Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the

organs In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a fu ...

of a

butchered A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but usually excludes

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...

. Offal may also refer to the by-products of milled

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

s, such as corn or wheat. Some cultures strongly consider offal as food to be

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

, while others use it as everyday food or even as

delicacies A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...

. Certain offal dishes—including ''

foie gras Foie gras (, ; ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding). Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacy ...

'', ''

pâté ''Pâté'' ( , , ) is a paste, pie or loaf filled with a forcemeat. Common forcemeats include ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy (often cognac or armagnac). It is often served ...

'', and

haggis Haggis ( gd, taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now an a ...

—are internationally regarded as

gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, of ...

food in the culinary arts. Others remain part of traditional

regional cuisine Regional cuisine is cuisine based upon national, state or local regions. Regional cuisines may vary based upon food availability and trade, varying climates, cooking traditions and practices, and cultural differences.sweetbread Sweetbread is a culinary name for the thymus (also called throat, gullet, or neck sweetbread) or pancreas (also called stomach, belly or gut sweetbread), typically from calf (french: ris de veau, es, hígado) or lamb (). Sweetbreads have a rich ...

, Jewish

chopped liver Chopped liver ( yi, געהאַקטע לעבער, ''gehakte leber'') is a liver pâté popular in Ashkenazic cuisine. This dish is a common menu item in kosher Jewish delicatessens in Britain, Canada, South Africa, and the United States. Prepar ...

, U.S.

chitterlings Chitterlings (), sometimes spelled chitlins or chittlins, are the small intestines of domestic animals. They are usually made from pigs' intestines. They may also be filled with a forcemeat to make sausage.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 1st editi ...

, Mexican menudo, as well as many other dishes. On the other hand,

intestines The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

are traditionally used as casing for

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

s. Depending on the context, ''offal'' may refer only to those parts of an

animal carcass Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures, c ...

discarded after

butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...

ing or

skinning Skinning is the act of skin removal. The process is done by humans to animals, mainly as a means to prepare the meat beneath for cooking and consumption, or to harvest the skin for making fur clothing or tanning it to make leather. The skin ...

; offal not used directly for human or animal consumption is often processed in a rendering plant, producing material that is used for

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

; or in some cases, it may be added to commercially produced

pet food Pet food is animal feed intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for animals is a byproduct of the human food indu ...

. In earlier times, mobs sometimes threw offal and other rubbish at condemned criminals as a show of public disapproval.

Etymology

The word shares its etymology with several Germanic words: West Frisian ''ôffal'', German ''Abfall'' (''Offall'' in some Western German dialects and Luxembourgish), ''afval'' in Dutch and

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

, ''avfall'' in Norwegian and Swedish, and ''affald'' in Danish. These Germanic words all mean "garbage/rubbish" or "waste" or—literally—"off-fall," referring to that which has fallen off during butchering. However, these words are not often used to refer to food except for Afrikaans in the

agglutination In linguistics, agglutination is a morphological process in which words are formed by stringing together morphemes, each of which corresponds to a single syntactic feature. Languages that use agglutination widely are called agglutinative lang ...

''afvalvleis'' (lit. "off-fall-flesh"), which does indeed mean offal. For instance, the German word for offal is ''Innereien'' meaning innards and the Swedish word is "inälvsmat" literally meaning "inside-food." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word entered Middle English from Middle Dutch in the form afval, derived from af (off) and vallen (fall).

List

Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

Brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

Chitterlings Chitterlings (), sometimes spelled chitlins or chittlins, are the small intestines of domestic animals. They are usually made from pigs' intestines. They may also be filled with a forcemeat to make sausage.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 1st editi ...

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

Kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...

Liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

Lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

* Trotters *

Snout A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. In many animals, the structure is called a muzzle, rostrum, or proboscis. The wet furless surface around the nostrils of the nose of many mammals is c ...

Spleen The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes .

Pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an end ...

Testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...

Tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

Tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...

Intestines The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

Hooves The hoof (plural: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits, yet the rumi ...

Horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

s * Hide *

Sweetbread Sweetbread is a culinary name for the thymus (also called throat, gullet, or neck sweetbread) or pancreas (also called stomach, belly or gut sweetbread), typically from calf (french: ris de veau, es, hígado) or lamb (). Sweetbreads have a rich ...

Europe

In some parts of Europe,

scrotum The scrotum or scrotal sac is an anatomical male reproductive structure located at the base of the penis that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sac of skin and smooth muscle. It is present in most terrestrial male mammals. The scrotum cont ...

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

(pig's small intestine), trotters (feet), heart,

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

(of pigs, calves, sheep and lamb),

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

spleen The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes .

, "lights" (

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

sweetbread Sweetbread is a culinary name for the thymus (also called throat, gullet, or neck sweetbread) or pancreas (also called stomach, belly or gut sweetbread), typically from calf (french: ris de veau, es, hígado) or lamb (). Sweetbreads have a rich ...

s (

thymus The thymus is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or ''T cells'' mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. ...

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an end ...

fries French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips (Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. The ...

(testicles),

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

snout A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. In many animals, the structure is called a muzzle, rostrum, or proboscis. The wet furless surface around the nostrils of the nose of many mammals is c ...

(nose),

tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...

(reticulum) and maws (stomach) from various mammals are common menu items.

Great Britain

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

times, "

humble pie Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black Cof ...

" (originally, "Umble pie") made from animal innards (especially deer) was a

peasant food Peasant foods are dishes eaten by peasants, made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients. In many historical periods, peasant foods have been stigmatized. They may use ingredients, such as offal and less-tender cuts of meat, which are not ...

and is the source of the commonly used

idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, ...

"eating humble pie", although it has lost its original meaning as meat pies made from offal are no longer referred to by this name. The traditional Scottish

consists of a sheep's stomach stuffed with a boiled mix of liver, heart, lungs, rolled oats, and other ingredients. In the English Midlands and South Wales, faggots are made from ground or minced pig offal (mainly liver and cheek), bread, herbs, and onion wrapped in pig's

caul fat Caul fat, also known as lace fat, omentum, or fat netting, is the thin membrane which surrounds the internal organs of some animals, such as cows, sheep, and pigs, also known as the greater omentum. It is used as a casing for sausages, roulades, ...

. Only two offal-based dishes are still routinely served nationwide at home and in restaurants and are available as pre-cooked package meals in supermarket chains:

Steak and kidney pie Steak and kidney pie is a popular British dish. It is a savoury pie filled principally with a mixture of diced beef, diced kidney (which may be beef, lamb, veal or pork) and onion. Its contents are generally similar to those of steak and kidney pud ...

(typically featuring veal or beef kidneys) is still widely known and enjoyed in Britain as is the liver (of lamb, calf, pig or cow) and onions served in a rich sauce (gravy). Brawn (the

British English British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in ...

term for '

head cheese Head cheese (Dutch: ''hoofdkaas'') or brawn is a cold cut terrine or meat jelly that originated in Europe. It is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic, and usually eaten cold, at ...

') is the collection of meat and tissue found on an animal's skull (typically a pig) that is cooked, chilled and set in

gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...

. Another British food is

black pudding , type = , course = , place_of_origin = Great Britain and Ireland , region =England, Ireland, Scotland , associated_cuisine = United Kingdom and Ireland , creator = , year = , mintime = , maxtime = , served = Hot, occasionally ...

, consisting of congealed pig's blood with oatmeal made into sausage-like links with pig intestine as a casing, then boiled and usually fried on preparation. "Luncheon tongue" refers to reformed pork tongue pieces. "Ox tongue" made from the pressed complete tongue, is more expensive. Both kinds of tongue are found in tinned form and in slices in supermarkets and local butchers. Home cooking and pressing of tongue have become less common over the last fifty years. Bleached

was a popular dish in Northern England (especially in South Lancashire), with many specialist tripe shops in industrial areas. Today, in South Lancashire certain markets (for example in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...

