Tag: offal

The “ballsiest” soup in the Philippines: Soup No. 5

Ivan

We are in the Philippines. Here Soup Number Five is well-known, as are its purported aphrodisiac and healing properties. Originally served by roadside eateries, some men even believe that eating it will give them the virility of a bull: Cebuanos know it as “lanciao” and is believed to give the physical attributes of the animal to anyone willing to take a sip. Or, at least, increase their libido even if, nutrition-wise, a serving of Soup no. 5 gives less zinc (the mineral which increases libido) when cooked. According to others,…

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Tuslob Buwa – minced pork liver and brain gravy in the Philippines

Ivan

We are in the Pasil neighborhood of Cebu City, Philippines. The Philippines is known for having some of the tastiest exotic dishes in the world, and each province having its own “specialty.” In Cebu, one of these dishes is tuslob buwa, a popular street food whose chief ingredients are minced pork liver, innards and brain, which get sautéed with garlic, onions, shrimp paste, and chilis in a wok filled with boiling oil or lard and sometimes soy sauce for extra flavor. The mixture starts out as a watery stock, but…

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Sheep Brains: things to try in Marrakesh

Ivan

We are in Marrakesh, Morocco. If there’s one must do thing there, is to watch the food vendors set up their collective stalls at dusk in the Jemaa El-Fna square. The heart of the Old Medina transforms before your eyes, with movement in every direction, both turists and locals. Smoke from the open grills and the smell of meat and spices dominant the senses, but don’t stop there, make your way through the crowd of people, motorbikes and cars and sit down at one of the endless stalls serving up…

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Chitlins: why you should try this traditional “soul food”

Leo S

At first, let us consider what chitlins are: hog intestines or guts. Some people turn up their noses only at their mention, while other leave the house while they are cooking, disgusted by their odor, and this is why traditionally they were cooked outdoors at backyard hog killings in winter. However, the volume sold for New Year’s dinners, with Christmas and Thanksgiving not far behind, attests to chitlins (or, more formally, chitterlings) popularity in the United States! In any case, animal innards have long been treasured foods around the world.…

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