Flaki
Poland's tripe soup, documented since at least the 14th century and reportedly a favorite of King Władysław II Jagiełło. Its specific spicing — ginger, nutmeg, marjoram, and both sweet and hot paprika together — is a genuine Polish signature that sets it apart from other nations' tripe traditions, like Romania's vinegar-and-sour-cream-forward ciorbă de burtă or Mexico's chili-and-lime-driven menudo, each an independently evolved dish rather than a shared origin. The tripe must be cleaned and pre-boiled through several changes of water before it even goes into the soup — a time-consuming step often cut short in modern versions, leaving the dish stronger-smelling and tougher than it should be.
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef tripe, cleaned
- 1.5 liters beef bone broth
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery root
- 1 parsley root
- 1 leek
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp butter, for the roux
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp hot paprika
- Bay leaf, allspice, salt, pepper
Steps
- Clean the tripe thoroughly with several rinses, then pre-boil separately for 2-3 hours until tender. Slice into thin strips.
- Separately, make a rich beef broth with the root vegetables, simmering 2-3 hours.
- Combine the sliced tripe into the broth.
- Season with marjoram, ginger, nutmeg, both paprikas, bay leaf, and allspice, and simmer further.
- Thicken with a light butter-flour roux and serve hot with bread.