Tripe Soup (İşkembe çorbası)

Name: Tripe Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 800 g cleaned tripe; 2 tbsp flour; 1 egg yolk, juice of 1 lemon; 4 garlic cloves in 4 tbsp vinegar; 30 g butter, red pepper flakes; salt

Overview

İşkembe çorbası is the tripe soup served in specialist işkembeci restaurants, many of which stay open through the night. Cleaned tripe is cooked for hours until tender, cut into small pieces and returned to its broth, which is thickened and often enriched with egg yolk and lemon. Its character comes from what diners add at the table: garlic steeped in vinegar, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Famous in Turkey as a late-night meal and a hangover cure, it has a loyal following and a strong, distinctive flavour.

Pictures

History

Tripe soups are eaten from the Balkans to Mexico, and in Turkey they have a long history in urban food culture. Ottoman cities had dedicated tripe shops serving workers and night owls, a tradition that survives in Istanbul and other cities today. Using every part of the animal was both economical and respected, and tripe soup became one of the classics of that thrifty kitchen.

Main ingredients

Beef or lamb tripe, garlic, vinegar, butter, lemon, red pepper. The soup is built on tripe broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.

Recipe outline serves 4 · ~170 min

Ingredients

800 g cleaned tripe
2 tbsp flour
1 egg yolk, juice of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves in 4 tbsp vinegar
30 g butter, red pepper flakes
salt

Method

Simmer the tripe in salted water for 2-3 hours until tender; cut into small pieces.
Thicken the strained broth with flour mixed with water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Temper the egg yolk and lemon with hot broth and stir in; return the tripe.
Serve with garlic vinegar, lemon and red pepper butter at the table.

Sources

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.