1 Lambert: Dinner for me and my friends! What fine repast do you offer this eve?
1 Innkeeper: There's stew.
2 Lambert: Ah! Stew! Seasonal vegetables carefully chopped and diced, then simmered to form a delicate broth.
3 Lambert: With succulent cuts of meat, lovingly cooked over many hours until tender, thus bringing out the rich flavours.
4 Lambert: How long has it taken to prepare this stew?
4 Innkeeper: Haven't cleaned the pot in 16 years.

This is not an entirely unknown thing in real life, believe it or not. For food, this sounds... a little bit icky. But a very similar system is also used for some alcoholic drinks, such as sherry, port, and whisky.