) may still sell tripe; but all the specialist tripe shops have now closed. "Elder" is the name given to cooked cow's udder - another Lancashire offal dish rarely seen today. Offal connoisseurs such as Ben Greenwood OBE have frequently campaigned to bring Elder back on the menu of restaurants across Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Nordic countries

Norway

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

the ''

smalahove ''Smalahove'' (also called ''smalehovud'', ''sau(d)ehau(d)'' or ''skjelte'') is a Western Norwegian traditional dish made from a sheep's head, originally eaten before Christmas. The name of the dish comes from the combination of the Norwegian wor ...

'' is a traditional dish, usually eaten around and before

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

time, made from a

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

's head. The skin and fleece of the head is torched, the brain removed, and the head is salted, sometimes smoked, and dried. The head is

boiled Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmosphere. Ther ...

for about 3 hours and served with mashed ''

rutabaga Rutabaga (; North American English) or swede (British English and some Commonwealth English) is a root vegetable, a form of ''Brassica napus'' (which also includes rapeseed). Other names include Swedish turnip, neep (Scots), and turnip (Scott ...

''/swede and

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

es. The ear and eye (half of a head is one serving) are normally eaten first, as they are the fattiest area and must be eaten warm. The head is often eaten from the front to the back, working around the bones of the skull. Smalahove is considered by some to be unappealing or even repulsive. It is mostly enjoyed by enthusiasts and is often served to

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

s and more adventurous visitors. Other Norwegian specialities include '' malaføtter'', a traditional dish similar to ''smalahove'', but instead of a sheep's head, it is made of lamb's feet. ''

Syltelabb Syltelabb is a Norwegian traditional dish, usually eaten around and before Christmas time, made from boiled, salt-cured pig's trotter. They are traditionally eaten using one's fingers, as a snack food. They are sometimes served with beetroot, m ...

'' is a boiled, salt-cured pig's trotter, known as a Christmas delicacy for enthusiasts. Syltelabb is usually sold cooked and salted. Liver pâté (leverpostei) and patéd lung (lungemos) are common dishes, as are head cheese (sylte) and blood pudding (blodklubb). Fish roe and liver are also central to several Norwegian dishes, such as mølje.

Denmark

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

a version of liver

, known as "'' leverpostej''" in Danish, is used as a spread (often in an

open sandwich An open sandwich, also known as an open-face/open-faced sandwich, bread baser, bread platter or tartine, consists of a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top. History During the start of the middle ages, thin slabs of coarse ...

rye bread Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat f ...

) is considered a popular dish. The most common main ingredients of ''leverpostej'' are pork liver,

lard Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.Lard
entry in the o ...

, and

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

, but numerous alternative recipes exist. The 5.5 million Danes consume roughly 14,000 tons of ''leverpostej'' per year, the most popular commercial brand being Stryhn's. Versions of brawn (often served on rye bread as an open sandwich with a garnish of cucumber slices or

dijon mustard Dijon mustard (french: Moutarde de Dijon) is a traditional mustard of France, named after the town of Dijon in Burgundy, France, which was the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and was granted exclusive rights in France in the 17t ...

and pickled

beetroot The beetroot is the taproot portion of a beet plant, usually known in North America as beets while the vegetable is referred to as beetroot in British English, and also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, dinner beet or golden beet ...

) and

blood sausage A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the A ...

(served pan-fried with

muscovado Muscovado is a type of partially refined to unrefined sugar with a strong molasses content and flavour, and dark brown in colour. It is technically considered either a non-centrifugal cane sugar or a centrifuged, partially refined sugar accordin ...

) are eaten mainly during wintertime, e.g., as part of the traditional Danish Christmas lunch or "'' julefrokost''". Heart is commonly eaten, either calf, cow, or pork. Grydestegte Hjerter is a Sunday dish of stuffed pork heart, served with carrots, brussels sprouts, and mashed potatoes.

Iceland

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

has its own version of both

and brawn. The Icelandic haggis called "''slátur''" (slaughter) is made in two versions: "''Blóðmör''" (bloodlard), a sheep's stomach stuffed with a mixture of sheep's blood, rolled oats, and cut-up bits of sheep's fat, and "''lifrarpylsa''" (

liver sausage Liverwurst, leberwurst, or liver sausage is a kind of sausage made from liver. It is eaten in many parts of Europe, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Polan ...

), which consists of sheep stomach stuffed with a mixture of ground lamb's liver, rolled oats and cut-up bits of

mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

. The Icelandic brawn "''

svið Svið (; transliterated as svid or svith) is a traditional Icelandic dish consisting of a sheep's head cut in half, singed to remove the fur, and boiled with the brain removed, sometimes cured in lactic acid. Svið originally arose at a time w ...

''" is made from singed sheep heads, and it is eaten either hot or cold off the bone or set in gelatin.

Sweden

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

has a version of the British

called "''blodpudding''" (blood pudding). The Scottish

is called "''pölsa''" or "''lungmos''" (mashed lung). The Swedish "''pölsa''" is made of some offal like

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

, onions, rolled barley and spices and is served with boiled potatoes, fried eggs, and sliced

. "''Blodpudding''" is mostly served sliced and fried with

lingonberry ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'', the lingonberry, partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or cowberry, is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Norther ...

preserve, grated carrot or cabbage, and fried bacon. Other popular offal dishes are "''levergryta''" (liver stew) "''leverpastej''" (liver pâté).

Finland

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

also has its own version of black pudding, ''

mustamakkara Mustamakkara () is a type of Finnish blood sausage traditionally eaten with lingonberry jam. It is available in many stores across Finland, but is considered a specialty of Tampere, Pirkanmaa. Mustamakkara is at its best when bought and eaten ...

'' (black sausage). There is also liver sausage, usually eaten as a spread on bread, similar to the Danish ''leverpostej''. Liver is also eaten in various other forms including fried slices and minced liver patties.

Liver casserole Liver casserole ( fi, maksalaatikko, sv, leverlåda) is a Finnish food that is made of rice, ground liver, butter, syrup, egg, onion, and raisin. It is traditionally served with lingonberry jam. It is also sold ready-to-eat and eaten as an ever ...

, traditionally made with minced liver, rice, butter, onions,

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

, syrup, and usually, raisins used to be mainly a Christmas dish, but is now available and eaten all year round. Many traditional and modern

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

recipes use offal. One of the most popular offal dishes is verilettu (or veriohukainen or verilätty) which translates to blood pancake, a pan-fried thin bread-like snack traditionally enjoyed with lingonberry jam. Verilettu is common in Sweden and Norway, going by the name Blodplättar.

Western Europe

In France, the city of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

is well known for its offal:

andouillette Andouillette () is a French coarse-grained sausage made from the intestine of pork, pepper, wine, onions, and seasonings. Andouillettes are generally made from the large intestine and are in diameter. True andouillettes are rarely seen outsi ...

, tablier de sapeur (

breaded tripe Bread crumbs or breadcrumbs (regional variants including breading and crispies) consist of crumbled bread of various dryness, sometimes with seasonings added, used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening ...

), foie de veau, rognons à la crème, tripes... In

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, lamb's trotters and a package of lamb

are a traditional food under the name "'' pieds et paquets''". Especially in southern

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, some offal varieties are served in regional cuisine. The Bavarian expression ''Kronfleischküche '' includes

skirt steak Skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is not to be confused with hanger steak, a generally similar adjacent cut also from the plate. Though it is from a dif ...

and offal as well, e.g., Milzwurst, a sausage containing small pieces of

spleen The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes .

, and even dishes based on

udder An udder is an organ formed of two or four mammary glands on the females of dairy animals and ruminants such as cattle, goats, and sheep. An udder is equivalent to the breast in primates and elephantine pachyderms. The udder is a single mass han ...

