kidney (food)
{{Short description|Type of offal}}
{{About|the meat as food|the bean|Kidney bean||Kidney (disambiguation)}}
The kidneys of animals are a commonly consumed offal.{{Cite book |last=Danforth |first=Adam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e60MAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA93 |title=Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering |date=2014-03-11 |publisher=Storey Publishing |isbn=978-1-61212-182-6 |pages=93 |language=en}} The kidneys can be grilled, sautéed, roasted or braised. They can be used in cooking meat casseroles, stews or pies.{{Cite book |last=Toldra |first=Fidel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bmVkEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA710 |title=Lawrie's Meat Science |date=2022-08-26 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |isbn=978-0-323-98453-9 |pages=710 |language=en}} Typically used in cooking are beef, veal, lamb and pork kidneys.{{Cite book |last1=Company |first1=Experts from Dole Food Experts from Dole Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLf8IpZDh48C&pg=308 |title=Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition |last2=Clinic |first2=Experts from The Mayo Experts from The Mayo |last3=H |first3=Experts from UCLA Center for Experts from UCLA Center for |date=2002-01-13 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-08-053087-1 |pages=308 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last1=Cosentino |first1=Chris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lynWDAAAQBAJ&dq=kidney+offal+cooking&pg=PA52 |title=Offal Good: Cooking from the Heart, with Guts: A Cookbook |last2=Turkell |first2=Michael Harlan |date=2017-08-29 |publisher=Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed |isbn=978-0-7704-3513-4 |pages=52–54 |language=en}} Chicken kidneys are used in cooking, too,{{Cite book |last=Woods |first=Sarah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i7qREAAAQBAJ&pg=PT117 |title=Desi Kitchen |date=2023-02-16 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-241-53776-3 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-05-04 |title=Archaeology of Meat - kidney (chicken) |url=https://chefsmandala.com/archaeology-of-meat-kidney-chicken/ |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=Chef's Mandala |language=en}} but fowl kidneys are very small and generally not collected to be used in food separately. Veal kidneys are preferred among cooks.{{Cite book |last=Westmoreland |first=Susan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2fJK8R_x0j8C&pg=PA179 |title=The Good Housekeeping Cookbook |date=March 2004 |publisher=Hearst Books |isbn=978-1-58816-398-1 |pages=179 |language=en}} The kidneys of small animals are grilled or fried, and the kidneys of larger ones are usually stewed.{{Cite book |last=Sinclair |first=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mdwm7jI9J10C&pg=PT725 |title=Dictionary of Food: International Food and Cooking Terms from A to Z |date=2009-01-01 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4081-0218-3 |language=en}}
The kidneys are intended to be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than one day, but they also can be frozen. Defrosted kidneys are meant to be used as soon as possible.{{Cite book |last=Collectif |first=QA international Collectif QA international |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOG-ItIHp_kC&pg=PA556 |title=The Visual Food Encyclopedia |date=1996 |publisher=Québec Amerique |isbn=978-2-7644-0898-8 |pages=555–556 |language=en}} During grilling or frying, kidneys can be overcooked, because they easily dry out.{{Cite book |last=Jay |first=Roni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GPfkDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15 |title=The Cook's Pocket Bible |date=2008-10-06 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |isbn=978-1-907087-37-0 |language=en}} There are different recipes for cooking kidneys including recipes with such ingredients as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, shallot, mushrooms or with other meat.{{Cite book |last1=Spry |first1=Constance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8SIDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT571 |title=The Constance Spry Cookery Book |last2=Hume |first2=Rosemary |date=2014-01-19 |publisher=Grub Street Publishers |isbn=978-1-909166-10-3 |language=en}}
Kidneys are a good source of proteins, vitamin A, riboflavin (vitamin B2 vitamer), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus and zinc. Kidneys, along with liver, contain the most riboflavin compared to other offals and meat.{{Cite Q|Q36733832}} Lamb and beef kidneys contain folate (vitamin B9 vitamer).{{Cite web |title=Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169449/nutrients |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=fdc.nal.usda.gov |publisher=FoodData Central}}{{Cite web |title=Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174355/nutrients |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=fdc.nal.usda.gov |publisher=FoodData Central}} Kidneys also contain small amounts of vitamin C. They are low-fat food, but they contain high amounts of cholesterol.
History
Kidneys have been used in cooking from ancient times. There is evidence of cooked kidneys in ancient Egypt.{{Cite book |last=Edwards |first=Nina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mz9r_eg3LDoC&pg=PA8 |title=Offal: A Global History |date=2013-06-01 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1-78023-134-1 |pages=8 |language=en}} Egyptians supplied tombs of the dead with everything that dead people would need in the afterlife, including foods{{Cite web |date=2022-11-21 |title=When did we start cooking for each other – and why? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/11/when-did-we-start-cooking-for-each-other-and-why |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=National Geographic |language=en-gb}} such as cooked kidneys.{{Cite book |last=Alcock |first=Joan Pilsbury |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5eZOITEqDkQC&pg=PA65 |title=Food in the Ancient World |date=2006 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-33003-2 |pages=65 |language=en}} Poor people usually ate bread and boiled vegetables, while wealthy people might eat food of animal origin two or three times a day. Cooked kidneys were found in the Saqqara tomb of a female noble among other dishes.