Menudo An Acquired Taste

Wed., May 12, 1999

Rick Bonino Food Editor

When we served the Mexican soup menudo to The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel for Cinco de Mayo, we knew we were asking for trouble.

The combination of beef tripe and hominy in a spicy broth can best be described as an acquired taste, particularly to palates north of the border. Indeed, several panelists shot us those “how could you?” looks, and none took more than a few bites.

A Hispanic acquaintance assures us even canned menudo is quite tasty with a few garnishes, such as onion, oregano and lime.

But somehow, so far as our panel is concerned, we’re not sure that would have made much of a difference.

Juanita’s Menudito Menudo

Price: $2.99 for 29.5 ounces.

Nutrition: 170 calories (35 percent fat calories); 1,150 milligrams sodium in 1 cup.

Taste: *

Value: *

Comments: “This would be a great thing for a Halloween haunted house; little kids could stick their hands in it and scream in horror at the slobbery slimy tripe and the squishy eyeballlooking corn. Eeek!” - Catherine Lunt Greer

“A good ethnic variation for the worldly eater. For others, a soup to avoid.” - Nate Swinton

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Menudo An Acquired Taste

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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