Dishes made from offal may not look very attractive, but once you eat them, you will definitely be “addicted”. In this article, we take a look at four of the most popular offal soups in Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese Pork Rind Soup (Canh bóng)

Canh bóng is a traditional soup originating from Vietnam, and it’s particularly popular in Hanoi during the Lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations. The main ingredient in the soup is dried pork rind, which is cleaned, washed with ginger juice and vinegar, dried in the sun, and roasted in order to develop bubbles on the surface.

The dried rind is usually seasoned with scallions, fish sauce, ginger, and pepper, then cooked with vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms. The soup is presented in a bowl that’s topped with the cooked rind, which will float on top of the soup with all the other ingredients.

Papaitan

The rich and flavorful papaitan is a popular Filipino soup which consists of goat or cow innards such as heart, tripe, or liver, simmered alongside garlic, onions, and various spices. The most important addition to the dish is bile – a bitter liquid extracted from animal livers, giving the soup its distinctive sour flavor and a light yellow color.

This popular Ilocano dish is always served hot and is usually garnished with sliced green onions and chili peppers.

Kaledo

Kaledo is a traditional Indonesian soup originating from the Donggala-Palu area in Central Sulawesi. The soup is made with cow’s feet and a clear, yet oily broth that’s usually enhanced by the addition of onions, chili, and lime juice. The best part of the dish, according to many, is the bone marrow, which can be scooped up with a spoon or sucked out with a straw.

When served, kaledo is traditionally accompanied by boiled cassava or rice on the side.

Soto babat

Soto babat is a traditional Indonesian soup and a type of soto. It’s usually made with a combination of beef tripe, scallions, ginger, garlic, shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, coriander, salt, sugar, and white pepper.

The tripe is boiled, cut into pieces, then mixed with the fragrant and sautéed spices and beef broth. The soup is simmered until everything is tender. Once done, soto babat is typically complemented with ingredients such as bean sprouts, sliced cabbage, lime juice, fried shallots, soy sauce, and glass noodles. 

According to tasteatlas.com