All the organs of slaughtered animals other than muscles and bones. Several of these organs (such as the liver and kidneys) are eaten; others (such as the gut) are usually discarded.
Offal is the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal. Offal not used directly for human or animal food is often processed in a rendering plant, producing material that is used for animal feed, fertilizer or fuel.
Offal as food, by region
Europe
In some parts of Europe, brain, chitterlings or andouilles (pig's large intestine), feet or trotters, gizzard (bird's crop), heart, head (of pigs or calves), kidney, liver, lights (lung), sweetbreads (thymus or pancreas), tongue, and tripe (stomach) from various mammals are common menu items.
The traditional Scottish haggis consists of sheep stomach stuffed with a boiled mix of liver, heart, lungs, rolled oats and other ingredients. In the UK Midlands faggots are made from ground or minced pig offal (mainly liver and cheek), bread, herbs and onion wrapped in pig's caul.
Iceland has its own version of both the haggis and the brawn.
In Greece (and similarly Turkey), splinantero consists of liver, spleen and small intestine, roasted over an open fire. A festive variety is kokoretsi (from Turkish kokoreç): pieces of lamb offal (liver, heart, lungs, spleen, kidney and fat) are pierced on a spit and covered by washed small intestine wound around in a tube-like fashion.
In Italy consumption of entrails and internal organs is quite widespread, among the most popular preparations are fried or stewed brain, boiled intestines (Trippa), often served with tomato sauce, lampredotto (one of the cow intestines), boiled in broth and seasoned with parsley sauce and chili, liver (stir-fried with onions, roasted), kidneys, heart and coronaries (coratella or animelle), head, eyes, testicles of pig, several preparations are based on chicken entrails.
In the French city of Marseilles sheep's feet and a package of sheep tripe are a traditional food under the name 'pied paquet'.
Latin America
In some Latin American countries, tripe is used to make menudo;
In Brazil, churrasco often includes chicken hearts, roasted in a big skewer.
Asia
In China many organs and animal-parts are used for food or traditional Chinese medicine.
In Japan chicken offal is often skewered and grilled over charcoal as yakitori, to be served alongside drinks in izakayas (Japanese food-pubs).
In Pakistan a goat's brain (Magaze), feet (Pie), head (Siri), stomach (Ojari), tongue (Zabaan), liver (Kalayji), kidney(Gurda) and testicles (Kappoorey) as well as chickens' heart and liver are enjoyed.
In Bangladesh a goat's brain (Magoze), feet (Paya), head (Matha), stomach skin (Bhuri), tongue (Zihba), liver (Kalija), kidney and testicles are delicacies.
US and Canada
In the United States, offal is less often used for human consumption. Offal is somewhat more popular in the American South where some recipes include chitterlings, hog maw, or other offal.
Food safety issues
Certain organs of certain animals are unsafe to consume.
Offal is usually very high in purines.
The practice of feeding raw offal to work dogs on farms and ranches is known to spread echinococcosis.
See Also
Leopold Bloom
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