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| Place of origin | Various |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Animalblood |
Blood as food is the usage ofblood infood,religiously andculturally. Many cultures consume blood, often in combination withmeat. The blood may be in the form ofblood sausage or other solidified form, as a thickener for sauces, acured salted form for times of food scarcity, or in ablood soup.[1] This is a product fromdomesticated animals, obtained at a place and time where the blood can run into a container and be swiftly consumed or processed. In many cultures, the animal is slaughtered. In some cultures and religions, blood is ataboo food. In Singapore the sale of blood products for consumption is illegal.[2]
Blood consists predominantly ofprotein andwater, and is sometimes called "liquid meat" because its composition is similar to that oflean meat. Blood collected hygienically can be used for human consumption, otherwise it is converted toblood meal. Certainfractions of animal blood are used in humanmedicine.[3]
Blood sausage is anysausage made by cookinganimalblood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.Pig orcattle blood is most often used. Typical fillers includemeat,fat,suet,bread,rice,barley andoatmeal. Varieties includebiroldo,black pudding,blood tongue,blutwurst,drisheen,kishka (kaszanka),morcilla,moronga,mustamakkara,sundae,verivorst, and many types ofboudin.
Blood pancakes are encountered inGalicia (filloas), Scandinavia, and the Baltic; for example, Swedishblodplättar, Finnishveriohukainen, and Estonianveripannkoogid.
Blood soups and stews, which use blood as part of the broth, includeczernina,dinuguan,haejangguk,mykyrokka,pig's organ soup,tiet canh andsvartsoppa.
Blood is also used as a thickener insauces, such ascoq au vin orpressed duck, and puddings, such astiết canh. It can provide flavor or color for meat, as incabidela.
Blood can also be used as a solid ingredient, either by allowing it to congeal before use, or by cooking it to accelerate the process. Blood curd is a dish typically found in Asia that consists of cooled and hardened animal blood.
InChina, "blood tofu" (Chinese:血豆腐;pinyin:xiě dòufǔ) is most often made with pig's orduck's blood, althoughchicken's or cow's blood may also be used. The blood is allowed to congeal and simply cut into rectangular pieces and cooked. This dish is also known in Java assaren, made with chicken's or pig's blood. Blood tofu is found incurry mee as well as theSichuan dish,mao xue wang [zh]. Chinese people use pig blood, tofu, and vegetables to make a healthy soup. This soup has a reputation as a healthy and tasty meal in China.[4]
InHungary, when a pig is slaughtered in the morning, the blood is fried with onions and served for breakfast.[5] Hagymásvér, as it is called, is made from pig's blood andonions, often flavoured withpaprika andmarjoram.
InPeru, they use chicken blood.[example needed]
In the Philippines, the street food made from grilled chicken blood is called "betamax," owing to its boxy shape, which resemblesBetamax tapes. It is typically sold alongsideisaw andbarbecue.[6][7]
InKorea, blood curd is typically made ofcattle blood and is often used as an ingredient for different kinds of soups and stews, such ashangover soup.[8]
InTibet, congealedyak's blood is a traditional food.[9]
InVietnamese cuisine, pig blood curd is used in soup based noodles dishes such asBún bò Huế orBánh canh,bún rêu,tiết canh and cháo lòng.
In some cases, blood is used as an ingredient without any additional preparation. Raw blood is not commonly consumed by itself, but may be used as an addition to drinks or other dishes. One example is the drinking ofseal blood which is traditionally believed by theInuit to bring health benefits.[10]
Russia and ex-USSR countries produce sweet nutrition bars containing cattle blood, known under the generic nameHematogen; originally created for treatinganemia, they are also used like regular sweets nowadays.[11]
TheCatholic Church, as well as theEastern Orthodox,Lutheran,Oriental Orthodox, and someAnglican churches, believe that in thesacrament of theEucharist, the participants consume the realblood andbody ofJesus Christ. The post-communion prayer of the 1662 Anglican Book of Common Prayer describes the meal as "spiritual food". Many other Christian denominations symbolically consume the Eucharist.
