Lovers of Menudo (the soup) please forgive me for the following article.
I have eaten quite a few unusual things in my days such as gizzards, scrapple, pig nostrils, alligator assh*le and bee’s knees. Inspired by Andrew Zimmern, my family and I decided to try Menudo at a local Mexican restaurant. Let’s just say that I have a bone to pick with Mr. Zimmern.
I truly believe that I am scarred for life. I should have known when my daughter, who actually ordered the menudo, said that it smelled like hay. I thought, “I like the smell of hay.” When she took a bite she said she didn’t care for the texture. I stated that I would like to try. As soon as I moved the bowl toward me the smell hit me. The smell reminded me of the county fair, the part with the animals or maybe the time right before Animal Control removes the horse from it’s home because the owners haven’t properly cleaned the stall. Being brave, I scooped a spoon full into my mouth. Remember what I said about the county fair and the horse stall? Well, times that by 10.
The worst part is that the owner and her daughter where real excited that we wanted to try Menudo. They said it was an aquired taste like liver and onions. Well maybe if the liver and onions came out of a animals butt. I found out today that it takes hours to prepare the tripe (main ingrediant in Menudo) so that it is edible. Makes you think doesn’t it? Edible? I don’t know about that.
I do have to say that the rest of the food was absolutely fantastic. I love that restauarant. I believe that the day I tried Menudo I had my first case of food based cultural shock.
Power to all Menudo eaters.
eww.
OMG sssoo funny and so true. I went to a wedding and the next day they cook menudo (good for hangovers… I guess) and open all the wedding presents… I being the only white girl walk in and was like ” Weird it smells like hay in here….” only to find out they were cooking a vat of menudo big enough to cook a 3 year old child… To say the least the stench of hay was enough to keep that crap away from my mouth….
Never had it in soup, but I did have it grilled. They dyed/seasoned it with something that turned it red-orange… It was interesting. I wouldn’t eat a whole order of it, but a piece or three with my regular plate, I would eat it.
This prep, it didn’t smell of hay…
I have lived in Texas just about my whole life. I find menudo is sort of like chili or chowder. Every family has their own version. I’ve had some delightfully tasteful menudo and a menudo that made me want to cut out my tongue so that I would never have to taste again for the rest of my life. You must be brave!
Wow, you must have had some weird menudo! I was never a fan of strange meats (like tripe) and am now in fact a vegetarian, but my mom used to cook menudo for me without tripe and lots of extra hominy. Menudo is delicious and doesn’t have to be cooked with tripe, though people will argue it should be. I also can’t have it without squeezing some lime in. You should give someone else’s a try, because that one sounds weird. I’ve never had menudo that smelled like hay. Though I also never grew up where there are county fairs, so I would never had made the connection to begin with.
I agree!! Probably the worst thing I may have eaten. Ever. It tastes/smells as if you went to a farm…..found everything that was dirty at that farm…..and then licked it. It is also made of a cows poop chute.
well first of im wondering what places yall have had menudo at where it smells that bad. Im from san antonio, texas and know what real menudo tastes like, and it smells great and the flavor is robust and amazing. Either u went to an imitation mexican restaraunt or it was made in the wrong hands. the texture of the tripe is something to get used to but the broth is great, a lil cilantro, onion and a lil lemon juice and ur ready. My suggestion is come further south try it again but done the right way. It take a long time to learn how to make it and make it right, just like mole.
I had some enchiladas from a restaurant recently that completely tasted like horse and cow poop. I couldn’t figure it out, and I couldn’t eat it. Maybe they were also making menudo that day and it permeated the good food.
very funny!
I like menudo.. and i must say that in all of México there are different ways to prepare menudo: the taste is different in the north to central and of course, south, but i recognize it’s a flavor and consistency with which maybe you should be familiar from childhood, so you do not dislike it… but you was brave to try!
I’ve had menudo that was very good and menudo that was more like manure-do. I guess the tripe isn’t well cleaned sometimes. At least, since it’s boiled, it probably won’t kill you.
Stuff is delicious. I know many people who love this dish. I don’t smell hay and it has great flavor. Americans are to ignorant to enjoy stuff like this.
MENUDO IS THE BEST THING OUT THERE YOU JUST AINT USED TO GOOD FOOD I LIVE IN CALIFONIA AND BY FAR THAT IS THE BEST FOOD EVER SO I DONT KNOW WAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT