Menudo Blanco
Menudo Blanco is a food dish known in the states of Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Sonora Mexico. Menudo Blanco has been in my family for three generations. As a child my family and I took trips to Nayarit Mexico to visit my grandparents every October for the fiestas de Nayarit. I enjoyed our vacation at my grandparent’s ranch, but most of all the fiestas because they had food venders, fireworks, traditional dancers, carnival rides, bull ridings, and live music. The adults enjoyed an evening of dancing along with some cocktail drinks. The fiesta would last for a couple of days and during this time my grandmother would make a big pot of menudo for the family to eat. This was the first time I smelled menudo cooking and the smell was the worst smell ever. The smell reminds me of the chicken I had to clean and feed when I visited with my grandfather.
When my aunt Teresa moved to the state of Sonora Mexico, my grandparents went with her. When we would visit my aunt during the summer time, it was different from the times we visit my grandparents in Nayarit. During our summer stay we would ride horses but most of the time we would clean the stable and the farm which has the same smell of menudo when I was younger, I didn’t know menudo was made from a cow. While cleaning the farm, I notice there was a cow missing so, I figure my uncle and grandfather had killed it. I ran to my grandmother’s house to ask her why they killed the cow, she stated because we raise and sell the cows and that is where our meat come from. She then told me “not to worry because tomorrow we will eat fresh menudo”.
I remember one summer my siblings, cousins, and I visit the ranch in Obregon Sonora, it was late and there was a party nearby because I could hear the music playing. My grandmother was upset because my grandfather was not home and we were all waiting for him to eat. I had never seen my grandmother so upset, so, my grandmother left looking for my grandfather. After a few hours had passed we still could hear the music playing and the music was getting closer to the ranch. When we looked outside we saw our grandparents walking together holding each other tight. We ran to tell our parents that my grandmother is no longer mad at our grandfather because they both were hugging, laughing and they brought the musicians with them. As my grandparents get closer I can see my grandfather carrying a tequila bottle and my grandmother drinking from the bottle. The next day they woke up like nothing had ever happen but around the table we were eating menudo.
Now that all my family lives in Tucson Arizona. My family is the only one that stood behind in California. Our family is very close so we always get together for our favorite holiday which is Thanksgiving. We enjoy Thanksgiving and Black Friday so every year we go shopping for Christmas gifts. We start, Thursday after we have Thanksgiving lunch and after shopping all night we go to my aunt’s house because on Friday morning she has already made our warm delicious menudo with bolillo. This is the best part of our Black Friday shopping experience. It is nice to have everyone around the dinner table and enjoy our family conversations. I have many fond memories of my childhood and listening to my parents and grandparents share their childhood memories.
As a child and as an adult menudo Blanco has always been a traditional food in my family. Most family eat menudo every Sunday after church, and for family dinners. Menudo is also eaten on Sunday because of the drinking on Saturday night. There has been stories told that the Menudo Blanco has been part of my memories. I have friends and family member who like to eat menudo Blanco or menudo Rojo on Sunday because on Saturday they partied too much and woke up with a hangover. Menudo Blanco or Rojo is known to helps cure a hangover. I still hear family member and friend say “vamonos a curar la cruda con un menudito”. Which means “let go cure the hangover with a menudo”.
Menudo Blanco is cooked with tripe, hominy, white onion, garlic, green onion, cilantro and salt. It is served with chopped onion, cilantro, oregano, Chile Piquin, lime and bread rolls. As I was growing up we alternate the way we eat menudo instead of handmade tortilla we started to get accustomed to the Sonora tradition of menudo Blanco with bolillo and butter which was so delicious. I hope everyone enjoyed my food presentation of menudo Blanco.