. Swabia is famous for ''Saure Kutteln''—sour tripes served steaming hot with fried potatoes. ''Herzgulasch'' is a (formerly cheaper) type of

goulash Goulash ( hu, gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the ...

using heart. Liver is part of various recipes, such as some sorts of

Knödel Knödel (; and ) or Klöße (; ) are boiled dumplings commonly found in Central European and East European cuisine. Central European countries in which their variant of ''Knödel'' is popular include Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, ...

and

Spätzle Spätzle (or spaetzle; ) is a type of pasta or dumpling made with eggs, typically serving as a side for meat dishes with gravy. Commonly associated with Swabia, it is also found in the cuisines of southern Germany and Austria, Switzerland, Hung ...

, and in

Liverwurst Liverwurst, leberwurst, or liver sausage is a kind of sausage made from liver. It is eaten in many parts of Europe, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Polan ...

. As a main dish, together with cooked sliced apple and onion rings, liver (''Leber Berliner Art'', liver

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

style) is a famous recipe from the German capital.

Helmut Kohl Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. Kohl's 16-year tenure is the longes ...

's preference for

Saumagen Saumagen (, " sow's stomach") is a German dish popular in the Palatinate. The dish is similar to a sausage in that it consists of a stuffed casing; however, the stomach itself is integral to the dish. It is not as thin as a typical sausage casin ...

was a challenge to various political visitors during his terms as German Chancellor. ''Markklößchen'' are small dumplings made with bone marrow; they are served as part of ''

Hochzeitssuppe ''Hochzeitssuppe'' (literally: "wedding soup") is a clear German soup based on chicken broth, fortified with chicken meat, small meatballs (), asparagus heads, noodles and savoury egg custard garnish (). Sometimes raisins are added as well. is ...

'' (wedding soup), a soup served at marriages in some German regions. In Bavaria, lung stew is served with

, dumplings.

Blood tongue Blood tongue, or ''Zungenwurst'' (translation ''tongue sausage''), is a variety of German head cheese with blood. It is a large head cheese that is made with pig's blood, suet, bread crumbs and oatmeal with chunks of pickled beef tongue added. I ...

, or Zungenwurst, is a variety of German head cheese with blood. It is a large head cheese made with pig's blood, suet, bread crumbs, and oatmeal with chunks of pickled beef tongue added. It has a slight resemblance to blood sausage. It is commonly sliced and browned in butter or bacon fat prior to consumption. It is sold in markets pre-cooked, and its appearance is maroon to black in color. In Austrian, particularly

Viennese cuisine Viennese cuisine is the cuisine that is characteristic of Vienna, Austria, and a majority of its residents. Viennese cuisine is often treated as equivalent to Austrian cuisine, but while elements of Viennese cuisine have spread throughout Austri ...

, the ''Beuschel'' is a traditional offal dish. It is a sort of

ragout Ragout ( French ''ragoût''; ) is a main dish stew. Etymology The term comes from the French ''ragoûter'', meaning: "to revive the taste". Preparation The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat. The main ingredients ...

containing veal lungs and heart. It is usually served in a sour cream sauce and with bread dumplings (

Semmelknödel Semmelknödel are a kind of bread dumplings made from dried wheat bread rolls like Kaiser rolls, milk, and eggs. The name derives from southern Germany, where ''semmel'' means bread rolls and ''knödel'' refers to something that has been kneaded. ...

). A type of black pudding by the name of ''Blunzn'' or ''Blutwurst'' is also common. In traditional

, many types of offal including calf's liver (''Kalbsleber''), sweetbread (''Kalbsbries''), or calf's brain with egg (''Hirn mit Ei'') have played an important role, but their popularity has strongly dwindled in recent times. In

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

several classic dishes include organ meat. Beef or veal tongue in tomato-

Madeira sauce Madeira is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese Madeira Islands, off the coast of Africa. Madeira is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines which can be consumed on their own, as an apéritif, to sweet wines usually consumed ...

with mushrooms and kidneys in mustard cream sauce are probably the most famous ones. The famous "stoofvlees" or

carbonade flamande Flemish Stew, known in Dutch as stoofvlees or stoverij and in French as carbon(n)ade ''à la flamande'' In

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

consumption of entrails and internal organs is widespread. Among the most popular are fried or stewed brains; boiled stomach (

trippa Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's sto ...

), often served in a tomato sauce;

lampredotto Lampredotto () is a typical Florentine dish, made from the fourth and final stomach of cattle, the abomasum.Ingrid K. Williams36 Hours in Florence, Italy ''New York Times'' (September 24, 2014). "Lampredotto" is derived from the Italian word for ...

(the fourth stomach of the cow), boiled in broth and seasoned with parsley sauce and chilli; liver (stir-fried with onions, roasted); kidneys; heart and coronaries ( coratella or animelle); head, eyes, and testicles of a pig; and several preparations based on chicken entrails. Pajata, a traditional dish from Rome, refers to the intestines of an unweaned calf, i.e., fed only on its mother's milk. Soon after nursing, the calf is slaughtered, and its intestines are cleaned, but the milk is left inside. When cooked, the combination of heat and the enzyme

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a ...

in the intestines coagulates the milk to create a thick, creamy, cheese-like sauce. Pajata and tomatoes are often used to prepare a sauce for

rigatoni Rigatoni () are a form of tube-shaped pasta of varying lengths and diameters originating in Italy. They are larger than penne and ziti, and sometimes slightly curved. If so, they are not as curved as elbow macaroni. Rigatoni characteristically ...

. In Sicily, many enjoy a sandwich called "pani ca meusa", bread with spleen and

caciocavallo Caciocavallo is a type of stretched-curd cheese made out of sheep's or cow's milk. It is produced throughout Southern Italy, particularly in the Apennine Mountains and in the Gargano peninsula. Shaped like a teardrop, it is similar in taste to t ...

cheese. In the Italian neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York, where it is also commonly eaten, it goes by the name 'vastedda,' which in Sicilian refers to the bread only. In Norcia and other parts of Umbria, pig's bowels are also cured with herbs, chili peppers, and spices, then dried and smoked to make a tough, spicy sausage in which the bowel, instead of serving only as the usual casing, is the main ingredient. Italy's Florentine cuisine includes cow brain. In Spain, the visceral organs are used in many traditional dishes, but the use of some of them is falling out of favor with the younger generations. Some traditional dishes are ''callos'' (cow tripe, very traditional in Madrid and Asturias), liver (often prepared with onion or with garlic and parsley, and also as breaded steaks), kidneys (often prepared with sherry or grilled), sheep's brains, ''criadillas'' (bull testicles), braised cow's tongue, pig's head and feet (in Catalonia; pig's feet are also traditionally eaten with snails), pork brains (part of the traditional 'tortilla sacromonte' in Granada), and pig's ears (mostly in Galicia (Spain), Galicia). There are also many varieties of blood sausage (''morcilla''), with various textures and flavours ranging from mild to very spicy. Some of the strongest are as hard in texture as chorizo or salami, while others are soft, and some types incorporate rice, giving the stuffing a haggis-like appearance. ''Morcillas'' are added to soups or boiled on their own, in which case the cooking liquid is discarded. They are sometimes grilled but rarely fried. Also coagulated, boiled blood is a typical dish in Valencia (cut into cubes and often prepared with onion or tomato sauce). In Portugal traditionally, viscera and other animal parts are used in many dishes. Trotters (also known as ''chispe''), tripe, and pig's ears are cooked in bean broths. Tripe is famously cooked in Porto, where one of the most traditional dishes is tripe in the fashion of Porto, ''tripas à moda do Porto''. Pig's ears are usually diced into squares of cartilage and fat and pickled, after which they are eaten as an appetizer or a snack. Also common the use of stew of chicken stomach (moelas), mostly used as an appetizer. The cow's brain () is also a delicacy, although consumption has decreased since the Creutzfeldt–Jakob outbreak. The blood of the pig is used to produce a form of black pudding known as , which includes flour and seasonings. A wide variety of offal and pig blood is made into a traditional soup of the North of Portugal called, . Chicken feet are also used in soups. In Greece (and similarly in Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia), consists of liver, spleen, and small intestine, roasted over an open fire. A festive variety is (from Turkish , Macedonian ), traditional for Easter; pieces of lamb offal (liver, heart, lungs, spleen, kidney and fat) are pierced on a spit and covered by washed small intestine wound around in a tube-like fashion, then roasted over a coal fire. Another traditional Easter food is ''magiritsa'', a soup made with lamb offal and lettuce in a white sauce, eaten at midnight on Easter Sunday as an end to the lenten Fasting, fast. ''Tzigerosarmas'' (from Turkish , meaning "liver wrap") and ''gardoumba'' are two varieties of and made in different sizes and with extra spices. In Turkey, Mumbar, beef or sheep tripe stuffed with rice, is a typical dish in Adana in southern Turkey. Paça soup is made from lamb or sheep feet, except in summer. If lamb or sheep head is added, it becomes Khash (dish), Kelle Paça. Liver is fried, grilled, skewed and additive of pilaf. Liver shish can be eaten at breakfast in Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep and Adana. Brain (food), Brain can be fried or baked. It can also be consumed as salad.

