Food - Drink
The Difference Between Mexican And Filipino Menudo
By HOPE NGO
The ties between the Philippines and Mexico have run deep since the 1500s, with Mexican officials and friars traveling east and bringing their culinary traditions with them. Naturally, the people of the Philippines completely transformed some of these new dishes in order to adapt to local tastes, one of which is a soup called menudo.
One meaning of the Spanish word “menudo” is internal organs or offal, the key ingredient of the Mexican soup of the same name. Mexican menudo is made with a rich broth of cow’s feet and bones, plus tripe, a blended pepper sauce with cumin, and possibly corn hominy for thickening to create a hot, soothing, and economical meal.
Meanwhile, Filipino menudo is a stew of pork, liver, and cut-up root vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Unlike Mexican menudo, Filipino menudo is cooked in a tomato-based sauce and is eaten with rice, and each city has its own variations that may include chorizo, bell peppers, pickles, Vienna sausages, chickpeas, and more.