Trippa or Tripe is often considered a delicacy in Italy despite having very humble origins, much like the craze for Roman peasant cooking that has taken New York by storm. In Florence for example Trippa alla Fiorentina is a very well known dish. Tripe is made from cow’s stomach and sometimes other internal parts. In Florence, tripe is often sold off of carts the way hot dogs are hawked on the streets of New York. A very famous version of Tripe in Florence is called Lampredotto, a well cooked version of the food. Florence isn’t the only place in Italy where tripe is well loved and tripe can be cooked in many ways as these recipes show.
Tripe is often cooked with tomatoes but it can also be flavored with mint, typical in Rome or cooked with an eggplant dish, a staple in Palermo or with parsley in Turin. Tripe is seen in menus throughout Italy and is used by traditional cooks and well as modernists.
In New York City, tripe can be found in many ethnic restaurants but it hasn’t yet created the splash that other parts of the quinto quarto or internal organs have. It will surely have its moment in the sun. It is just a question of time.
-Susannah Gold
