Pozole Vs Menudo: What's The Difference?

Mexican cuisine is full of delicious dishes that go well beyond tacos, enchiladas, or any of the other popular dishes that may spring to mind first. And if you're looking for something hearty and satisfying to warm you up during the cold months, then there are a whole range of Mexican soups to learn about and try your hand at making. Two of the most prominent Mexican soups out there are pozole and menudo.

These popular Mexican mainstays certainly share some similarities — they're both meat-heavy and feature similar spices. They can also both feature hominy (whole kernels of dried corn) as a key ingredient. But despite all of this, pozole and menudo are quite different, particularly in terms of the meat used in each — and those who live in Mexico tend to have very strong opinions about which one is better. Here's what you need to know about each of the soups before you form your own opinions.

Pozole typically features either chicken or pork, slowly braised in stock. Other ingredients — such as onions, peppers, garlic, and spices — are added to the stock. Later in the cooking process once the meat is nice and tender, hominy and a chili sauce are added. Then, the soup is typically served with toppings such as avocado, radishes, cabbage, cheese, or tortillas.

There are three types of pozole, each with its own unique qualities: pozole verde (green), pozole rojo (red), and pozole blanco (white). Pozole verde includes a few key, green-hued ingredients: tomatillos, serrano peppers, jalapeños, and fresh herbs. Meanwhile, pozole rojo features red ingredients, such as ancho and guajillo chilis. Finally, pozole blanco doesn't include any chili sauce (but may include red salsa) to make for a soup that doesn't have as much heat to it — so, if you have a low spice tolerance, then pozole blanco is for you. To get you started on your pozole journey, check out our recipes for pozole verde or chicken-chile pozole rojo.

In contrast to pozole, menudo has a very specific meat requirement: cow tripe. For anyone unfamiliar, tripe is the edible lining of a cow's stomach (although one thing that many people don't know about tripe is that it can come from any animal, even if cow is the most common). Tripe itself has a fairly mild flavor, so it will take on the other flavors in a dish. Menudo consists of a broth with oregano, onions, and lime, and is brought together with a guajillo chili sauce. In some regions of Mexico, hominy is also a key ingredient. Beyond that, some recipes even include pig's feet — but, if this makes you a bit squeamish, you can skip this ingredient for now and still get an authentic experience.

There are two types of menudo: menudo rojo (red) and menudo blanco (white). Menudo rojo features a chili sauce made from guajillos, which, as we know from pozole, are red, thus giving the soup its characteristic hue (and name). Menudo blanco, similarly to pozole blanco, excludes the chili sauce altogether for a mild alternative to its spicier counterpart.