoothies, granola and soup.
“There is a benefit from every single ingredient on the menu,” Davis said. “And we can accommodate all types of specialty dietary restrictions. Everything is carefully selected, and you can come in and learn about it and why it benefits you.”
Caldo also carries locally sourced probiotic products like Kentucky Kombucha and Alive & Wild sauerkraut.
Davis said she hopes to be able to expand the Caldo broth into an convenient weekly delivery service.