Ablood sausage is asausage filled withblood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used.[3]
In many languages, a general term such asblood sausage (American English) is used for all sausages that are made from blood, whether or not they include non-animal material such as bread, cereal, and nuts. Sausages that include such material are often referred to with more specific terms, such asblack pudding in English.[4] Other varieties of blood sausage includeboudin rouge (Creole and Cajun),rellena ormoronga (Mexico), andsanganel (Friuli).
Mutura is a traditional blood sausage dish among the people of urban Kenyan regions, although recently its popularity has spread throughout Kenya. It is made with meat, blood, and spices all encased in the animal's intestines or stomach.[5] In Kenya fillers include fresh minced goat, beef, mutton, fat, andred onions.
Nowadays many types of mutura, especially commercial street food versions, do not contain blood.[6] The meat used in the filling can be any fleshy part, but like any other type of sausage, prime cuts are not ordinarily used for the stuffing. Instead the tougher, leaner cuts – for example the neck – are trimmed off the bone. The casing for the stuffing is the stomach sac and larger intestines. These are flushed many times with water to clean them.
The meat for the stuffing is finely chopped or minced, and the mandatory fat is often trimmed from other parts. The meat is slightly fried, mixed with finely chopped red onions, salt and optionally fresh chili. Other additions include freshly choppedcoriander (dhania or cilantro), garlic, pepper, and even beef stock. This is then mixed thoroughly with the fresh blood from the animal, and stuffed into the stomach and intestines, with the openings sewn or tied together with string.
The sausage is boiled in a large pot (often with other parts of the animal not roasted and used to make soup) for 30–45 minutes, and roasted over coals till brown. Sliced, it is served withkachumbari, an onion based salad consisting of tomatoes, red onions and fresh coriander, a bit of chili and squeeze of lemon.[7] The accompanying starch isugali.
Morcilla is served in many areas of Latin America.Morcilla is sometimes made with a filler of rice and/or onions, and seasoned withpaprika and other spices.
In theU.S.territory ofPuerto Rico, blood sausage is known asmorcilla.[8] Puerto Rican blood sausage is made with rice,culantro,cilantro, garlic, andcubanelle pepper. Some contain paprika andannatto. Morcilla is especially popular during Christmas.
Blood sausages are very difficult to find in USsupermarkets.Brussels andSturgeon Bay,Wisconsin, are both home to local grocers who produce blood sausage, due to their largeBelgian American populations. Supermarkets throughoutMaine also carry locally produced blood pudding due to the state's largeFrench Canadian population. In southeasternMichigan, Polish-stylekaszanka can be found in supermarkets throughout the year and is very popular.
An Italian-American version of blood sausage in theSan Francisco Bay Area is calledbiroldo and haspine nuts,raisins, spices, and pigsnouts and is made using either pig's or cow's blood. German-style blood sausage and Zungenwurst can be found inFresno andSanta Rosa, where Russian and Armenian delis offer a wide range of Central European foods. Alpine Village inTorrance, California, used to have Blutwurst due to a considerable German-American population in theSouth Bay area of Los Angeles County.[9]
Cajunboudin is a fresh sausage made withgreen onions, pork, pork liver (making it somewhat gritty or grainy), and rice. Pig's blood was sometimes added to produceboudin rouge, but this tradition became increasingly rare after the mid-twentieth century due to the decline of theboucherie (traditional communal butchering) and government health regulations prohibiting the transportation of raw blood. As a result, Cajunboudin is now usually made without blood; however, blood or "black"boudin can still be purchased.
In theYucatán Peninsula,morcilla is made exclusively from pig's blood and once deep fried it is served with a mix of pickled onions, cilantro and spices. It is always consumed in the form oftacos and paired with freshhabanero peppers.[10][11]
In Central Mexico,morcilla is known asmoronga.[12]
InAntigua, rice pudding is a local delicacy and it is prepared the same way as blood sausage.
