Tendon as food

This article is about a part of an animal used as food. For the Japanese dish, see Donburi § Tendon.

Gyū-suji nikomi (牛筋煮込み), a Japanese dish made from stewed beef tendon

Tendon (particularly beef tendon) is used as a food in some Asian cuisines. Tendon is tough and fibrous prior to cooking, 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. It contain large amounts of collagen, 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 (fried pork belly). One popular dish is suànbào niújīn (蒜爆牛筋), where the tendon is marinated in garlic; it is often served at dim sum restaurants. In Japanese cuisine, beef tendon (gyū-suji) is a common ingredient in oden. In Vietnamese cuisine, it is often used in pho.