This brings back memories of playing the game Kingdom Come Deliverance. Finding a stew inside a house was a chance to replenish energy and something about it delivered a homely and communal feel.
There were a few discussions about it on Reddit too
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/7z4n7j/til_a...
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/42hgbr/what_...