Hodge-Podge is a soup made of a mixture of various ingredients. According to the 1903 The Steward's Handbook and Guide to Party Catering, it is "common English for Hotch-Potch, a mixture; mutton soup thick with pieces of meat and all sorts of vegetables, also Hot-Pot." In nearby New Brunswick the recipe is similar to that of the Nova Scotia version except peas are used instead of carrots. This has led to an alternate name for the dish being "Peas, beans & potatoes". Older vegetables will be used but baby vegetables are preferred.