Stew is a common and hearty dish served frequently throughout the wizarding world, much like in the Muggle world. It consists of solid food ingredients, such as vegetables and meat, cooked in liquid. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, stews and other dishes are magically prepared by House-Elves in the Kitchens located directly beneath the Great Hall. The prepared food is then magically transported onto the four House tables, appearing in large serving dishes that magically refill when empty. Stew is also prepared through non-magical, conventional means by witches and wizards. Molly Weasley is frequently noted for cooking stews for her family and members of the Order of the Phoenix, often as a source of comfort. During their hunt for Horcruxes, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter were forced to make their own, often thin and unappetizing, stews from scavenged ingredients. This highlights an important magical limitation known as Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which states that food cannot be created from nothing.
Throughout the series, stew serves as a powerful symbol of comfort, community, and normalcy. Its presence or absence often reflects the characters' state of well-being.
The lavish feasts at Hogwarts, which would have included various stews, are a prominent visual element in the film adaptations, emphasizing the magic and wonder of the wizarding world. However, there is no specific information from J.K. Rowling or supplementary materials that delves deeper into the significance of stew beyond its textual appearances.