Please help me identify this... stuff

[RandomMistakes]

So I was eating some Pho today from a place I frequently visit (although that may change now) and it was certainly made differently. In addition to some large chunks of fat, I found these weird spiky things that are certainly not noodles. They smell salty and have a tough noodle like texture and just look alien to me lol.
Can anyone identify this?

 

[buckytom]

it looks like a type of animal stomach cut into strips.

search for cow's stomach, or tripe noodle soup.

 

[RandomMistakes]

it looks like a type of animal stomach cut into strips.

search for cow's stomach, or tripe noodle soup.

Thanks Tom,
I've seen honeycomb tripe before and this was much more of a "spiky/hairy" texture so I guess I dismissed that possibility. It looks like it comes in a few varieties though, so thats most likely correct. Thank you!

 

[Gravy Queen]

Tripe

 

[menumaker]

Definitely looks like tripe.

 

[Blue Butterfly]

Most definately tripe - cut into small strips. There is a lot of this stuff where we are!

 

[Siegal]

Definitely looks like tripe. Never had tripe although see it in supermarket all the time - how did it taste?

 

[Blue Butterfly]

Tripe

Definitely looks like tripe. Never had tripe although see it in supermarket all the time - how did it taste?

It all depends how it is prepared. If it is not cooked correctly it is really tough and tasteless. I usually cook it slowly in a curry sauce

 

[buckytom]

i've had tripe in tomato sauce topped witb grated locatelli cheese (aka trippa alla romana), or tripe parm which is similar but topped with parm and mozzarella cheeses.

i can see how tripe can be cooked for a long time in a broth to tenderize it as is done with the tomato sauce versions, but then noodles and other stuff being added laterto round it out into a soup.

btw, there's different types of tripe. honeycomb and rumen. i think the one you had was rumen.

 

[puffin3]

Pig tripe from the upper portion of the stomach.

 

[acerbicacid]

Looks like tripe to me too. I really like tripe but don't see it much these days.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Tripe is actually a fairly common ingredient in Pho - or at least in Vietnam it is. Probably less common here.

 

[Marrie Ann]

This is tripe and it can be very tasty if you cook soup with garlic and onion, also you can make a tomato stew with tripe strips.

 

[Addie]

On Saturday, the Italian restaurants here make tripe in pasta sauce. Or they make a soup base with it. You have to get there early. It sells out very quickly. Almost consider it your breakfast. Because it is gone by 10 a.m. A major Italian dish. It is plentiful in this area. And you can buy it in any Italian store that has a butcher.

 

[Snip 13]

It all depends how it is prepared. If it is not cooked correctly it is really tough and tasteless. I usually cook it slowly in a curry sauce

I didn't know you eat tripe!? You got one on me, think I'll stick to my livers and black pudding

 

[Sprout]

Tripe is actually a fairly common ingredient in Pho - or at least in Vietnam it is. Probably less common here.

Most of the Pho places I've been to in Washington state offered tripe (as well as tendon and occasionally other more exotic options). I haven't seen it at any outside of Washington state, probably because there's a decent-size Vietnamese population in Washington.

Random Mistakes: The fatty bits you found in your bowl may have been fatty flank. It's another common one out there. I can't be sure, but it also looks like there may be bits of tendon in there, too. That was a common combo at a lot of the places back in WA; fatty flank, tendon and tripe. I've tried it but I personally prefer my rare beef or meatball.

 

[GotGarlic]

We have a pho restaurant that has options for tripe, tendon, and other ingredients in the soup. I, too, stick to the rare beef lol