InBarbados, blood sausage, also called pudding, is made with sweet potato (batata), pig's blood and onions, seasoned with peppers and other herbs and stuffed in pig intestines. Traditionally pig's blood was used to darken the mixture but Browning sauce (caramelized sugar) is sometimes used as a substitute. It is normally served withsouse, which is pickled pig's feet, pig's ears and other trimmings. The cooked meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and soaked in a brine made of water, lime juice, cucumbers, hot pepper, and specially prepared seasonings. Blood sausage and souse, more commonly known as pudding and souse, is a Bajan delicacy usually prepared on weekends and special occasions.
In theFrench Antilles,boudin créole, orboudin antillais is very popular, this being the Frenchboudin noir with local Caribbean chilli and other spices.[8]
InTrinidad and Tobago, the local style of blood sausage is heavily seasoned with local peppers and traditionally prepared from pig's blood, often replaced by pig's liver today. It is sold by local producers as a popular accompaniment to rolls of crusty hops bread or served as an accompaniment totrotter souse, a stew based on trotters.[13]
InCosta Rica, blood sausage is calledmorcilla ormoronga; but unlike the rest of Latin America, it does not contain rice or other cereals, it is similar to the German blood sausage calledBlutwurst.
InEcuador,Bolivia andColombia the blood sausage is also calledmorcilla, and is usually filled with rice.
InColombia,morcilla can have rice, green peas, cilantro or culantro, and is often eaten as an appetizer calledpicada or with the traditional dishesbandeja paisa orfritanga. InVenezuela,morcilla is often served withparrilla (barbecue).
Morcilla is also eaten inside a sandwich called "morcipán", especially in theRío de la Plata.Morcilla is a component of theasado criollo, a regionalmixed grill orbarbecue meal. InUruguay and inArgentina, a sweet version, usually calledmorcilla vasca, includingraisins and pine nuts is popular; some vendors even add chocolate, caramelised orange peels, peanuts, and other dried fruits. Uruguayans usually are fond of sweet or saltymorcilla, and most restaurants and supermarkets carry both versions. InParaguay, it is mostly known under the namembusia, aguaranization of the wordmorcilla.[14]
InBrazil there is a version of the blood sausage calledchouriço ormorcela (sometimes the Castillian Spanish versionmorcilla is used as well), consisting of a fresh sausage made of the blood and fat from pork and usuallyrice. It is a variation of the Portuguese blood sausage, and it is known for its deep dark color. In some regions, it is popular on barbecues (Churrascos) as a starter.
InChile, the blood sausage is called "prieta" (a synonym of "negra", black) and tends to have a very thick skin, so is eaten cut open lengthwise. Apart from blood and a little fat, "prietas" may contain a variety of ingredients, such as chopped onion and spices, cabbage, peppers, watercress, rice, meat or even dried fruit or nuts. "Prietas" or "morcillas" are part of theChilote tradition of "reitimiento" involving the slaughter and preparation of a pig.
Prietas are easily found at supermarkets throughout the country and are available from practically any butcher.
InGuyana, blood sausage is a very popular snack served at social occasions, and as "cutters" when drinking. The main ingredient is cooked rice seasoned with herbs, such asthyme andbasil. The rice is mixed with cow's blood, stuffed into cow's or pig'sintestine, and boiled until firm, sliced and served with Sour (a mild type of dipping sauce with hot peppers).White pudding is also made.
InSuriname, blood sausage is known by theDutch namebloedworst, andwhite pudding by the equally Dutch namevleesworst.
Across Asia, various people create food from congealed animal blood. Most of these food types do not have casings and might be considered a version ofsliced sausage.
The majority ofKorea'ssundae (순대) can be categorised as blood sausage. The most common type ofsundae is made of sweet potato noodle (dangmyeon),barley, and pigs blood, but some variants containsesame leaves, green onion,fermentedsoy paste (doenjang), sweet rice,김치, andbean sprouts, in addition to the common ingredients. The Korean sundae is wrapped with pig's intestines. The addition of sweet potato noodle is a more modern addition to the dish. There is another Korean food calledseonji which is cow blood that has been boiled in soup. It looks like the Blodpudding ofSweden.
InChinese cuisines, whole coagulated blood is fried or steamed as asnack or cooked in ahot pot. Inmainland China, "blood tofu" (Chinese:血豆腐;pinyin:xuě dòufǔ), or "redtofu" (Chinese:红豆腐;pinyin:hóng dòufǔ), is most often made with pig's orduck's blood. Like the above dishes, this has no casing but is simply cut into rectangular pieces and cooked.
