A discussion over whether a home-cooked soup can truly be considered homemade has led to strong opinions online.
Original poster (OP) StarsBear75063 shared on Reddit this week their experience of making soup with fresh vegetables, homegrown herbs and organic spices while using store-bought rotisserie chicken and broth.
A beloved longtime friend insisted that unless the chicken was roasted from scratch and homemade stock was prepared, the dish could not be called homemade.
Their disagreement led to a wave of responses about what makes a meal qualify for the term.
What Does Homemade Mean?
According to Wonderopolis, homemade food is generally defined as any meal prepared at home, as opposed to something fully pre-packaged or pre-cooked.
However, this definition leaves room for interpretation.
Many cooks use shortcuts such as store-bought pasta, canned tomatoes, or frozen dough while still considering their dishes homemade. The use of convenience ingredients is common, and for some, this does not take away from the effort and care that goes into the final dish.
The idea that homemade must mean completely from scratch has long been debated in food culture. The rise of pre-made elements in cooking has made it easier for people to prepare meals at home, yet opinions differ on where the line is drawn.
When Friendship Becomes Judgmental
While some Redditors viewed the debate as a simple difference of opinion, others questioned whether the friend's attitude was about food or something else.
A Newsweek article explains that when someone consistently belittles another person's choices, it may indicate more than just strong opinions. A pattern of dismissing someone's achievements or interests can be a sign of a toxic friendship.
Several critics pointed out that the OP's friend seemed more focused on dismissing their effort rather than discussing the meal itself
A user believed the OP was not in the wrong, "But your friend might be. He gains nothing by putting you down."
Another added, "What he's talking about is, 'Making it from scratch.' It's still homemade even if it ain't made from scratch. Your friend is an idiot."
A user offered a scenario to make their point: "If I buy a loaf of Italian bread, then slice it up at home and make garlic toast out of it, that is homemade garlic toast.
"I didn't bake the bread, but it wasn't garlic toast before I got involved."
'Ridiculous'
Some responses took a more humorous approach.
"Don't forget you have to raise your chickens yourself and dig your own well to get the water," a user quipped, adding, "Your friend is being ridiculous. It's homemade."
The OP appeared to have formed an opinion about their friend, going by a reply in the Reddit thread: "As the one and only Groucho [Marx] once said, 'He may talk like an idiot and look like an idiot. But don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot'."
Newsweek has contacted StarsBear75063 for comment via Reddit.
Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.
English (US) ·