On 2006-01-28, itsjoannotjoann > wrote:

> out. Someone else finished them and couldn't see the problem, they
> said that's the way they are supposed to taste and the ones given to me
> were excellent.

Cleaning is everything. The ones I had the first time were excellent
and I saw them being prepared. I tried to replicate what I saw and
was unsuccessful and the results were inedible. Yes, there will be
somewhat of a smell no matter how well cleaned. But, it's more
unfamiliar to the uninitiated than offensive. Like I said before,
even cabbage offends some. But, properly cleaned chitlins do not
taste like the slightly offputting odor. Would you pass up an awesome
prime rib meal just because someone cut a particularly oderous fart?
I think not.

You have to realize that chitlins are one thing. Slave food. They
are what the slave owners did not want to eat and what was left of the
hog for slaves to use, much like ears, feet, etc. Slaves didn't want
to eat shit. They just wanted to eat. They learned that if prepared
properly, chitlins were not only eatible, but good eats. There's an
old saying about best friends. Something about a best friend is
someone who's chitlins you'd be willing to eat.

nb