In Northeast China, the "blood sausage" was a traditional food which is cooked with sheep or goat blood.
InTibet, congealedyak's blood is a traditional food.[15][16] Chinese people also used pig blood curd that was consumed by laborers inKaifeng over 1,000 years ago[17] in the south of China.
InTibetan cuisine, sausages orgyurma refer to blood sausages and are made with yak or sheep's blood which may or may not include either rice or roasted barley flour as filler. The sausage uses natural casing employing the use of yak or sheep's intestine.[citation needed]
In Hong Kong, the dish closest to blood sausage is pig blood curd, which is only made from pig's blood and is not considered a sausage.
The general Japanese term for blood sausage iskecchōzume (血腸詰め). After the introduction ofagriculture from the Asian continent in ancient times, Japanese culture was traditionallyaverse to blood. As a result, blood-based foods are uncommon in Japanese cuisine.
Before 1945, remote villages inTochigi Prefecture (formerlyShimotsuke Province) were known to producesoresore (それゝゝ), a blood sausage made by filling tied-off sections ofdeer orbear intestine with the animal's blood and boiling them in a metal pot over an open fire until the blood coagulated. Once the blood had solidified, the sausage was cut into circular slices and served withsoy sauce.[18]Matagi hunters of the formerDewa andMutsu Provinces are known to have made blood sausage using deer intestine andhoshii (糒しい), or dehydrated boiled rice, as filler. Blood sausage is believed to have been introduced to Japan from theJurchens.
InBali,Urutan is a version of blood sausage made with pork intestine and pork blood. It is served with rice.[19]
Another version inJava calledsaren ordideh, is made with chicken's blood and usually cut into small cube pieces.[20]
InSumatra, Kidu-Kidu is aBatak sausage dish made from pork intestines, served with sauce made from pork's blood and spices such as andaliman pepper.[21]
InThai cuisinesai krok lueat (Thai: ไส้กรอกเลือด) is a blood sausage (Thai:sai krok = sausage,Thai:lueat = blood), often served sliced and accompanied by a spicy dipping sauce. "Blood tofu" is simply calledlueat (Thai:เลือด, blood) inThailand. This can be used in many Thai dishes such as in noodle soups,Thai curries, or as an addition to certain rice dishes such asKhao man kai.
InLimbu cuisine,sargemba orsargyangma is a type of blood sausage made mostly from pork intestines, pork fat, rice andyangben, a type of edible wild lichen.[28][29]
Throughout Central and Eastern Europe, blood sausage, known askishka (meaning "intestine"), is made with pig's blood and buckwheatkasha. It is also known in Russia askrovyanka (кровянка), orkrovyanaya kolbasa (кровяная колбаса, literally "blood sausage") and includesbuckwheat as a main filler, instead of oats or oatmeal. InBelarus it's calledkryvianaja kaŭbasa (крывяная каўбаса) orkryvianka (крывянка). In Ukraine it's calledkrov'yanka (кров'янка) orkryvava kyshka (кривава кишка), andkiszka orkaszanka inPoland;krvavnička inSlovakia andkrvavica inSlovenia,krupniok inSilesia. Polishsalceson ("black" and "Brunszwicki") are a type ofhead cheese ("brawn") that contains blood. InHungary,véres hurka is typically made with pig's blood and barleycorn or cubed bread (typically zsemle) as filler as such also known aszsemlés hurka andgerslis hurka. InBulgaria,karvavitsa (кървавица) is usually prepared with pig's blood, fat and a variety of mountain herbs and spices and eaten warm during the winter.
InRomania, the traditionalsângerete (fromsânge, "blood" in Romanian) is made from shoulder butt pork meat, pork blood and a filler such as pre-boiled rice seasoned with pepper, garlic and basil. It has many regional variants, but the most common are thesângerete fromTransylvania.
Similarly, inCzech cuisine,jelito is made from second-rate pork, pig's blood and peeledbarley; the stuffing served by itself, unformed, is calledprejt.
