Menudo soup: hearty Latin hangover cure for weekends of livin' la vida loca
It's easy to see why this soup would make anyone who's a little weak feel better, writes Susan Jung, even if there's no scientific proof it is more effective as a hangover cure than, say, aspirin
People of a certain age might remember Menudo as a Puerto Rican boy band who, at one time, featured as a member heartthrob Ricky Martin (of Livin' la Vida Loca fame). Others will remember menudo with gratitude, as a cure to the nausea and throbbing headaches that come from drinking too much alcohol.
Menudo is a hearty soup that many Mexican restaurants make only on Saturdays and Sundays. That's partly because it's more labour intensive than other soups: it includes beef tripe, which needs to be repeatedly scrubbed and blanched, to rid it of impurities (although you can buy it pre-cleaned), as well as tendon and hooves, which take a long time to simmer before they become tender.
The primary reason for serving menudo only on weekends, however, is that there's a bigger demand for it then, because that's when people tend to over-indulge.
There might not be scientific proof that menudo works more effectively as a hangover cure than, say, aspirin, but it makes sense that it would make anyone who's a little weak (for whatever reason) feel better. The spiced broth is hot (and therefore soothing on the stomach), hydrating and nutritious, because of all the beef off-cuts simmered in the liquid. The soup also contains hominy (a type of dried corn) and dried chillies. Diners top bowls of menudo with raw onion, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice, and eat it with corn tortillas or bread.