Maggi

Maggi (pronounced [maɡi]) is a Nestlé brand of instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles. The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his father's mill. It quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming at improving the nutritional intake of worker families. It was the first to bring protein-rich legume meal to the market, which was followed by ready-made soup based on legume meal in 1886. In 1897, Julius Maggi founded the company Maggi GmbH in the German town of Singen where it is still established today.

In parts of Europe, Mexico, Malaysia, and Brunei, In German-speaking countries as well as the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland and France, "Maggi" is still synonymous with the brand's "Maggi-Würze" (Maggi seasoning sauce), a dark, hydrolysed vegetable protein based sauce which is very similar to East Asian soy sauce without actually containing soy. It was introduced in 1886, as a cheap substitute for meat extract. It has since become a well-known part of everyday culinary culture in Switzerland, Austria and especially in Germany.

The bouillon cube or 'Maggi cube' was introduced in 1908, which was another meat substitution product. Because chicken and beef broths are so common in the cuisines of many different countries, the company's products have a large worldwide market.

In 1947, following several changes in ownership and corporate structure, Maggi's holding company merged with the Nestlé company to form Nestlé-Alimentana S.A., currently known in its francophone homebase as Nestlé S.A..

Today, Maggi is particularly well known in the Baltic states for its dry soups, Bangladesh, India, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia and Singapore for its instant Maggi noodles (Maggi Mee).

In West Africa, Maggi cubes are used as part of the local cuisine. Throughout Latin America, Maggi products, especially bouillon cubes, are widely sold with some repackaging to reflect local terminology. In the German, Dutch and Danish languages, lovage has come to be known as "Maggi herb" (Ger. Maggikraut, Du. maggikruid or Da. maggiurt), because it tastes similar to Maggi sauce, although, paradoxically, lovage is one of the few herbs not present in the sauce.

In Indonesia, Maggi is a popular condiment used in flavouring meals.