The

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...

s of certain animals (particularly

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

tendon) are used as an ingredient in some Asian cuisines, including the Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Laotian, Cambodian and Vietnamese traditions. Tendon is tough and fibrous, but becomes soft after a long period of cooking. In some cases it may be boiled for as long as eight hours, while in other dishes it is prepared by

deep frying Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly Cooking oil, oil, as opposed to the shallow frying used in conventional frying done in a fryi ...

. It contains large amounts of

collagen Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissues of many animals. It is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up 25% to 35% of protein content. Amino acids are bound together to form a trip ...

, and after boiling or stewing, it is sometimes described as mimicking the mouthfeel of high-fat cuts of beef despite its low fat content. One author described the taste of deep-fried tendon as being similar to ''

chicharrón (, plural ; ; ; ) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. may also be made from chicken, mutton, or beef. Name , as a dish with sauces, or as finger-food snacks, are popular in Andalusia and Canarias in ...

'' (fried pork belly).

Culinary uses

China

One popular Chinese dish is (), where the tendon is marinated in garlic; it is often served at '' dim sum'' restaurants.

Indonesia

Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...

, '' bakso'' is beef meatball filled with pieces of tendon, while '' soto'' is spicy cow's trotters soup which includes cow's leg tendons. Another dish is '' mie kocok'' which is a noodle dish with meatballs, beansprouts and pieces of beef tendon.

Italy

is a Lombard dish made of meat, cartilage and tendons.

Japan

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese language, Japanese: ) is based on rice with m ...

, beef tendon () is a common ingredient in oden.

Korea

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

, beef tendon is known as () and is eaten raw as '' hoe'', or stir-fried as ''

namul ''Namul'' () refers to either a variety of edible greens or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (). On the day of Daeboreum, the first full moo ...

''; however, it is not very common. The most common way to eat beef tendon in Korea is steaming it with high pressure to serve it soft. The steamed beef tendons are eaten with green onions and soy sauce or sometimes served in ox bone soup.

Philippines

Known as ''litid'' in Philippine cuisine, tendon is typically served after boiling for hours into a sticky gelatinous consistency, such as in '' bulalo'' and some preparations of '' pares''.

Thailand

In Thai cuisine, tendon () is often added to noodle soup such as .Guay tiew nuea toon (steamed beef noodles) at Wattana Panich in Bangkok
/ref>

Vietnam

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages originated from Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes (): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and Piquant, spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflects one or more ...

, it is often used in '' pho''.

Gallery

File:Mie Kocok Bandung.jpg, Indonesian '' mie kocok'' noodle dish uses pieces of beef tendon. File:Soto kaki kambing.JPG, alt=Indonesian soto kaki (tendon soup), Indonesian (tendon soup) File:Stewed-beef-tendon,gyusuji-nikomi,katori-city,japan.JPG, , a Japanese dish made from stewed beef tendon File:Yam tin khwai.jpg, A northern Thai soup made from the hoof of the water buffalo, of which the tendons and the skin are eaten File:Nervitt 02.jpg, , alt=A small bowl with strips of pink matter.

External links

References

Cantonese cuisine Dim sum Japanese cuisine Indonesian cuisine Types of food {{japan-cuisine-stub