Just Offal

There aren't too many things that I won't eat.  Among them, however, is offal.

Offal is the word used to describe any kind of innards or organs from an animal to be used for food: brain, liver, kidney, stomach, tongue, etc.  To many, it's aptly named--they think offal is just awful.

Some experts thought that 2010 would be the year that American consumers would buy more offal because of the economic situation in the US.  Well, according to butchers and this article from PioneerLocal of Illinois, that's not the case. 

The main reason they cite is the "gross" factor.  Unless you were raised in a culture that traditionally eats these meats, many Americans (like me) have no desire to put a heart (or any other internal organ) in my mouth.  There are other reasons, too. 

These meats are high in cholesterol and many folks are trying to avoid that in their diet.  Plus there's still some fear about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) that keeps the sales of calves brains down.

How about you?  Do you eat offal?  How do you prepare it?  Why do you like it?  Were you brought up eating it?  Let me know.  I'm offally interested in what you have to say.