World Tripe Day

World Tripe Day is observed each year on October 24, and it’s a day to celebrate the humble yet storied food of tripe—the edible lining of the stomachs of various farm animals—and to encourage people to appreciate its place in global culinary traditions.

History of World Tripe Day

The day was initiated by the Tripe Marketing Board (UK‑based) as part of a tongue‑in‑cheek but genuine effort to restore tripe’s image and place in cuisine. The choice of date—October 24—is linked to an entry in the diary of Samuel Pepys, who on that day in 1662 wrote, “So home and dined there with my wife upon a most excellent dish of tripes of my own directing.” Over time the day has grown beyond its playful marketing roots into a nod to lesser‑used ingredients, nose‑to‑tail cooking, and culinary heritage.

Why is World Tripe Day important?

On one level, World Tripe Day invites us to reflect on how food traditions evolve, how ingredients once common can fall out of favor, and how cultural tastes shift over time. Tripe may not be front and center in most Western kitchens now, but its deep roots in so many cuisines show how humans creatively use all parts of an animal and how that respect for “waste” can reveal both frugality and flavor.
On another level, the day encourages a broader conversation about sustainability, culinary heritage, and the value of “less popular” foods. When we pause to honor something like tripe, we’re also affirming that value exists beyond the glamorous or trendy, that traditions deserve recognition, and that cuisine isn’t just about taste but about connection—to place, to past generations, to culture.
Here are some human‑scale reflections:

• it’s about rediscovering a food many of us overlooked and seeing the richness it carries
• it reminds us how tastes change — what was once ordinary becomes rare and maybe worth re‑valuing
• it links us to traditions across Europe, Latin America, and Asia, where tripe is still beloved.
• it suggests that part of being a food‑aware person is being curious, even about ingredients that challenge comfort zones
• it draws attention to whole‑animal cooking, sustainability, and the idea that “cheap cut” might also be “heritage dish”

How to Celebrate World Tripe Day

Celebrating World Tripe Day can be simple and enjoyable even if you’ve never cooked tripe before. You might begin by reading up about how tripe is used in various cuisines—Italian trippa alla fiorentina, Romanian ciorbă de burtă, or Mexican menudo—and then choose a version that intrigues you. If you’re comfortable, find fresh tripe at a butcher or market and try your hand at preparing a tripe dish at home: clean it properly, cook it slowly, and give it a sauce or soup that brings out its texture and flavor. Invite friends if possible—food is always more fun when shared.
Alternatively, if cooking isn’t your thing, you could support a local restaurant that offers a tripe dish or go out and try one you’ve never had. Share the experience on social media (with #WorldTripeDay), talk about what surprised you, and treat it as a chance to step a little outside your food comfort zone.
Here are some easy ideas as a starting point:

• pick a tripe recipe you’ve never tried and cook it this week
• visit a local eatery and order their tripe‑based dish just for the experience
• post a photo and a thought about tripe on social media, what you learned, what you tried
• reflect on the idea of using more of an animal in cooking and how that connects to sustainability
• invite friends over for a casual “tripe tasting” with different cultural takes on it

World  Tripe Day Dates Table