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Tocuyo mute (Lara mute)

Tocuyo mute is the iconic tripe (mondongo) soup of Morán Municipality and all of Lara state. Its name comes from the Quechua "mut'i" (peeled corn). A Sunday lunch in El Tocuyo with tripe, beef shank, peeled corn, chickpeas, cassava, yam, taro, pumpkin, plantain and fresh seasonings.

Sopa 8 servings 4 hours

Ingredients

Step-by-step preparation

  1. Clean the tripe by rubbing it with lime and salt. Rinse very well.
  2. In a large pot, place the tripe, the beef shank, the whole head of garlic (unpeeled) and one onion cut into quarters. Cover with water and cook over medium-high heat for 2 hours, skimming whatever rises.
  3. Add the chickpeas and cook for 30 more minutes.
  4. Take out the tripe and the shank. Cut the tripe into small cubes. Return to the pot.
  5. Stir in the peeled corn and cook for 30 minutes.
  6. Add the root vegetables—cassava, yam, taro—and the green plantain. Cook for 20 minutes.
  7. Add the pumpkin and the chopped seasonings (remaining onion, crushed garlic, leek, sweet peppers).
  8. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Cook for 15 more minutes, until everything is tender.
  9. Finish with the chopped cilantro and spearmint.
  10. Serve very hot with lime juice to taste and arepa.

Tocuyo mute—also called Lara mute—is the iconic tripe soup of El Tocuyo, capital of Morán Municipality, and all of Lara state. Its name comes from the Quechua "mut'i", which means "peeled corn": the presence of peeled or hulled corn distinguishes the authentic mute from any other Venezuelan tripe soup.

In El Tocuyo and the Humocaros, mute is the Sunday dish par excellence: every family has its own variation and every cook defends her own technique for cleaning the tripe. If you visit a Tocuyo market on a Saturday morning, you'll see that tripe and beef shank are the most sought-after products.

It is the Sunday dish par excellence: it is prepared early on Saturday or Sunday morning and served at midday to the whole family. In El Tocuyo and the Humocaros it is eaten all year round, but it takes on special importance in the cold months—the Humocaros have dawns at 8–10 °C (46–50 °F)—and after late nights.

The importance of cleaning the tripe

Tripe—beef stomach—needs meticulous cleaning: rub it with lime and salt, rinse several times, and sometimes pre-boil it with vinegar for 10 minutes. If it ends up with a strong smell, it wasn't cleaned well. The good Lara cook spends more time cleaning than cooking.

The whole head of garlic

A Tocuyo trick: a whole head of garlic, unpeeled, goes into the pot with the tripe. It cooks slowly for 2 hours and adds a subtle aroma that crushed garlic can't achieve. At the end you can remove it or let it fall apart on its own.

Variations

  • Mute with goat shank: a Carora variant also known in El Tocuyo.
  • Mute without chickpeas: some families prefer it lighter.
  • Mute with panela seasoning: in Humocaro Alto a touch of panela is added at the end, an Andean mark.

Sides

  • Arepa pelada or casabe.
  • Lime juice and hot sauce to taste.
  • Avocado in slices.
  • Cold beer or panela water with lime.

Other Tocuyo recipes

Sopa

Tocuyo beef hervido (broth)

The Lara broth par excellence. Beef ribs slow-cooked with cassava, yam, taro, pumpkin, mapuey and green plantain. Natural seasonings and a touch of cilantro and spearmint at the end.

Pan

Tocuyo acemita

The flagship bread of El Tocuyo and the entire central-western region of Venezuela. A dark, aromatic bread made with wheat flour, panela (raw cane sugar), anise, cinnamon and nutmeg, shaped into a ring or U.

Plato fuerte

Rooster olleta

An iconic dish of El Tocuyo and Carora. A thick stew of old rooster slow-cooked with beef, pork, smoked ham, chorizo, pickles and toasted wheat flour. A traditional Christmas dish and special-occasion fare.

Frequently asked questions about tocuyo mute (lara mute)

What is Tocuyo mute?

Tocuyo mute—also called Lara mute—is the iconic tripe soup of El Tocuyo and Lara state: beef stomach slow-cooked with beef shank, chickpeas, peeled corn, cassava, yam, taro, pumpkin, green plantain and fresh seasonings. The presence of peeled corn—whose name comes from the Quechua "mut'i"—is what distinguishes the authentic mute from any other Venezuelan tripe soup.

What is the difference between Tocuyo mute and Lara mute?

It is the same dish. "Lara mute" is the generic name of the dish across Lara state; "Tocuyo mute" emphasizes the origin and the specific tradition of El Tocuyo, where the recipe has a particularly deep-rooted version with its own technique for cleaning the tripe and the whole head of garlic during cooking. Some Tocuyo families also add a touch of panela at the end, an Andean mark typical of the Humocaros.

How is the tripe cleaned for mute?

The tripe is cleaned by rubbing it with lime and salt and rinsing it several times. Sometimes it is pre-boiled with vinegar for 10 minutes to remove odors. It's the most important step: if it ends up with a strong smell, it wasn't cleaned well. Lara cooks spend more time cleaning the tripe than cooking it.

When is mute eaten in El Tocuyo?

Mute is the Sunday dish par excellence. It is prepared early on Saturday or Sunday morning and served at midday. In El Tocuyo, and especially in the Humocaros (where dawns drop to 8–10 °C / 46–50 °F), it gains special importance in the cold months and after late nights.

Where does the word "mute" come from?

"Mute" derives from the Quechua "mut'i", which means "peeled corn." The word entered Andean Spanish and reached Lara through migratory influence from the Venezuelan Andes. The presence of peeled corn is the distinguishing mark of mute compared with other Venezuelan tripe soups.