I grew up eating a lot of offal, animal organ meats and their non-popular parts. I never thought much about which part of an animal I was eating until someone pointed it out: “How can you eat that?” Ew. I have encountered this reaction many times in my life: back in Panama when I first joined a private school, some cousins who consider themselves “picky eaters”, and then when I first moved in to the US, almost 11 years ago.

I mentioned on the podcast I don’t judge people who react negatively to something I’m eating because I myself don’t love eating just anything and everything. If you listened to my first podcast on food trends, you’ll hear me talking about not being very interested in eating bugs and/or dishes made out of waste and by waste I don’t mean eating from nose to tail because THAT I have been already doing it all my life.

Listen to the podcast here:

I’m almost finished with a book called ‘The Power Of Habit’ and on one chapter Charles Duhigg mentions how in order for housewives to cook some offal (chicken livers, etc) during the war (I or II can’t remember), they released some recipes for them to try at home, adding it to meatloaf and whatnot since their husbands already had the habit for their to eat such dishes.

It makes you realize and accept that most things we eat have to do with familiarity, yes, I’m sure there are tons of exceptions and I’d love to do more research on the palate and its development, but this is more of a psychological and scientific approach and I think it’s going to take me longer before I can make a full episode on this subject.

There are tons of articles online that talk about offal and recipes in general, this is why on this episode I focused on Panamanian food, and of course other Panamanians would have chosen other dishes that would be instead of my top 10, but for now I can only write about what I have learned and experienced so here you go:

10 Panamanian Dishes With Offal

These are my favourite offal Panamanian dishes, and not so favourites, but that I grew up eating and would probably eat mostly when cooked by mum!

1. RABITO DE PUERCO CON POROTOS: pigtail bean stew

Recipe (click here)

2. SAO – SAUS: pickled pig’s trotters

Recipe (click here)

3. CORAZON DE RES FRITO: fried beef heart
I’m planning to work on this recipe and will update this list :)

4. PICADILLO DE BOFE: cow lung semi-stew

This recipe isn’t as traditional for what I grew up eating, but until I write one myself, here you go (click here).

5. DOMPLIN DE BOFE: cow lung fritter
My sister says she will make it, share photos, and perhaps a recipe, coming soon!

6. GUACHO DE RABITO: pigtail rice stew 

Recipe (click here)

7. SOPA DE PATA DE RES (cow’s feet soup)
My mum says she will make it, share photos, and perhaps a recipe, coming soon!

8. BISTEC DE HIGADO ENCEBOLLADO (beef liver & onions)
My mum says she will make it, share photos, and perhaps a recipe, coming soon!

9. MONDONGO: beef tripe stew

Recipe (click here)

10. HUEVOS DE PESCADO FRITO: fried fish eggs
My sister promised to rescue me with this dish by finding a recipe to share on the blog, or at least taking a photo and sharing the name of a spot in Panama where you can find this non-popular dish.

OTHER DISHES WORTH MENTIONING:

Pajarilla (fried spleen), Testículos de Toro (bulls balls), Mollejas Fritas (sweetbreads), Buche (tendon, cartilage, pig ears), intestines (we mostly use it ot stuff chorizo, but I love the yakitori (japanese grilled style), but the last time I had it I almost died with an allergy and no tasty food is worth the suffering I went through that night so I either better get a shit ton of limes the next time I eat that, or I’ll refuse to eat it unless I’m next to a hospital and the restaurant is paying my medical bills, thank you!

Don’t make that face, you can get sick even eating lettuce, ahem, so just make sure if you’re cooking animal parts, meats, vegetables, anything you’re going to eat, make sure it’s properly clean, unless of course your stomach is stronger than mine.

Will you be eating offal anytime soon? Let me know in the comments! Also let me know how you liked this episode!

¡a comer!