Eastern Europe

In Romania, there is a dish similar to

called , which is served at Easter. Romanian families make a kind of traditional sausage from pork offal, called , the main difference being that ' is enclosed in abdominal membranes () of the animal, while chitterlings is used for . A popular dish of

soup called is similar to . Also in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Turkey, is a widespread soup variety. There is also a twofold variation on the concept of head cheese: ''piftie'' which does contain gelatin, is served cold and is usually only made from pork or beef (traditionally only pork), but does not contain as much head material (usually only the lower legs and ears are used since they contain large amounts of gelatin) and which is exclusively made of meat and tissue found on the head (save for the eyes and usually only made from lamb; addition of brain and tongue varies by local habit). is made by first boiling the head whole (to soften the meat and make it easier to peel off) and then peeling/scraping off all meat and tissue from it. A generous amount of garlic or garlic juice, the ''mujdei'', is then added and the dish is served warm. Finally, there are many dishes in Romania that are based on whole offal, such as grilled pig and cow kidney (served with boiled or steam cooked vegetables—usually peas and carrot slices); butcher's brain called ''creier pane'' (usually lamb's brains, rolled in batter and deep-fried); tongue and olives stew (mostly done with cow tongue) and many others. The Cuisine of Armenia, Armenian traditional dish known as ''khash (dish), khash'' is a traditional meal with inexpensive ingredients, originating in the Shirak region. The main ingredient in khash is pig's or cow's feet, although other animal parts, such as the ears and tripe, may also be used. Formerly a nutritious winter food for the poor, it is now considered a delicacy, and is enjoyed as a festive winter meal. In Hungary, a variety of traditional dishes are based on offal. ''Pacal'' or ''pacalpörkölt'', a popular spicy stew, considered a national dish, is made from beef tripe. Ground or chopped pork offal is usually made into a hearty sausage known as "''disznósajt''" (lit. "pig cheese") somewhat resembling haggis. Puddings and sausages made with blood (''véres hurka'') and liver (''májas hurka'') are also quite common, especially as part of the ''"disznótoros",'' a dish of different sausages produced from pork. Heart, liver and gizzards of chicken are a traditional part of chicken soup. Gizzards can also be made into a stew (''"zúzapörkölt"''). While decreasing in popularity, stews made from poultry testicles (''kakashere pörkölt'') are still considered a delicacy and a dish of high prestige in the countryside. Another dish which became less common is "''vese-velő''" (pig kidneys with brain). :hu:Szalontüdő, Szalontüdő is made out of the heart and lungs of pork. Offal is not an uncommon ingredient in Polish cuisine. ''Kaszanka'', a traditional sausage similar to

, is made with a mixture of pig's blood, pig offal and buckwheat or barley usually served fried with onions or grilled. Beef tripe is used to cook a popular soup simply called ''Flaki#Poland, flaki'' (Polish language, pl. ''guts''). Chicken gizzards or hearts can be a base for various stews or soups, such as ''Krupnik (soup), krupnik'', a pearl barley soup (not to be confused with a vodka brand of the same name). Other offal-based soups, less popular today, are Polish blood soup (''czernina'') and tail soup (''zupa ogonowa''), based on a cooked beef tail. Pork or beef liver is often consumed sautéed or grilled with onions; liver is also used as one of the ingredients for stuffing baked whole duck or other poultry, or a piglet. Pâtés containing liver are popular. Pork, beef or veal kidneys, known in Polish as ''cynadry'', are typically braised and eaten as a main dish. Pork tongues can be served hot, in a sauce, or cold, set into aspic. Cold pork trotters in aspic are very popular, especially as a companion to vodka. In the past, braised pork or veal brain was a popular snack, but today it is rare. In Russia, beef liver and tongue are considered valuable delicacies, which may be cooked and served on their own. Kidneys and brains are sometimes used in cooking. The heart is often eaten on its own or used as an additive to the ground meat, as do lungs which give a lighter, airier texture to it. Pig's or sheep's stomach is sometimes used for ''Nyanya (dish), nyanya'', a dish similar to haggis. Head and collagen-rich extremities are used to make ''kholodets''—a version of aspic, whereby these body parts are slowly boiled for several hours with meat and spices, removed and discarded, and the remaining broth is cooled until it congeals.

South America

In Brazil, ''churrasco'' (barbecue) often includes chicken

s, roasted on a big skewer. The typical ''feijoada'' sometimes contains pork trimmings (ears, feet and tail). Gizzard stews, fried beef liver and beef stomach stews used to be more popular dishes in the past, but are nonetheless still consumed. ''Buchada'', a popular dish from the northeast of the country, consists of the diced organs of a goat, which are seasoned and then sewn inside the goat's stomach ("''bucho''") and boiled. ''Dobradinha'' is a dish made with tripe, a variation of the northern Portuguese dish. In the Northeast of Brazil the ''sarapatel'' is a very common dish, usually prepared with pork organs (heart, liver, intestine, and kidneys) boiled along with coagulated pork blood in a spiced stew. In Argentina and Uruguay, the traditional ''asado'' is often made along with several offal types (called "''achuras''"), like ''chinchulines'' and ''tripa gorda'' (

