Damn--missed a tag off! that's what comes of talking about food when you're trying to concentrate. Try again:

Anything that comes off an animal but is not actual meat, i.e. offal, is fair game as far as I'm concerned. For some reason, I've never eaten tripe (i'll put that right some day, I promise!). I used to love chitterlings when I was a kid--yes, even in the UK we've got chit'lins!--but I'm told they're illegal now. Conjures up strange images: chitterling-leggers, offal-pushers ...

But my very favourite of all is pig's pudding. For some reason, everyone outside the Black Country calls it "black" pudding, which I suppose is accurate, at least. Nice and solid, with big lumps of lard, none of that factory-made plastic-coated rubbish! You can slice it up nice and thick and eat it on sandwiches (peanut butter optional), or just peel it like a banana.

Years ago in my first job, I was tucking into my pig's pud sandwiches, when a young female colleague asked what on earth I was eating? When I told her, she said, "My husband calls it that," (she was a Brummy, poor girl). "Do you know, some people actually eat it raw?" she added, incredulousy. I tried to point out that it's already been cooked when you buy it (otherwise it really would be disgusting!), and that frying something that was 20% fat to start with was gilding the lily, rather.

Oh, I shall have to go and lie down now, or maybe eat some chocolate, until I can get to the butcher's.

Steve