InDenmark,blodpølse is made from pigs's blood and suet, rye flour, brown sugar, raisins, salt, cinnamon and cardamom stuffed into natural or artificial intestines. It is usually boiled in its skin, eaten hot or cold, sometimes sliced and fried, served with syrup, cinnamon and stewed apples.
InEstonia,verivorst (blood sausage) is made of pig's blood, barley groats, pork, marjoram and other flavourings. It is sold and eaten mostly in winter, being a traditional Christmas food. At that time there is a large variety ofverivorst in stores, ranging in shapes and sizes.Verivorst is usually cooked in an oven, but sometimes also fried in a pan.Verivorst is often eaten together withlingonberry jam, but occasionally also with butter orsour cream. Another similar dish is calledverikäkk (black pudding, or blood dumpling, depending on the shape). The popularity ofverikäkk has decreased during the past decades (possibly because of its less appealing commercial appearance) and has mostly been substituted byverivorst.
Mustamakkara (literally "black sausage") is a roasted sausage containing pig's blood and very similar to Estonianverivorst. The sausage is said to originate fromTampere and is considered an integral part of the city's culture.
A dish similar to the Britishblack pudding is also made by making batter out of pig's blood and baking it like pancakes. Traditionally,rye flour oroatmeal is used and minced onion is added to the mix. This dish is calledveriohukainen orverilettu (blood pancake).Rössypottu is a traditional soup in northern Finland with blood pudding as a main ingredient.
Most blood sausage dishes in Finland are often eaten withlingonberry jam to sweeten the taste.
InIceland,blóðmör is one of two types ofslátur. It is made from lamb's blood and suet, rye flour and oats, traditionally stuffed into pouches sewn from the lamb's stomach. It is usually boiled in its skin, eaten hot or cold, sometimes sliced and fried. After cooking, it is often preserved in fermentedwhey and acquires a distinct sour taste.
Black pudding is the version of blood sausage native to the British Isles. While the term "blood sausage" in English is understood, it is applied only to foreign usage (e.g., in the storyThe Name-Day bySaki), or to similar blood-based sausages elsewhere in the world. Black pudding is generally made from pork blood and a relatively high proportion of oatmeal. In the past it was occasionally flavoured withpennyroyal, differing from continental European versions in its relatively limited range of ingredients and reliance on oatmeal and barley instead of onions to absorb the blood.[32] It can be eaten cold, as it is cooked in production, grilled, fried or boiled in its skin. It is often served sliced and fried or grilled as part of a traditionalfull breakfast, a tradition that followed British and Irish emigrants around the world. Black pudding is now part of the local cuisine ofNew Zealand and the Canadian provinces ofNova Scotia andNewfoundland and Labrador.
InLatvia, blood sausage is either calledasinsdesa (blood sausage) orputraimu desa (groat sausage) because of the addedbarleygroats. It is usually served withlingonberry jam andsour cream.[34]
Blodpudding, before being prepared to serveBlodpudding served with boiled potatoes, cucumbers andlingonberry jam
Blodpudding is a traditional medieval dish still popular inSweden. The exact proportions and ingredients vary, partly according to regional preference, but generally it is made from pig's blood, milk, rye or barley flour, diced lard, either beer orsvagdricka, treacle and onion, flavoured with allspice and marjoram. It is then poured into forms and oven-baked in a waterbath. Most of theblodpudding consumed today is made on industrial basis.
When prepared for serving, it is sliced and fried. The style of serving and accompaniments vary across the country, and it is not uncommon to have theblodpudding act as the meat in a meal. Nationally, the common way is to serve it with lingonberry jam, grated carrots and ice cold milk to drink. Fried bacon or pork side is also common. InScania, the lingonberry jam is often replaced by finely sliced apples, fried along with the pork.
Other blood-based foods includeblodkorv (blood sausage) which differs fromblodpudding by having raisins, pork tallow and apple sauce in it,blodplättar (blood pancakes, similar to the original Finnish dishveriohukainen above) andblodpalt. There is also a soup made from blood, calledsvartsoppa (black soup).