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The cult of saintThomas Becket in England included the drinking of "water of Saint Thomas", a mix of water and the remains of the martyr's blood miraculously multiplied.The procedure was frowned upon by the more orthodox due to the similarities with the Eucharist.[13]
Some cultures consider blood to be ataboo form of food. The taboos may be rooted in the fact that consuming greater quantities of blood may causeiron overload in some genetically predisposed individuals.[citation needed]
InAbrahamic religions,Judaism andIslam forbid the consumption of blood. In Judaism, theTorah statesLeviticus 7:26 "You may not partake of any blood from a fowl or an animal in all your dwellings."Deuteronomy 12:16 "However, you must not consume the blood; you must spill it on the ground like water."Deuteronomy 12:23 "However, be resolute not to consume the blood, for blood is the animal’s life-force.Deuteronomy 12:24 "You must not consume it; you must spill it onto the ground like water."Blood and its by-products are forbidden inIslam, in the Qurʼan, surah 5,al-Maʼidah, verse 3. In theNew Testament, blood was forbidden by theApostolic Decree due to banning sacrifice of animals before idols, [Acts 15:19–21] and is still forbidden amongEastern Orthodox Churches.[14]
The Catholic Church determined on the Council of Florence in 1438 that "the prohibition of the apostles "from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood and from things strangled" [Acts 15:29] befitted that time in which one Church arose from the Jews and the Gentiles, who before lived according to different ceremonies and customs, so that even the Gentiles observed some things in common with the Jews, and occasion was furnished for coming together into one worship of God and one faith, and ground for dissension was removed; since to the Jews, by reason of an ancient custom, blood and things strangled seemed abominable, and they could think that the Gentiles would return to idolatry because of the eating of things sacrificed. But when the Christian religion is so propagated that no carnal Jew appears in it, but all passing over to the Church, join in the same rites and ceremonies of the Gospel, believing "all things clean to the clean" [Titus 1:15], with the ending of the cause for this apostolic prohibition, the effect also ended. Thus it declares that the nature of no food, which society admits, is to be condemned, and no distinction is to be made by anyone at all, whether man or woman, between animals, and by whatever kind of death they meet their end; although for the health of body, for the exercise of virtue, for regular and ecclesiastical discipline many things not denied should be given up, since, according to the Apostle, "all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient" [1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:22]."
TheIgbo ethnic group ofNigeria has no explicit prohibitions against eating blood, but most regard it with disgust and refuse to eat any meat perceived as "bloody" or undercooked (such as raw meat insushi orsteak prepared raw, rare, ormedium).Goats,cattle, and other animals slaughtered in the traditional Igbo manner are dispatched with a single cut across the neck and then most or all of the blood is allowed to slowly drain from the wound. This practice may have been influenced by theIgbo Jewish community that apparently predates contact withEurope.[citation needed] Many Igbos who buy butchered, packaged meat fromgroceries andsupermarkets are in the habit of washing the blood from the meat with water before preparing it.
Among theMaasai people, drinking blood from cattle is a part of the traditional diet, especially after special occasions involving a loss of blood such as ritual bloodletting or giving birth.[15]
Cow blood is also consumed by theBahima people.[16][17]
TheHerero people consumed cow blood with sour milk.[18]
As in Europe, several varieties ofblood sausage are also popular inMexico (moronga),Quebec (boudin),Newfoundland and Labrador and thesouthwest United States,Chile (prietas,ñache),Brazil (chouriço),Argentina,Uruguay,Cuba, andPuerto Rico (morcilla).
InBrazil, the traditional Portuguese dish known ascabidela (see above) is also eaten, as well a stew made of pork blood and offal calledsarapatel.
In the western region of SantanderColombia, a dish called pepitoria is made fromrice cooked ingoat blood.
Mexicans from certain regions eat goat's stomach stuffed withpork blood andvegetables as a delicacy.
InPeru, clotted chicken blood is fried with chili peppers andWelsh onion. This dish is calledsangrecita.
Yaguarlocro is apotatosoup made with sprinklings of goat's blood.
InChina and some regions ofSoutheast Asia, coagulatedchicken,duck,goose orpig blood, known in Chinese as "blood tofu" (Chinese:血豆腐;pinyin:xiě/xuè dòu fǔ) is used in soups. InTaiwan,pig's blood cake (simplified Chinese:猪血糕;traditional Chinese:豬血糕;pinyin:zhū xiě/xuè gāo) is made ofpork blood andsticky rice. It isfried orsteamed as asnack or cooked in ahot pot.
In theSouth Indian state ofTamil Nadu,stir-friedlamb blood is a common dish for breakfast and lunch. When prepared alone it is calledஇரத்த பொரியல் (irattha poriyal). More commonly it is stir-fried with lambstomach andintestines with spices likeginger,garlic,cloves,cinnamon, redchili powder,green chilies,coriander powder,cumin,shallots and gratedcoconut. This dish is very common in theKongu Nadu region as a Breakfast delicacy andMadurai region of Tamil Nadu.
In the coastalKonkan region of India,Sorpotel, a dish ofPortuguese origin is commonly cooked that includes parboiled meat andoffal which is cooked in a spicy and vinegary sauce. Some people also use the animals' blood for boiling the curry. Sorpotel is primarily made by Catholics ofGoa,Mangalore andBombay East Indians ofMumbai.InKumaon, a spicy dish called Luvash is made by pan frying lamb blood with pahadi ghee.
