What is the difference between pancita and menudo?

Pancita is the name given to the beef-tripe broth in Mexico City and the centre: it includes guajillo or ancho mole, epazote and DOES NOT contain hominy. Menudo is the northern name: the same tripe broth but with hominy (cacahuazintle), dried oregano and served with flour tortilla. The presence of hominy is the key difference.

What does pancita taste like?

It tastes of deep beef broth with a reddish guajillo and ancho mole, sweet, earthy and slightly spicy, and herbal notes of epazote. The texture of the tripe is chewable and gelatinous from the collagen. The lime and raw onion on serving contribute freshness, and ground chile piquin adds a dry heat. It is dense, spiced and comforting.

How is pancita served?

It is served very hot in a deep bowl or clay pot. The finely cut tripe goes in the brick-coloured broth. It is accompanied with chopped white onion, lime wedges, ground dried oregano, chile piquin to taste and freshly made maize tortillas. It is breakfast or lunch in markets, especially popular at Sunday tianguis in southern Mexico City such as Xochimilco and Mixquic.

Where is pancita originally from?

It is native to central Mexico: Mexico City, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico. Its current form with dried-chilli mole and epazote was consolidated at the end of the 19th century in markets and pulquerias of the Historic Centre of the capital. It is a colonial mestizo broth that takes advantage of cheap cuts of beef combined with chillies of the Mexican highlands.

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Pancita: the Mexico City tripe broth with guajillo mole

What is it?

Pancita is the name given in Mexico City, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico to a beef-tripe broth stewed with dried chillies. Unlike the northern menudo, capital-city pancita has no hominy and is seasoned with epazote, chile guajillo or ancho, garlic and cumin. The tripe is cut finely and simmered until soft in a thick brick-coloured broth. It is served with chopped onion, oregano, chile piquin, lime and hot tortillas. It is the classic breakfast at tianguis and markets such as La Merced, Mixquic and Xochimilco, where it is open from five in the morning and is considered restorative after long nights. Larousse Cocina and In Mama Maggie's Kitchen record it as one of the most deeply rooted soups in chilango popular life.

Origin and history

Pancita has a colonial mestizo origin: beef tripe (callos in peninsular Spanish) was a cut discarded by the viceregal elite and taken up by indigenous and mestizo workers, who combined it with dried chillies from the highlands. Pulso SLP and books such as Cocina prehispanica y colonial document that 'pancita broths' already existed in New Spain markets in the 17th century. By the 19th century, the dish was common in the pulquerias and fondas of central Mexico City, where it was served with tortilla and chilli as workers' lunch. The current form, with guajillo or ancho mole and epazote, was consolidated towards the end of the 19th century, when urban cooks incorporated spices such as cumin and clove brought by migration from the Bajio. Cocina Delirante and Mexico en mi Cocina mention it as one of the identity broths of the Valley of Mexico. Its diminutive name, 'pancita', comes from the popular affection for a neighbourhood dish.

Characteristic ingredients

The tripe used is beef, mainly the honeycomb and book parts, cleaned with lime, salt and boiling water. Unlike menudo, pancita is cut into small pieces, almost julienne, which gives a more manageable texture. The broth is prepared with a light mole: chile guajillo, chile ancho, tomato, garlic, onion, clove, cumin and pepper, all ground and strained, then added to the broth in which the tripe was cooked. Fresh epazote is added at the end and contributes the herbal touch characteristic of central Mexico. Some versions, such as the one documented by Cocina Delirante, add beef trotter for extra gelatinousness or incorporate chipotle chilli for smokiness. Unlike northern menudo, pancita does not use hominy or ground dried oregano as protagonists. It is served with chopped white onion, lime, dried oregano and chile piquin; accompanied by maize tortillas and, optionally, beans from the pot.

Cultural significance

Pancita is one of the iconic breakfasts of the popular cuisine of the Valley of Mexico and represents the circular economy of ranch cooking: it takes cheap cuts and transforms them into a coveted dish. In Xochimilco, Mixquic and the original villages of southern Mexico City, pancitas are served in clay bowls from dawn at Sunday tianguis. In La Merced and other large markets there are specialised stalls that have been making the same family recipe for decades. It is famous as a hangover remedy because of its density and moderate heat, and is considered a 'cura de espanto' food in traditional medicine. The 2010 UNESCO inscription of traditional Mexican cuisine implicitly includes this type of broth as part of the milpa-maize-chilli gastronomic system that sustains the culinary culture. Today, chefs such as Yuri de Gortari and Eduardo Garcia have included pancita versions on their menus, championing it as an example of neighbourhood cuisine worthy of fine dining.

Related recipes

Now that you know what it is, try cooking it at home with our step-by-step recipes:

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Ingredients to cook it

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pancita and menudo?: Pancita is the name given to the beef-tripe broth in Mexico City and the centre: it includes guajillo or ancho mole, epazote and DOES NOT contain hominy. Menudo is the northern name: the same tripe broth but with hominy (cacahuazintle), dried oregano and served with flour tortilla. The presence of hominy is the key difference.
What does pancita taste like?: It tastes of deep beef broth with a reddish guajillo and ancho mole, sweet, earthy and slightly spicy, and herbal notes of epazote. The texture of the tripe is chewable and gelatinous from the collagen. The lime and raw onion on serving contribute freshness, and ground chile piquin adds a dry heat. It is dense, spiced and comforting.
How is pancita served?: It is served very hot in a deep bowl or clay pot. The finely cut tripe goes in the brick-coloured broth. It is accompanied with chopped white onion, lime wedges, ground dried oregano, chile piquin to taste and freshly made maize tortillas. It is breakfast or lunch in markets, especially popular at Sunday tianguis in southern Mexico City such as Xochimilco and Mixquic.
Where is pancita originally from?: It is native to central Mexico: Mexico City, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico. Its current form with dried-chilli mole and epazote was consolidated at the end of the 19th century in markets and pulquerias of the Historic Centre of the capital. It is a colonial mestizo broth that takes advantage of cheap cuts of beef combined with chillies of the Mexican highlands.