Blood pudding (right) fromCroatia baked on a sheet panBlood sausage served with sauerkraut and "restani krumpir" inHrvatsko Zagorje
A similar blood sausage tokarvavitsa, calledkrvavica (крвавица), made out of similar ingredients, is eaten inBosnia,Croatia,Serbia, andSlovenia in wintertime, usually withsauerkraut and potatoes.
Italian 17th century still-life showing Blutwurst-like sausages
InItaly, regional varieties of blood sausage are known assanguinaccio. InTuscany,buristo [it] is a sausage made with pig's blood and fat cooked in a pig's stomach. It is not reheated and is often spread on bread. It is found only in the south of Tuscany in the winter months and even there it can be difficult to come by.Biroldo is another type of black pudding which can be found in Tuscany, while the version made in southernLombardy is calledmarsapan.
Migliaccio[35] is a black pudding that is traditionally prepared in winter inRomagna. It is a sweet pudding with a thick black filling made with pig's blood, sugar, breadcrumbs, almonds, chocolate, butter and spices contained in a thin pastry crust. A similar pudding is made throughout southern Italy, generally calledsanguinaccio orsanguinaccio dolce.
InPortuguese cuisine, there are many varieties of blood sausage. Sausages made of blood are usually calledmorcela (for the larger variety) andnegrinha or negrito[36] (fromPortuguesenegro that means dark or black, for the thinner variety). There are many varieties around the Portuguese-speaking world. In Portugal proper, there are local varieties from different regions of mainland Portugal, including fromGuarda,Portalegre,[37]Estremoz andBorba, as well as from theAzores.[37] A variety of morcela made withrice,morcela de arroz (rice blood sausage), is typically associated withTomar,[38]Leiria,[39]Porto de Mós,[40]Fundão andBelmonte.[41][42] The morcela is made with a combination of different pork parts, namely blood and pork fat cut into pieces, seasoned with ground pepper, salt, garlic, dried garlic, and spices (includingcloves andcumin), as well as wine in the pig's blood. The morcela is a smoked sausage, is black and has a glossy surface, while its dark interior is marbled with fat. There is also a type of blackchouriço, also a smoked blood sausage because it is made with pig blood together with pig meat. It is calledchouriço de sangue. Places likeMelgaço and several other localities inNorthern Portugal, as well as inBeiras andAlentejo, are famed for its production.[37][43]
Morcilla de Burgos [es], a blood sausage made with rice fillers. It is consumed in Spain.
Spanishmorcilla has many variants. The most well-known and widespread ismorcilla deBurgos which contains mainly pork blood and fat, rice, onions, and salt, and is produced in two varieties: cylindrical and gut-shaped. InAlbacete andLa Mancha, themorcilla is filled with onions instead of rice, which completely changes the texture. InExtremadura the creamymorcilla patatera includes roughly mashed potatoes. In the northern regions and theCanary Islands there is a sweet variety known asmorcilla dulce. Other varieties introduce breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and almonds, and vary the proportions of the other ingredients or flavourings, some of them considereddelicacies.
There are other similarly famous kinds being made inAsturias (slightly darker and smaller, used for bean and chickpea stews) andLeón (without rice, grilled & spread on toasted bread). Other less popular varieties may addcumin to the pudding mixture, but this is not a standard practice. The cooking method for consumption is typically frying, stewing, grilling or roasting, often in served in slices and either as a side dish or on its own. There are many derivative foods made from morcilla, such asomelettes, stuffed red pepper,puff pastry, pizza, flavourednachos,croquettes, and a range of fillings for different dishes.
