I read this article about Tripe sandwiches in Florence? They sound gross. Has anyone else tried these?
http://noambit.typepad.com/my_weblog...-like-a-l.html

I love tripe, but then again, I grew up with it so I don't see anything wrong with it.

It's funny, but people have no trouble eating snails, oysters, clams, clalmari, mussels and a myriad of other gross stuff simply because they grew up seeing their parents eating it, so to their eye, it's perfectly normal.

One of my most unforgettable meals was a steaming bowl of tripe stew at a little mom & pop restaurant off the beaten track in Venice. Even though I had eaten lunch 20 minutes earlier, I went in to get a soft drink, saw the tripe simmering on the stove and just had to have it. My traveling companions had never had tripe, but they stepped up and joined me. They loved it and still talk about that meal to this day.

Well, I'm pretty much a fearless eater, but the first time I tried a tripe sandwich - it was in Florence on the Piazza della Signoria, and I thought it was barbecue! - I literally spat it out onto the sidewalk, to the amazement of the vendor, other customers, and passersby. NOT a pretty picture, but honestly, it completely grossed me out. I've never tried it again since.

I do love snails and octopus and ostrich and foie gras and even some insects, but tripe....no thanks!

Does it taste like chicken?

"Does it taste like chicken?"
Much better!

Oh, do not call it using the simple word "trippa" !
In Florence (and its surrounding area) you have to call it "lampredotto" which is one of the four stomachs of cows !
Florence people love it in the sandwich way that you described.


Vincenzo

Dobrada com feijao branco ("lampredotto" with white beans).
hummmmm... I feel now like Pavlov's dogs.
http://bp2.blogger.com/_FUmb3jGRP80/...obrada+007.jpg

Tripe is not only experienced in Florence, but definitely give it a try if you are there: its really good, when well-prepared.

The Italians in general and Romans in particular, use far more of their animals for food than is traditional in North America. Read Anthony Capella's "The Food of Love" for the whole story: its fiction and somewhat silly as a love story, but BOY does he know his 'parts'!

Why is tripe any more "gross" than liver? It is used a lot in Mexican cooking, too.

Hm. I think it's sad to dismiss a new-to-you, but popular elsewhere, food stuff as "gross." In every culture their food defines them as much as anything else, and being open to the possibility of trying new things (whether or not they end up being palatable to you) also leaves you open to a deeper understanding of the culture. Plus, who knows, you might end up trying something you truly love!

Tripe, properly prepared is quite a savory dish. In French, Italian and other cuisines, it is highly prized. The renowned Marcella Hazan has some wonderful recipes for tripe; as well as Julia Child. I find "trippa e Fagioli to be a very satisfying winter dish.

Some tourists just "fare una brutta figura".

You can still get your tripe in disguise, at home in the U.S. by chowing down on cheap hot dogs!!!!!!
Better to eat it fresh and prepared with other good ingredients.

I agree. And I find it a bit odd that someone would post a new topic just to say that she or he thought a food not known to them was "gross." Why am I certain that the OP is American? What is the point of the original post? I am quite certain that it was not to ask if he or she should seek out this food once in Florence.

If done properly tripe can be good. In fact, if anything is prepared properly using the very freshest of ingredients it can taste good including sweetbreads, haggis, etc.

Part of travel is the adventure of trying new-to-you foods!

We ate the tripe sandwiches in Florence at the indoor market (can't remember the name) for breakfast with a bunch of locals at around 10:30 am, many were drinking wine too.

I forgot to add they were delicious, but we've eaten tripe often in many ways.

I have cooked tripe in tomato sauce for my Italian father-in-law (he loves it!) and I have sampled it each time. I don't have a problem with the taste as much as with the texture - kind of like chewing a cellulose sponge...

When in Peru, you might want to try roasted guinea pig. Yummy.

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/346297/index.html

Jed, eating parts of a cow are OK for me, but the ghost of my childhood pet guinea pig ("Pinky&quot would haunt my dreams if I ate one of her relatives.