The Spirit Store Packet and Tripe

I can't believe I nearly forgot to blog about my truely Irish experience on Saturday! 'The Spiritstore', a local arts and culture collective, held an event where they gave out free Packet and Tripe to the curious masses. To those of you who have never heard of this gastronomic monstrosity I shall fill you in on this traditional Limerick dish. Tripe, which is white, is the lining of a cows/sheeps stomach. Packet is a the charming black bit that is a pigs blood type pudding....wait for it, it gets even better! Then it's all boiled for a portion of eternity in milk, butter, and some salt and pepper!! Mmmmm how tastylicious I hear you cry. So after a few pints of Beamish(the tastier alternative to Guinness IMO)I was brave enough to try it.

Verdict: Eating the milky white bit with onions was pretty ok, peppery but nice all the same. I then ventured towards the terrifying looking black meat, it had the texture of what I imagine dead slugs to be like. Too soft to be meat, but too hard for a patte, altogether disturbing. But this texture pales in comparrison to the stomach lining which has a charming stringy/rubbery/chewy texture to match it's insipid white colour. All in all I think I would have to be literally starving before I would eat it again. The taste was fine, but I've always been a bit disturbed by yucky textures in food, and this meal takes the proverbial biscuit as far as gross textures go! But I'm glad I tried it! When I informed the other half that I had eaten it he said it's a good retort when people accuse me of being 'a blow-in' to Limerick...all I have to say is 'Have you eaten Packet and Tripe?'
Regardless of all my bitching and maoning about the food, I just wanted to say fair play to everyone involved it was a great idea, and there was a really fun atmosphere while everyone was tasting it. Watch the above video to get a glimpse at the day. Keep an eye out for what he is stirring in the pot...look at how scrummy it looks!