InIndonesia, especially theBatak tribe inNorth Sumatra, pig's blood is used as an ingredient and sauce mixed withandaliman (Zanthoxylum acantophodium) for a cuisine named Sangsang (readsaksang). InBalinese cuisine, pork blood is sometimes added intolawar dish, a mixture of vegetables, coconut and minced meat mixed with rich herbs and spices to createlawar merah (red lawar).
InJoshua Oppenheimer's filmThe Look of Silence, several of the anti-Communist militias active in theIndonesian mass killings of 1965–66 claim that drinking blood from their victims is what prevented them going mad.[19]
InKorea, blood as food is known asseonji (선지[sʌn.dʑi]; derived from theManchu wordsenggi (ᠰᡝᠩᡤᡳ) meaning "blood").[20][21] Coagulated cattleseonji anddried radish greens are added to thebeef legbone broth in order to makeseonji-guk (blood curd soup).[22]Sundae, a blood sausage made generally by boiling or steaming cow or pig's intestines that are stuffed with various ingredients, such as pig's blood, cellophane noodles,kimchi, scallions, etc.
In northern region ofNepal,Gyuma a blood sausage is a popular dish commonly eaten by locals. It is made of yak's blood and meat. The fillings also include buck wheat flour and other spices. The sausage is also used in lentils or prepared in stir fry dishes.
People of Newar community also consume popular dish called “cho hee,” which means blood that is prepared by steaming the blood with some local spices. It is consumed by most of the locals in Patan, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur area of Nepal.
In thePhilippines, a popular dish calleddinuguan is made from pig's blood andoffal seasoned withchili and is traditionally eaten with white rice or steamed rice cakes (puto). Numerous variants exist throughout the islands. Dinuguan can also be served without using anyoffal, using only choice cuts of pork. InBatangas, this version is known assinungaok. It can also be made from beef and chicken meat, the latter being known asdinuguang manok ('chicken dinuguan').[23][24] The NorthernLuzon versions of the dish namely the Ilocanodinardaraan and theIbanagzinagan are often drier with toppings of deep-fried pork intestine cracklings. These versions are sometimes known as "crispy dinuguan" elsewhere. TheItawis of Cagayan also have a pork-based version that has larger meat chunks and more fat, which they calltwik.
Aside fromdinuguan, a nativeblood sausage known aspinuneg also exists among theKankanaey people of the highlands ofLuzon.[25][26] Cubes of pork blood grilled on skewers is also a common street food throughout the Philippines. These are known colloquially as "betamax" (after its resemblance toBetamax tapes).[27]
The Ilocano crispy pork dishbagnet may also sometimes be dipped in raw pig's blood. Though this is rare.[28] InWestern Visayas, the meat-and-liver stewbas-uy can also be enriched with blood.[29]
Coagulatedchicken,duck,goose orpig blood is used in soups, such as the classic Thai dishTom Lued Moo (pork blood soup). Thailand also has a dish known asNam Tok, which is a spicy soup stock enriched with raw cow or pig's blood. It is often used to enrich regularnoodle dishes, as well as inKhao soi.[30]
InLaos andNortheast Thailand), a raw version oflaap, a meatsalad, is made withminced raw meat,seasoned inspices, and covered with blood. The spicy noodle soupNam ngiao and certain variants ofKhao soi of the cuisine ofShan State andNorthern Thailand contain diced curdled blood.[30][31]
InVietnam, congealed pork blood is used inBún bò Huế (a spicy noodle soup), as well ascongee (a type of rice porridge). It is simply solidified, then put into the broth to absorb the flavor.Blood is also consumed raw in Vietnam although it is not so popular nowadays due to health concern and a better understanding of how raw blood may contain parasites and other organisms that are harmful to humans.
This type of raw blood dish is called "tiết canh", literally translated as "blood soup". As its name suggests, the soup is prepared with raw and uncooked animal blood.Firstly, blood is collected when the animal is slaughtered, then it is mixed with a little bit of fish sauce or salt water to prevent it from congealing (this step varies a lot from person to person and from region to region), this is to have time to prepare the other part of the dish, usually a mixture of the slaughtered animal's heart, liver, stomach, some time, its kidney, being diced and cooked.
Then, the cooked mixture is divided into serving portions. The blood is now mixed with regular drinking water (there is specific ratio between the blood and the water), then it will be poured onto the cooked mixture. After 10–15 minutes, the blood will start to congeal and the final product will have a consistency similar to jelly. Various herbs, roasted and smashed peanut are topped on the congealed blood to enhance its flavor.
This dish is usually made with pig's blood and duck's blood but it can also be made from any type of animal's blood.
In China and Vietnam certain types ofsnake blood are considered to be anaphrodisiac, and are drunk withrice wine.
In theCzech Republic, pig's blood from traditionalpig slaughter is used to make blood soupprdelačka and blood sausagesjelito.
