menudo

Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup or stew made from beef tripe (stomach) cooked in a red chili pepper broth. The dish is typically seasoned with garlic, onions, oregano, and cumin, and often includes hominy. It is commonly served with garnishes such as chopped onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and dried oregano, and eaten with tortillas.

Preparation usually begins with cleaning the tripe and parboiling it to tenderize. The main cooking uses a sauce made from dried chilies (such as guajillo and/or ancho) rehydrated and blended, sometimes with a tomato base, then simmered with the tripe, aromatics, and broth for several hours until tender. Regional variations exist, with some versions incorporating additional ingredients such as more connective tissue, bones, or variations of chili.

Cultural context: Menudo is associated with Mexican and Mexican-American cuisine and is especially common as a weekend dish or offered in restaurants in northern Mexico and in communities in the United States. It is also sometimes described as a traditional remedy for hangovers, though evidence for this is anecdotal.

Other uses: The term Menudo may also refer to a Puerto Rican boy band that achieved international fame in the 1980s and 1990s. The word can appear in other contexts in Spanish, sometimes diverging from the food meaning.