Animal Blood as Food

All over the world animal blood is often used in preparation of different dishes. Blood sausage or black pudding exists in various European and Latin American countries. During preparation of these sausages pig or cattle blood is mixed with other ingredients such as meat, bread, rice, barley etc.

In Scandinavian and Baltic countries people use blood in certain types of pancakes. In Sweden they are called blodplättar. The Finns call them veriohukainen. Those Estonian ones are known as veripannkoogid.

Svartsoppa Svartsoppa

Some people enjoy blood as the ingredient in soups or stews. In the province of Scania located in the south of Sweden people prepare the svartsoppa ("black soup"). Its basic ingredient is goose blood. Pig blood is also sometimes used. This soup and goose meat are traditionally consumed on the Saint Martin's Eve, 10th of November. It is part of local Saint Martin celebration or as it is said in Swedish the Mårtens gås.

Czerina (czarnina, czarna polweka) is the Polish soup made of duck blood. The soup also includes ingredients such as dried plums, pears,cherries and honey. It combines sweet and sour taste. Boiled potatoes, noodles or dumplings are served in the soup. In the past man whose proposal finished badly was served the Czerina.

Blood can be used as the thickener in various sauces and puddings. Good example for this is the Vietnamese dish called Tiết canh which includes duck blood and duck meat.

Tiết canh Tiết canh

In some European countries the pig slaughtering is a popular feast. In Hungary people sometimes have fried pig blood and onions for their breakfast. In some societies using of raw blood is quite common. Such blood is usually part of certain drinks and dishes. The Inuits consume seal blood. The African Maasai people drink cattle blood. They take little bit of animal blood without killing the animal. The blood is traditionally drank at special occasion like for example the birth of a child.

Judaism, Islam and certain Christian churches forbid the use of blood in preparation of dishes.