Lesson #64 Lampredotto . . .

     Lampredotto.... Some things really should not be translated. Really, just let it remain an unknown, a beautiful Italian word, a delicious something or other that you really do not want to know what it is..... No? Are you sure? Ok.... You asked for it....

     Lampredotto is the fourth and final stomach of a cow. Yes, it is a type of tripe, but so named because it resembles the inside of an eels mouth. Yummy...

     Well, when in Rome (or Florence).... So of course even know what this loveliness was, we still had to eat it. We decided that in a sandwich it wouldn't be so bad. The sandwich consisted of tripe, garlic sauce, a teensy bit of spinach, and a bun... Unfortunately, there wasn't enough garlic sauce or spinach. I mean, I'm not one to be a fussy eater or anything, and it's not like it was bad, per say, it just wasn't great. The first few bites are manageable, and then you start overthinking the whole thing, like the fact you are munching on the fourth stomach of a cow....

     My biggest problem with the lampredotto is the smell, which is so distinct you will soon become an expert at recognizing. That lovely smell is the part that makes you remember what you ate for hours afterward and will make you queasy every time. And of course, lampredotto is a very popular peasants dish in Tuscany, so it will be everywhere!

     So, Lesson #64: You must try the lampredotto because it is famous, but you may take a "no thank you" helping (aka: try only a little just to say you tried it).