InFinland, pig's blood is used, withmilk,flour andmolasses, to make bloodpancakes (veriohukainen), usually served withlingonberry jam.[32] Different types of sausages are also common, includingmustamakkara andryynimakkara.Verileipä is a type of bread made with blood.Veripalttu is another dish available in some parts of the country.[citation needed]
In France, there is "sanquette", a solidified/curd blood in a pan, and "boudin noir", a sort of sausage.
InNorthern Germany pig's blood used to be traditionally mixed withvinegar, scraps, spices andsugar to makeschwarzsauer. It is eaten warm orpreserved in jars. Changes in taste and lifestyle have made this an uncommon dish.[33]
In ancientLakedaimon, theGreekcity-state ofSparta, theblack broth was common: a soup with pork meat and blood.
InHungary,hagymás vér (pan-fried pig's/mangalica's blood with onions) often served withhot peppers andvéres hurka (a kind of blood sausage made with pig's blood, bacon, pork, rice, onion, salt and various herbs and spices) are common winter foods. The dark mahagony colored Véres pite (bloody pie) is also made.[34]Pig slaughter is considered a cultural event, when the villagers feast together. Here, all parts of the pig are used, from its blood andcloven hoof (out of which they make körömpörkölt) to its head. In fact, the pig's heart and lungs are also often consumed.
In the old days, they also used to make a soup/sauce called Black soup (fekete leves) out of it, similar tosvartsoppa. Currently, the wordblack soup (inHungary) is used to describe an unpleasant obligation, an impending sudden negative event. Legend has it that theTurks invited a Hungarian nobleman to dinner. The soldiers were ordered to attack him when "The black soup is still left" was said, hence the phrase.[35]
InItaly, thesanguinaccio dolce is apudding made with pig blood, chocolate, sugar, pine nuts, raisins and milk.[36]
Biroldo is ablood sausage traditionally made with parts ofpigsoffal like heart, lungs and tongues.[37]
Balkenbrij is a Dutch food made by combining pig's blood with a variety of ingredients, principally flour or oatmeal, and pig organs, such as intestines. Black pudding, in Dutch "bloedworst," is also consumed. In theLimburg province bloedworst, in Limburgish "poetes" or "trip," is consumed with apples baked in a thick syrup called stroop.
Czernina (black soup) is a Polish soup made of duck blood and clear poultry broth, sometimes known as "duck soup". Hen, rabbit or pig blood can also be used.
Kaszanka is the Polish incarnation ofblood sausage. It's made of pig's blood andbuckwheat orbarleykasza.
InPortugal, the northern region known as Minho has a traditional blood soup named papas de sarrabulho. "Papas" translates as "mash" and "sarrabulho" is a popular expression for coagulated blood, so the literal translation would be "mashed blood". The soup is made with pig's blood, chicken meat, pork,ham,salami,lemon andbread, and is typically sprinkled withcumin, which provides the dish with its distinctive odor. It is usually served in the winter because it is a rather heavy dish. The dish is seldom eaten in southern Portugal. Also very popular, ismorcela sausage, a type of black pudding. Another traditional Portuguese dish known ascabidela is also made by cooking chicken orrabbit in its own blood, sometimes diluted with vinegar. The samecabidela dish is done with lamprey eel's blood and flesh along with rice, during the months of March and April following the migration of these fishes throughout Portugal's rivers.[38]
There is also a candy calledPapas de moado, which is prepared from pig's blood, flour, sugar, nuts and spices, mainly in theMondego River region.
InRomania there is a traditional sausage prepared with blood namedsângerete,[39] literally meaning "a thing from hemoragy" (it came fromsângera – "hemoragy" fromsânge – "blood")), and it is prepared especially during the Ignat (the pig carving holiday).
InSpain, themorcilla sausage is a kind ofblack pudding mainly made with pig blood, with spices, fat, and sometimes vegetables. InAndalusiasangre encebollada andValenciansang amb cebaare popular dishes made with chicken or pork solidified blood and onion.[40]
InSweden, the blood soupsvartsoppa, made with goose blood, is traditionally eaten on the eve of St. Martin, especially in the southern region ofSkåne.[41] Other popular dishes, with blood as one of the ingredients includeblodpudding (blood pudding),blodplättar (blood pancakes),blodpalt (potato dumplings flavoured with reindeer or pig blood) andpaltbröd (bread with blood in it, which is dried and boiled and eaten together with fried pork and bèchamel or onion sauce).
InBritain,Ireland, and someCommonwealth countries, "black pudding" or "blood pudding" is made from blood and some fillergrains and spices, oftenoatmeal.
InMontgomeryshire,Wales, goose blood was used to make a pastry tart at Christmas time.[42]
InIreland, there is ample evidence of the persistence of the practice of bleeding live cattle until well into the 19th century. It was considered to be a preventative measure against cattle diseases, and the blood drawn, when mixed with butter, herbs, oats or meal, provided a nutritious emergency food.[43]
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