ESCAPE BLOG

Blood is a fluid that consists of plasma, red & white blood cells and platelets that is circulated by the heart through arteries and veins, carrying oxygen and nutrients to and waste materials away from all body tissues.

Phew! After that long description (thanks to the dictionary), who would want to eat anything with blood in it!

Well, a lot of people do. I do.

In my native Philippines, one of my favorite local dish is called Dinuguan. The term is derived from the Filipino word “dugo” which literally means blood. Dinuguan is cooked with pigs blood, pork meat, entrails, jalapeno and vinegar.

Some would feel squeamish at the thought of eating this with rice. I can’t blame you. If I am faced with a foreign meal that is colored black, I would have my doubts, too.

Well, you’d be surprised to know that there are even more cultures that DO include blood (not human, of course) when they cook food. In China and Vietnam, they also eat coagulated blood of pigs, ducks or geese. In Kenya, Camel bood is drunk. In Tanzania, cow’s blood is mixed with milk.

You’d be even more surprised to know that eating blood is not exclusive to the above mentioned exotic places. Some westerners eat them, too.

In the UK, Ireland and Canada, they have blood sausage which they also call black pudding. These blood sausages are also present in France (boudin noir), Iceland (blóðmör), Portugal (morcela), Finland (mustamakkara) and Germany (blutwurst), among others.

Too squeamish? Or if your religion (Judaism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witness) forbids you to drink blood or eat food made with blood then, it would be best to ask before you start eating. Be warned!

photo source