In Galicia, blood pancakes are called filloas.[citation needed]
TheMaltese blood sausage is known asmazzita (plural:mazzit). It was first described in the 1750s inGiovanni Pietro Francesco Agius De Soldanis’sDamma tal-Kliem Kartaginis mscerred fel fomm tal Maltin u Ghaucin, listing words of Carthagenese oriġin spoken widely across mainland Malta and the island ofGozo.[44] The production of blood sausages in Malta was temporarily halted in 2004 whenMalta joined the European Union, as no adequate machinery was available in the country to ensure that the blood was handled according to EU standards. However, it was reintroduced on the local market in 2024, when appropriate equipment was procured by the state-run slaughterhouse to gather the blood in appropriate sanitary conditions.[44]
InBelgium andthe Netherlands, exist 2 varieties one calledbloedworst and the other is calledbeuling. Bloedworst is a big sausage 4-inch-diameter (100 mm) with white chunks of suet, which is sold in slices of roughly 0.5-inch (13 mm).[45] It is generally pan fried; sometimes apples are cooked alongside or on top of the pieces. It is also eaten with apple sauce, brown sugar, syrup or red cabbage. As acold cut, thin slices are eaten as a sandwich topping. Beuling also calledZwarte pens (as opposed to the white variety that is referred to asWitte pens) are individual blood sausages the size of a banana, the filling of which is uniform.[45] Both are made of blood, from predominantly cows or pigs, sometimes sheep or horse blood are used in specialty products. The blood is mixed with breadcrum, wheat- or potatoflour, or any combination thereof, and fatty parts of the head, belly and organ meat such as lung, tongue, heartmuscle, and spleen.[46]
TheLuxembourgträipen includes green cabbage, and is served pan fried with apple sauce. It was eaten in church in the Middle Ages duringCarnival and is still consumed for breakfast, baked with apples and topped with apple syrup, during Carnival in the Dutch province ofLimburg.[citation needed]
InFrance and Wallonia (south Belgium)boudin noir is traditionally prepared incharcuteries, shops that prepare mainly pork products (and sometimes duck and game), but also sell smoked and driedsausages,pâtés, andterrines, along with prepared salads. It is usually calledboudin noir and is often made with cream with apples or onions as a filler. It is generally served with either cooked apples, mashed potatoes or both, and is appreciated by combining either the apples or mashed potatoes with each bite ofboudin, which has been gently heated and browned in butter. In France also, there are many different regionalBoudins Noirs such as the largeBoudin du Béarn with pork meat pieces usually eaten cold. The FrenchConfrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte-Boudin (Brotherhood of the Knights of Blood Sausage Tasting) inMortagne-au-Perche in southernNormandy holds an annual contest of international blood sausage specialities. Boudin is considered the emblematic staple of theFrench Foreign Legion, and gives its name to the Legion'santhem.
Cross-section of GermanBlutwurst varieties: smoked with meat (left), dried with bacon (right)Austrian Blutwurst, calledBlunze, with pieces of rolls inside
The most common variant ofGermanBlutwurst is made from pork rind, pork blood and regionally different fillers such asbarley. Though already cooked and "ready to eat" it is sometimes served warm, similar to the style in France. In theRhineland, where it is also traditionally made fromhorse meat, friedBlutwurst orFlönz is a constituent of various dishes. In particular inCologne, the traditionalHimmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth) combinesapple sauce, mashed potatoes andBlutwurst served hot on one plate. InBerlin, hotBlutwurst mixed together withliverwurst and potatoes is called "Tote Oma" ("Dead Grandma").
Other German variants areZungenwurst, which isBlutwurst mixed with pieces of pickled ox tongue, andBeutelwurst, which is pressed in a linen or paper bag (Beutel). A variety ofBlutwurst, theRotwurst fromThuringia (Thüringer Rotwurst), hasgeographical indication protection under EU law, withPGI status.Kartoffelwurst (potato sausage) is a post-World War II variety popular in thePalatinate, a reduced fat version ofBlutwurst using potato cubes instead of bacon.
InAustria it is often prepared in a dish known asBlunzngröstl, which consists of pan-fried potatoes and blood sausage. This is usually served with freshly gratedhorseradish.
Many Roman Catholics celebrateMardi Gras, the last day of carnival, (Literally meaningCarne Vale, farewell to Meat in Italian) with rituals involving the blood sausage. For example, in Spain, they celebrate carnival withjudías con morcilla (morcilla is a type of blood sausage) followed by thefuneral of the sardina.[47][48]
Likewise, in Belgium and the Netherlands, the Bloodsausage is a symbol for Carnival (most likely following the invasion of Spain during theEighty Years' War).[49]
François Rabelais inFrance mentions in his "fourth book" (1552) carnavalesque figures calledforest-dwelling Blood-puddings (Saulcis- sons montigènes, Boudins sylvatiques) as a farce representing the Swiss and German Protestants.[50]
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