Cigarette ring causes online fever
After decades of being involved in the meat selling profession, many traders affirmed that they have never seen a pair of cigarette cars as long and heavy as the more than 40m, 5.8kg section that is causing a stir on social networks.
The phenomenon of "huge" cigarette butts appeared in a clip by Facebooker N.Q.T, also known by the nickname "T cigarette butts" - the owner of a brand specializing in selling dishes made from pork organs. He currently has three locations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
In the video, Mr. T shows off a 40m long belly, weighing nearly 6kg, taken from a pig over 100kg. He affirmed that this was a seamless tripe, not joined, and had staff line up to measure the length of the tripe.
Rare or trick-y-wing exported cigarette cars?
Ms. Hien - a pork trader since 1999 in lane 68 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay district, Hanoi - said: "In more than 20 years of trading, I have never seen a cigarette butts be so long. Every year, there are times when I only meet a section, weighing about 2kg.
According to Ms. Hien, the intestines of the cigarette butts are thick, with many folds inside, making them feel crispy, sweet, and not gussy when eaten. The name "cigarette" comes from its shape like a blocked tobacco.
"Sino cars must be made when the pigs are still fresh, otherwise they will shrink, cannot clean up dirt, and are prone to leaving behind. The market price is more than 1 million VND/kg, some places collect and then resell at double the price" - Ms. Hien added.
Ms. Lien - a trader at Dich Vong market, Cau Giay district, Hanoi - also said that during the old-style pig farming period, when the pigs were eaten on a street, the intestines of the pigs were more popular. Nowadays, pigs are raised with industrial bran, the process is closed, so this part of the intestines is becoming rare.
"After more than ten years of selling meat, I have only touched 6 sets of cigarette cars with my own hands. This blood is not continuous but is located in the digestive system. People often have to cut 30-40cm into pieces to clean. It is unbelievable to say that there is a whole set of tens of meters long" - Ms. Lien said.
A restaurant that has been selling pork belly for more than 20 years on Dich Vong Street also confirmed that the "old block" cigarette butts are extremely rare, if they are, it is even more necessary to check the authenticity.
The appeal of cigarette butts has caused many places to show signs of forgery by using chemicals to " thicken" the intestines of the common people, deceiving consumers. In response to this phenomenon, the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City has stepped in to inspect and collect product samples for testing and verification of whether toxic additives are used or not.
Doctor Le Van Thieu - Department of General Infectious Diseases, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases - said: Pork intestines contain a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol. On average, 100g of intestines have up to 400mg of cholesterol - higher than the recommended nutrition, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke. Elderly people, gout patients, diabetics, kidneys or cardiovascular patients should limit them to the maximum.
"If the intestines are not cleaned and cooked thoroughly, they can easily become infected with bacteria such as E.Coli, Chinese sausage, selenium, etc. Some places still use old oxygen and alum to bleach, even after being washed, there is still a risk of chemical residues causing ulcers and digestive bleeding" - Dr. Thieu warned.
Experts recommend that consumers should only eat tripe 1-2 times a month, no more than 80g at a time and must be thoroughly cleaned and cooked. Absolutely avoid unclear skin or show signs of laundry.