), ''mollejas'' (sweetbreads) and ''riñón'' (cow's kidney). ''Sesos'' (brains) are used to make ravioli stuffing. The tongue is usually boiled, sliced and marinated with a mixture of oil, vinegar, salt, chopped peppers and garlic. In Colombia, ''menudencias'' is the name given to the chicken leftovers or offal such as the head, neck, gizzard, and feet. A popular cheap dish containing all this and more is called ''sopa de menudencias''. Head cheese is also common. Just like in Argentina, and depending on the region, Colombian asado and Picada (Colombian cuisine), ''picada'' involve many offal types, including ''chunchullo'' (chitterlings), chicken hearts, and ''bofe'' (beef lung). ''Pelanga'' is a dish from the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyaca that contains beef or pork snout (''jeta''), trachea, tongue, and ears. ''Pepitoria'' is a dish in the department of Santander Department, Santander that involves offal from billy goats (kidney, liver, heart). In Peru and Bolivia, beef heart is used for ''anticuchos''—a sort of ''brochette''. In Chile, the tongue is boiled, sliced and served in a walnut-based sauce in New year and Christmas festivities ("lengua nogada") while the soup is used later to cook a wheat, milk and spice ball mix called "albóndigas de sémola". There is also a blood drink called "Ñachi", made from spiced, fresh blood from a recently slaughtered animal. ''Criadillas'' or ''huevos de toro'' ("bull's eggs", testicles) are eaten mostly in cattle-raising regions, while cow udder ("ubres") is served fried or boiled. ''Sopa de mondongo'' is a soup made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow or pig) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), garlic or root vegetables. Variations can also be found in Nicaragua, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sausage is made from the small intestine of a goat, cow or sheep, stuffed with chilli and small chunks of meat, fatty meat, and blood (although some people prefer the bloodless kind). In Kenya, it is commonly referred to as 'mutura', which is the Kikuyu people, Kikuyu name for it. Sheep's or goat's stomach is also stuffed in a similar way. In the Kikuyu people, Kikuyu traditions, grilled goat/sheep kidneys are a delicacy usually reserved for young ladies, although today, anybody can consume it. Similarly, the tongue was reserved for men and the ears were to be eaten by little girls. The testicles were for the young men. The livers are also consumed. The heads, lungs, and hooves of animals are boiled to make soup and sometimes mixed with herbs for medicinal purposes. In South Africa offal, locally known as tripe, is enjoyed by South Africans of diverse backgrounds. Due to the popularity of this dish, it is one of the few customs that white (especially Afrikaners) and black South Africans share. Offal dishes in South Africa do not usually consist of any organs and are mostly limited to stomach skin, sheep's head, shin, and very rarely brains. Sheep's head has gained many nicknames over the years such as 'skopo' (township colloquial term meaning head) and 'smiley' (referring to the expression of the head when cooked). There are numerous recipes to cook the above-mentioned items available on many South African websites. One of the more popular way to cook offal in South Africa is to cook it with small potatoes in a curry sauce served on rice. Alternatively, it can be served with samp or maize rice. In Zimbabwe, as in most of sub-Saharan Africa, little of a slaughtered animal goes to waste. Offal is a common relish enjoyed by people of all cultures. Beef and goat offal dishes include the stomach, hooves (trotters), shin, intestines, liver, head, tongue, pancreas, lungs, kidneys, udders, and, very rarely in certain communities, testicles. Beef or goat blood, sometimes mixed with other offal pieces, is often cooked to make a dish known in Shona as "". Chicken dishes include feet, liver, intestines, and gizzards. A popular preparation of goat or sheep offal involves wrapping pieces of the stomach with the intestines before cooking. In Nigeria offal is consumed by all the people in Nigeria, in delicacies such as Abula, Edika ikong and white soup. It is called 'Inu eran' in Yoruba language, Yoruba literally meaning the insides of an animal. They have names for some parts which include roundabout, shaki (tripes), Edo (liver).

East Asia

China

In China, many organs and animal-parts are used for food or traditional Chinese medicine. Since pork is the most consumed non-seafood meat in China, popular pork offal dishes include stir-fried pork kidneys with oyster sauce, ginger and scallions, "五更肠旺—Wu Geng Chang Wang" a spicy stew with preserved mustard, tofu, pork intestine slices and congealed pork blood cubes. "炸肥肠—Zha Fei Chang," deep fried pork intestine slices and dipped in a sweet bean sauce is commonly offered by street hawkers. Pork tongue slices with salt and sesame oil is also a popular dish, especially in Sichuan province. Braised pork ear strips in soy sauce, five-spice powder and sugar is a common "cold plate" appetizer available as hawker food or in major local supermarkets. Stir-fried pork kidneys or liver slices with oyster sauce, ginger and scallions or in soups is a regular dish in southern provinces. Pork blood soup is at least 1,000 years old since the Northern Song Dynasty, when the quintessential Chinese restaurant and eateries became popular. Pork blood soup and dumplings, jiaozi, were recorded as food for night labourers in Kaifeng. In Shanghai cuisine, the soup has evolved into the well-known "酸辣湯—Suan La Tang", Hot and Sour Soup, with various additional ingredients. As well as pork, the offal of other animals is used in traditional Chinese cooking, most commonly cattle, duck, and chicken. Offal dishes are particularly popular in the southern region of Guangdong and in Hong Kong. For example, Cantonese "燒味—''Siu mei''", (Barbecued/Roasted Delicacies) shops, have achieved their foundation of influence here. Besides the popular ''cha siu'' barbecued pork, "siu yuk" crispy skin pork, along with assorted types of poultry, there are also the roasted chicken liver with honey, and the very traditional, and very expensive now, "金錢雞—Gum Chin Gai", another honey-roasted dim sum that is a sandwich of a piece each of pork fat, pork/chicken liver, ginger and cha siu. The use of offal in dim sum does not stop there. In dim sum restaurants, the feet of chicken, ducks and pork are offered in various cooking styles. For example, "豬腳薑—Jui Kerk Gieng" (pork feet in sweet vinegar stew) is a popular bowl now besides its traditional function as a supplement for postpartum mother care. Young ginger stems, boiled eggs, and blanched pork feet are stew in sweet black rice vinegar for a few hours to make this. "鴨腳紮—Ap Kerk Jat" (literally Duck leg Wrap) is a piece each of ham, shiitake mushroom and deep-fried fish maw wrapped with duck feet in a dried bean curd sheet in and steamed. The use of fish offal in Cantonese cuisine is not limited to the maw. For example, there is the folksy dish of "東江魚雲煲—Tung Gong Yu Wan Bo", a casserole with the lips of freshwater large head fish; and shark fin soup. In the more pragmatic folksy eateries, however, maximum utilization of the food resource is the traditional wisdom. The fish is used in its entirety and nothing is wasted. Deep-fried fish skin is a popular side dish at fish ball noodle shops. The intestines are steamed with egg and other ingredients in Hakka cuisine. Finally, the bones are wrapped in a cotton bag to boil in the soup for noodles. Teochew cuisine shows its best manifestation also in Hong Kong. The goose meat, liver, blood, intestine, feet, neck and tongue are all major ingredients to various dishes. There is also the must-try soup, pork stomach with whole peppercorns and pickled mustard. The use of beef organs is classically represented in noodle shops here. Each respectable operation has its own recipe for preparing the stews of brisket, intestine, lung, and varieties of tripe. The big pots are often placed facing the street and next to the entrance such that the mouth-watering aroma is the best draw for the shop's business. Contrary to a common Westerners' disgust for these dishes due to cultural unfamiliarity and sanitary concerns, these offal items are very well cleaned. The pork intestines' tough inner skin (which is exposed to bolus (digestion), bolus and pre-fecal materials) is completely removed. Then, the intestine is exhaustively soaked, cleaned and rinsed. The nephrons of pork kidneys are skilfully excised, and the kidneys are soaked for several hours and cleaned. The use of the

, kidney, gall bladder, lung and even bronchus of various farm animals together with herbs in Chinese medicine have strong empirical theories and studies are being conducted to try to understand their nature in modern scientific terms. However, there are other strange offal usages in folk practice. Taoist and rural folk beliefs have their influence. The idea of essences and energy, heat and cold, is key. Snake wine with a live snake gallbladder is thought to promote stamina due to the "essences of energy and heat", which is derived from a snake's attributes, such as aggressive behavior (fiery) and venom (energy). When bears were more common in the Chinese northeast, bears claw and dried bear offal were used as medicines, seen as a source of vitality. Dry deer antlers are still a common medicine, thought to provide "yang energy" to complement the male sex and the tail, "yin energy" for the female sex. Extractions of animal penises and testes are still believed to contribute to better male performance and those of the embryo and uterus to the eternal youth of the female. However, these are being marginalized as synthetic hormones get more popular and affordable. The Cantonese consumed monkey brains, but this is now rare to non-existent, and primarily offered to rich, Western tourists.

