Booya is a food that is prepared like a stew, but on a very large scale. It takes many cooks to prepare the food, and it is usually meant to serve hundreds or thousands of people. The name booya is also used to describe the event surrounding the meal.
Booya is started by using bones to create a base or broth to which other food can be added. Beef, chicken, and pork are popular meats for booya, and vegetables such as carrots, rutabagas, and potatoes are also put into the mix. Different seasonings are put in as well.
The preparation of booya can take two days, and it is often cooked in booya kettles that can contain more than 50 gallons. The food tends to be made for charity events. Some community groups and churches have their own kettles, and other groups rely on municipal kettles. Highland Park in St. Paul, Minnesota has a shed with 5 kettles which can yield 350 gallons of booya. The kettles have been around for several decades, but as of December, 2003, there is controversy regarding the safety of the burners used to heat them.