Japan

In Japan chicken offal, especially the gizzard, heart and liver are skewered and grilled over charcoal, wood or bamboo as ''yakitori.'' They are then served alongside drinks in a traditional dining and drinking establishment called an ''izakaya''. Offal originating from cattle is also an ingredient in certain dishes (see ''yakiniku''). However, traditional Japanese culture mostly disdains offal use from large animals due to the lack of a long tradition of meat-eating, since Buddhist Japan was a largely vegetarian nation (except for the consumption of fish and seafood) prior to the late 19th century. During the First Sino-Japanese War, Sino-Japanese War, Japanese troops took pigs from Chinese farmers and slaughtered the animals only for the major muscles (no head, feet and fully disembowelled). This has changed in recent times, and restaurants specializing in offal (particularly beef offal), often Korean-style, are quite common, serving a wide variety of offal cuts (e.g., ), generally grilled or in a stew. This is referred to as or (in Kansai) . ''Gyūtan'' (Beef tongue) is a specialty in Tōhoku region, Northeast Japan and has spread to all of the country. In some parts of Japan, such as Yamanashi Prefecture, Yamanashi, Nagano Prefecture, Nagano, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto, etc., they eat horse offal to be served as simmered dish etc.

Korea

In Korea, offal usage is very similar to mainland China but less frequent. Grilled intestine slices and pork blood are both consumed. Headcheese prepared with pork head meat was quite popular in the past. Steamed pork intestines are easy to be found in traditional markets. The popular traditional Korean sausage called Sundae (Korean food), sundae is steamed pork small intestines filled with pork blood, seasoned noodles, and vegetables. Pork feet steamed in a special stock are considered a delicacy in Korea. Beef stomach and intestines are still quite popular for cooking. It is not difficult to find grilled chicken hearts, gizzards, and feet in traditional street bars. Medicinal usages are also similar to mainland China and less common with offal uses.

Southeast Asia

Indonesia

In Indonesia cow and goat internal organs are popular delicacies, it can be fried, made into Soto (food), soto soups or grilled as satay and almost all of the parts of the animal are eaten. ''Soto Betawi'' is known as the type of soto that uses various kinds of offal, while ''soto babat'' only uses tripes. Within Indonesian cuisine traditions, the Minangkabau cuisine (popularly known as "Padang food") are known for their fondness of offal, mostly are made into ''gulai'' (a type of curry) such as ''gulai otak'' (brain), ''gulai babat'' (tripes), ''gulai usus'' (intestine), ''gulai sumsum'' (bone marrow), also fried ''hati'' (liver) and ''limpa'' (spleen). The cartilage, skin and tendon parts of cow legs are also used in dishes called ''tunjang'', ''kaki sapi'' or ''kikil'' also can be made as gulai or soto. Cow's stomach (''babat'') and intestine (''iso'') are popular, fried or in soup, in Javanese cuisine. Cow's lung called ''Cow lung, paru'', coated with spices (turmeric and coriander) and fried is often eaten as a snack or side dish. The liver is also sometimes made into a spicy dish called rendang. Cow or goat tongue is sliced and fried, sometimes in a spicy sauce, or more often beef tongue are cooked as Semur (Indonesian stew), semur stew. Brain is sometimes consumed as soto or gulai. The eye is also consumed as soto, while bone marrow is consumed as soup or soto. Cows and goat testicles popularly called ''torpedo'' are also consumed as satay or soto. Due to their rarity, the testicles are among the most expensive offal in Indonesia. A non-halal offal dish is popular among Chinese Indonesian community. ''Sekba'' is a Chinese Indonesian cuisine, Chinese Indonesian pork offal stewed in mild soy sauce-based soup. The stew tastes mildly sweet and salty, made from soy sauce, garlic, and Chinese herbs. It is a popular fare street food in Indonesian Chinatowns, such as Gloria alley, Glodok Chinatown in Jakarta. The types of pork offal being offered as ''sekba'' are pig's ears, tongue, intestines and lungs. Avian offal are commonly consumed too. Giblets, liver and intestines of chicken, duck and ''burung ayam-ayaman'' (watercock) are consumed as delicacies, commonly skewered as satay and being deep-fried. Deep-fried crispy chicken intestine in particular is a popular snack. File:Sate Hati Kambing.JPG, Indonesian goat's liver satay File:Paru goreng masakan Padang.JPG, Padang food, Padang style fried cow lung from West Sumatra, Indonesia File:Soto Babat 2.jpg, ''soto (food), Soto babat'', spicy tripe soup. File:Gulai Otak.jpg, ''Gulai otak'', Indonesian cattle's brain curry File:Usus ayam Delanggu Klaten.JPG, Deep fried crispy chicken intestines as snack

Malaysia and Singapore

In Malaysia, cow or goat lung, called ''paru'', coated in turmeric and fried is often served as a side dish to rice, especially in the ever-popular nasi lemak. Tripe is used in a few dishes either stir fried or in a gravy. Tripe is also consumed as satay. The liver is deep-fried or stir-fried in some vegetable dishes. In Singapore and Malaysia, pig's organ soup is a common feature of hawker centres. Due to Singapore's proximity and ethnic makeup, many of the items written for Indonesia and Malaysia above are also found in Singapore.

Philippines

In the Philippines, people eat practically every part of the pig, including snout, intestines, ears, and innards. The dish ''sisig'' from Pampanga is traditionally made from the skin on a pig's head, and it also includes the ears and brain. The dish ''dinakdakan'' from the Ilocos Region also includes the same pig parts, while ''warek-warek'', also from the same region, uses pig innards. ''Dinuguan'' is a particular type of blood-stew (depending on region) made using pig intestines, pork meat and sometimes ears and cheeks usually with a vinegar base, and green chilli peppers. Pig's blood is also the main ingredient of ''pinuneg'', a blood sausage made in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cordilleras. ''Bopis'' (bópiz in Spanish) is a spicy Filipino dish made out of pork lungs and heart sautéed in tomatoes, chilies and onions. Pieces of pigs' lungs (''baga'') along with the tendons (''litid'') are also skewered and deep-fried, and are served as street food in Metro Manila. Another treat is ''chicharong bulaklak'' which is made by frying a pig's bowel mesentery until crispy. ''Isaw'' is a street food popular in the Philippines made with pig and chicken intestine pieces which are skewered, barbecued, and dipped in vinegar before eating. Other street food that are prepared in a similar way are pig ears, skin, liver and coagulated blood cut into cubes, and chicken heads, necks, feet, and gizzards. On the other hand, chicken gizzard and liver are also cooked together ''Philippine adobo, adobo'' style, and are served as a viand eaten with rice. ''Papaitan'', or ''sinanglaw'' in the Ilocos Region, is an offal stew whose signature ingredient is its broth made from animal bile and the fruit of the Averrhoa bilimbi. The original stew was made from goat offal or goat

, however, offal from cattle or carabao are also used. ''Papaitan'' means "bitterness", from the taste of the bile. In the province of Cagayan, a version of the dish without the bile is called ''menudencia''. The dish ''kare-kare'' is made with beef tripe and tail stewed in peanut sauce. Beef tripe is also a main ingredient in a rice porridge dish called ''goto''. Although, goto in the province of Batangas refers to a soup dish with the same tripe ingredient, instead of rice porridge. Beef tongue, on the other hand, is stewed in a creamy dish called ''lengua'' (Spanish for "tongue"). Beef liver, as well as pig liver, are also main ingredients in meat stews such as ''Menudo (stew), menudo'', and the ''Ilocano people, Ilocano'' ''igado'' (from "hígado" or Spanish for "liver"). File:Sisig (32623486).jpg, ''Sisig'' is made from pig snout, ears and brain. File:Isaw.jpg, ''Isaw'' is a popular street food that is made from skewered chicken or pig intestines. File:Kare-kare.jpg, ''Kare-kare'' is a stew made from oxtail and tripe. File:Dinuguan.jpg, ''Dinuguan'', a stew made from pig's blood, varies per region.

Thailand

In Thai cuisine, offal is used in many dishes. The well-known ''Larb, lap'' made with minced pork, which often features on menus in the West, will in Thailand often also contain some liver or intestines. Deep-fried intestines, known as ''sai mu thot'', are eaten with a spicy dipping sauce. Other dishes containing offal are the Thai-Chinese soup called ''kuaichap'' (intestines, liver) and the northern Thai ''aep ong-o'' (pig brains). ''Tai pla'' is a salty sauce of Southern Thailand, southern Thai cuisine made from the fermented innards of the short-bodied mackerel. It is used in dishes such as ''kaeng tai pla'' and ''nam phrik tai pla''. File:Sai mu thot.JPG, ''Sai mu thot'', deep-fried pork intestines, here served with spicy ''nam chim'' (Thai dipping sauce) File:Kaeng tai pla.JPG, The sauce of ''kaeng tai pla'' is made from fish innards File:Aep ong-o.jpg, ''Aep ong-o'' a northern Thai dish of chopped pig's brain mixed with egg and a Thai curry paste. It is wrapped in banana leaves and grilled File:Sa nuea sadung Lap Lung Noi.jpg, ''Sa nuea sadung'' is a northern Thai salads, Thai "salad" of semi-raw beef cuts, including sliced stomach. This particular version also contains ''nam phia'', which are the contents of the first stomach of a cow File:Kuaichap.JPG, ''Kuaichap'' is a Thai Chinese noodle soup containing intestines and liver File:Yam_hu_mu.jpg, ''Yam hu mu'' is a spicy Thai salad made with slices of boiled pig's ears

Vietnam

In Vietnam, food made of internal organs is popular. Some dishes like ''Cháo lòng'', ''Tiết canh'' use pig's internal organs as main ingredients. ''Cỗ lòng'', a suite of boiled internal of pigs is a delicacy. ''Bún bò Huế'' is a noodle soup made with oxtail and pigs' knuckles, often made including cubes of congealed pigs' blood. Beef tendon and beef tripe is used in southern Vietnamese versions of ''Pho''. Phá lấu, or beef offal stew, is a popular snack in southern Vietnam. The dish contains all sorts of organ meat and is often accompanied by Vietnamese bánh mì (baguette) and sweet-and-sour dipping sauce.

South Asia

India and Pakistan

In India and Pakistan, the goat's brain (''maghaz''), feet (''Siri paya, paey''), head (''Siri paya, siri''), stomach (''ojhari'' or ''but''), tongue (''zabaan''), liver (''Kaleji, kalayji''), kidney (''gurda''), udder (''kheeri'') and testicles (''kapooray'') as well as chickens' heart and liver are enjoyed. One popular dish, ''Kata-Kat'', is a combination of spices, brains, liver, kidneys and other organs. In northern hilly regions of India, goat's intestines are cleaned and fried with spices to make a delicacy called bhutwa. Barbecued chicken tail (''dumchi'') can be found on the menu of many street food sellers in Lahore Pakistan.

South India

In Hyderabad, lamb and goat brain sautéed and stir-fried with spices (often called ''bheja fry'') is a delicacy and often conflated with the city. In the city of Mangalore, a spicy dish called ''raghti'', made of heavily spiced porcine offal and cartilage, cartilaginous tissue, is considered a homely indulgence by the local Christianity, Christian community.

West India

''Sarapatel, Sorpatel'' is a popular pork gravy consumed by Christians in Goa and Mumbai. The name comes from the word ''sarapatel'' meaning ‘confusion’ as the thick gravy is heady with spice, vinegar, and contains the heart, liver, ears, tongue and sometimes the blood of a pig. Less commonly, pig tails, noses and lungs are also added. Among Goan Christians, roasted beef tongue is also a staple at any meal laid out for a party. Chicken dishes frequently include the gizzard, heart and liver of the bird, and Goan sausage Goan sausage, ''choris'' or ''chouriço'' contains spicy, tangy pork pickled in vinegar and the local liquor ''Feni (liquor), feni'' before being cased in pig intestines. It is a popular Goan food regularly consumed during the monsoons when fish is scarce.

North East India

In the state of Meghalaya, a number of offal dishes, primarily porcine, are prepared by the Khasi people, Khasi community. ''Jadoh'' (blood rice) is red rice dish that uses pig blood and is consumed as breakfast by the Khasi people, Khasi tribe during festival days. ''Dohjem'' or ''Doh Neiiong'' (black sesame pork) has pork intestines and belly cooked in a spicy dark sauce. ''Doh Khleik'' is a traditional pork salad consisting of pig brains and meat. ''Doh Pheret'' is a pot of stew with various organs slow cooked for hours, ''Doh Snier'' are sausages in the form of spiced and molten fat in intestine casing, and ''Doh Snam'' are intestine-cased blood sausages.

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, a bull's or goat's brain (), feet (), head (), stomach skin (), tongue (), liver (), lungs (), kidney and heart () are delicacies. Chickens' heart, gizzard () and liver are also enjoyed.

Nepal

In Nepal, a goat's brain (), feet (), head (), bone marrow (), stomach skin (), tongue (), liver (), kidney, lungs (), fried intestines (, (means fried or fried stomach and intestine), fried solidified blood (), ear and tail (charcoal-cooked), and, to a lesser extent, testicles are considered delicacies and are in very high demand in Dashain when families congregate and enjoy them with whiskey and beer. Chickens' heart and liver are also enjoyed but it is chickens' gizzards that are truly prized. Buffalo leaf tripe stuffed with bone marrow (), stuffed goat lung () and fried variety meats () are delicacies in the Kathmandu Valley.

Middle East

A dish that consists of chicken hearts, spleens, and liver mixed with bits of lamb cooked on a flat grill, seasoned with onion, garlic, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, and coriander. In Syria, lamb brain is used in ''nikhaat'' dishes and sometimes as a sandwich filling. A tradition practised less often today would be to eat fish eyes either raw, boiled, or fried. Another popular dish in the region surrounding is , which is rice-stuffed sheep intestine. Raw mutton liver known as ''qasbeh nayyeh'' (sometimes lungs) is also occasionally consumed (when the animal's origin and processing is trusted). The ''meelaq'' is a traditional dish based on liver, kidney and (sometimes) the heart (which is strictly speaking muscle). In Iran, tongue (''zabaan''), feet (''paa'') or Kaleh Pacheh, sheep liver (''jigar''), heart (''del''), lungs (''shosh''), testicles (''donbalan'') and kidneys are used as certain types of ''kebab'' and have a high popularity among people, as well as sheep intestines and stomach, though the latter is boiled. Sheep skull and tongue, alongside knee joints, as a formal breakfast dish called ''kale pache'' (lit. "head and leg"), are boiled in water with beans and eaten with traditional bread. ''Pacha (dish)#In Arab countries, Pacha'' (Persian term), is a traditional Iraqi cuisine, Iraqi dish made from sheep's head, trotters, and stomach; all boiled slowly and served with bread sunken in the broth. The cheeks and tongues are considered the best parts. Many people prefer not to eat the eyeballs, which could be removed before cooking. The stomach lining would be filled with rice and lamb and stitched with a sewing thread ( ar, كيبايات). The dish is known in Kuwait, Bahrain, and other Persian Gulf countries as ''Pacha'' (پاچة), too. A variation of that is found in other Arab countries, such as in Egypt, and is known as ''Kawari ( ar, كوارع). It is still eaten by Iraqi Jews. In Egypt, fried beef and lamb liver () with a cumin-based coating is a popular dish, most often served in sandwiches with a bit of onion from small shops in most major cities. Thin-sliced fried liver with slices of mild peppers, garlic, and lemon is considered a speciality of Alexandria (as كبدة سكندراني ''Kibda Skandarani'', "Alexandrian liver"), and is often served as a separate plate, sandwich, or topping for kushari. Cow brain is eaten in Egypt, as are sheep brains. Sheep brain is eaten in Iraq. It is also eaten in Iran, where it is known as Pacha (dish)#In Iran, Kaleh Pacheh.

Turkic cuisine

In Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iranian Azerbaijan and some other Turkic peoples, Turkic cuisines, there are varieties of offal dishes, especially those of sheep. For "Jağur Bağur", sheep liver and heart are diced and soaked with onion for some hours and then fried with other additives. For "Bağırsak Kebab", sheep intestine is wrapped and baked in a stove or by skewers on a barbeque.

North America

United States

Although the term ''offal'' is used in the United Kingdom and Canada, in the United States the terms ''variety meats'' or ''organ meats'' are used instead. In the United States, some regional cuisines make extensive use of certain organs of specific animals. The derisive term "mystery meat" is often used to describe offal which have been ground or otherwise heavily processed in order to obscure its origin. In the United States, the giblets of chickens, turkeys, and ducks are much more commonly consumed than the mammal offal. Traditional recipes for turkey gravy and stuffing typically include the bird's giblets (the traditional Thanksgiving (United States), Thanksgiving meal in the US). Use of organs of mammals is not common, except for the

, which is common to a certain degree. Examples include

(braunschweiger) and pâté. Liver and onions is a traditional, "classic" menu item in diners throughout the country, often as a "blue plate special". Mammal offal is somewhat more popular in certain areas. In the Southern United States, American South, some recipes include

, livers,

, and hog maw. Scrapple, sometimes made from pork offal, is somewhat common in the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly in Philadelphia and areas with Amish communities. Philadelphia Pepper Pot, Pepper Pot soup (frequently served in Philadelphia) is made from beef

. Fried-brain sandwiches are a speciality in the Ohio River Valley. Rocky Mountain oysters, "prairie oysters", or "turkey fries" (beef testicles) are a delicacy eaten in some cattle-raising parts of the western US and Canada. Offal dishes from many other cultures exist but the appeal is usually limited to the immigrant communities that introduced the dish. For example,

, lungen stew, and beef tongue (especially as used by Kosher delis) in American Jewish culture, or '' menudo'' in Mexican-American culture. Ironically, given its provenance and history, offal has started to be reintroduced as an item of haute cuisine, with stylish restaurants offering roasted bone marrow, fried pork rind, tongue or heart as part of their menus. Desiccated liver is sold in caplets to be consumed purely for nutritive benefits. Bone broth is also gaining popularity and is simply the carcass or bones of an animal boiled for a long duration with minimal salt, again, not a culinary preparation, rather a form of food as medicine.

Mexico

In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, almost all internal parts and organs are consumed regularly. Chicken hearts, gizzards and livers are usually eaten fried or boiled, either alone, or in broth. Several types of offal are commonly used in tacos, including: * ''tacos de lengua'': boiled beef tongue * ''tacos de sesos'': beef brain * ''tacos de cabeza'': every part of the cow's head, including lips, cheeks, eyes, etc. * ''tacos de ojo'': cow's eyes * ''tacos de chicharrón'': fried pork rinds (chicharrón), a common snack food item * ''tacos de tripas'': beef tripe (tripas) In many of the regional cuisines of Mexico there are dishes made of offal. Menudo (soup), Menudo is a typical dish made of tripe that is native of the border region with the United States. While Menudo is cooked with hominy, in Central Mexico the tripe does not have hominy. This dish is called "pancita". Cow offal such as kidneys and liver are popular in the entire country, in dishes such as "higado encebollado" or "riñones a la Mexicana". The bone marrow from the cow forms the basis of various soups such as the typical dish of Mexico City, such as "sopa de medula". The northern region is cattle country and is famous for its tacos de "tripa de leche", made of cow intestines and the south consumes pig intestines ("tripita"). The whole pig, from snout to tail including genitals (such as the boiled, then fried penis are named "machitos"). Head cheese is common. The skin can be fried ("cueritos") or pickled ("cueritos en vinagre") and are found in stores and restaurants all over Mexico. Pig brains ("sesos"), cheeks and eyes and other parts are eaten throughout the country with many variations. These parts have curious names such as "nana", "bofe", "pajarilla" "nenepil". Pig troat tacos ["buche"] are very popular in the border region. Fried lamb offal, is popular in Central Mexico, especially the stomach ("panza"), which is somewhat similar to

. Mexico City has taquerias that offer the whole pig in their menu. Chicken innards are ubiquitous in Mexico such as sweetbreads ("sopa de molleja" or innards ("sopa de dentros de pollo").

Caribbean Islands

Sheep's or goat's head are eaten as part of the barbacoa, a dish originating with the Taino people. Cow cod soup is a traditional Jamaican dish made with bull penis. Morcilla (blood sausage), Chicharrón (fried pork rinds), and other pork offal are commonly served in a Puerto Rican Cuchifrito. Sopa de mondongo, made with tripe, is common in the Caribbean and throughout Latin America. Gandinga is a hearty stew, well known in Cuba and Puerto Rico, prepared from the heart, liver, kidneys, and oesophagal tissue of either pork (''gandinga de cerdo'') or beef (''gandinga de res'').

Australia

In Australia offal is used in a few dishes inherited from British cuisine; liver may be used in liver and onions, and kidney in steak and kidney pie, as well as in some recipes for Rissole#Australia, Britain and New Zealand, rissoles. Lamb brains are occasionally crumbed and fried. Other forms of offal are consumed in some ethnic dishes. Australian food standards require that products containing offal be labelled as such. The presence of brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue or tripe must be declared either by specific type or more generally as offal. Other offal, such as blood, pancreas, spleen and thymus must be declared by name.

Health and food safety issues

The offal of certain animals is unsafe to consume: * The internal organs of the fugu pufferfish are highly toxic—in Japan, fugu can only be prepared by trained master chefs, working under extremely strict regulations, sanitary conditions, and licensing. Even a residual portion of fugu toxin can be fatal. * The liver of the polar bear is unsafe to eat because it is very high in vitamin A and can cause hypervitaminosis A, a dangerous disorder. This has been recognized since at least 1597 when Gerrit de Veer wrote in his diary that, while taking refuge in the winter in Novaya Zemlya, he and his men became gravely ill after eating polar-bear liver. Seal liver is similarly toxic, as is dog liver. * Some animal intestines are very high in coliform bacteria and need to be washed and cooked thoroughly to be safe for eating. * Nervous system tissue can be contaminated with Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, TSE prions, which cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, "mad cow disease"); in some jurisdictions these offal are classified as specified risk materials and are subject to special regulations. * Offal very high in purines can precipitate an acute attack of gout in someone with the condition. * Certain types of offal, including kidneys, stomach, intestines, heart, tongue, and liver, can be very high in cholesterol and saturated fats. * The practice of feeding raw offal to dogs on farms and ranches can spread echinococcosis, a potentially fatal parasitic disease of animals, including humans.

References

Bibliography

* * ** First edition: *

External links

Offal Good
Chris Cosentino's website dedicated to offal
Variety Meat Terminology and Preparation Techniques
– Preparation techniques for various offal and terms defined.
eating and drinking in Iran
{{Meat, state=expanded Offal, French cuisine Iranian cuisine Japanese cuisine Meat processing in France Meat Mexican cuisine Philippine cuisine Soul food Deep fried foods African-American cuisine Peasant food