Sweet and Savory Recipes Using Real Blood

Do you fancy yourself an adventurous gourmand? Are you a daring foodie who loves tasting risky dishes from a variety of cultures? Then you might be interested in the recipes we've found. People across the globe, from Kenya to China to the UK, use the blood of various animals to create gourmet meals. If you have the guts (no pun intended), whip up one of the following recipes and let us know how it tastes! Or if you have any tips on how to make one of these dishes even better, post a comment at the bottom of the page.

Don't forget: blood spoils quickly. Only buy it if you're going to use it that day. Leftovers from blood dishes should be eaten or frozen by the second day. You can purchase blood from most reputable butcher shops, and occasionally from Asian markets.

1. Blood & Milk

The Masai people of Kenya and Tanzania consume a dish made of cow's milk and blood. To obtain the blood they pierce the skin of the cow, drain a small amount, and then allow the wound to heal. You can cook cow's blood with fresh or sour milk.

Ingredients:
Cow's blood
Fresh or sour milk

Directions:

Pour the fresh cow's blood through a sieve, separating it from the clots.

Mix three parts liquid blood to one part fresh milk (or equal parts blood and sour milk).

Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes.

The mixture should thicken like scrambled eggs.

If desired, you can add butter, fried chopped onions, or salt during cooking.

Recipe courtesy of CongoCookbook.com; Photo courtesy of Wildlife-Photo.org

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2. Blood Pudding

Blood pudding, also known as blood sausage or black pudding, is a popular dish around the world, from the UK to Germany (Blutwurst), France (Boudin Noir), Spain (Morcilla), and Korea (Soondae). The dish has been around since ancient Greece, and to this day it is still an essential part of a traditional Irish breakfast. Despite its name, blood pudding is not in fact pudding at all. On the contrary, it is really a type of sausage made from animal blood. The blood is cooked until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled, and then fried. Fillers, such as meat (often pork), fat, oatmeal, and herbs, are often used to help thicken the sausage.

Ingredients:
1 quarter pint of fresh pig's blood
8 oz. bread cut into cubes
1 quarter pint of skimmed milk
1 lb. cooked barley
1 lb. fresh beef suet
8 oz. of fine oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. dried mint

Directions:

Place the bread cubes in the milk and allow them to soak in a warm oven. Note: Do not heat the milk above the temperature of the blood.

As the bread and milk are heating, place the pig's blood in a large bowl.

Pour the warm milk and bread into the bowl of blood.

Stir in the cooked barley.

Grate the beef suet into the mixture.

Stir in the oatmeal.

Season with salt and pepper and mint.

Divide the mixture between two or three large roasting pans. Note: Each pan should not be more than three-quarters full.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, or until the pudding is well cooked all the way through.

Cut the pudding into squares.

Fry the pudding in bacon fat or butter until it is heated all the way through and the outside is crisp.

This recipe should yield about six servings. Keep leftovers in a cold cupboard or fridge.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurean.com; Photo courtesy of I Am a Whole Human Being

Another recipe for blood pudding can be found at Hunter Angler Gardner Cook. It's a hybrid of various European recipes, and it only uses blood as a binder and flavoring agent. If you're a little squeamish about having too much blood in your blood pudding, this recipe might be your best bet.

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3. Blood Tofu

In China, the congealed blood of slaughtered ducks and pigs is used to create a jelly that has a similar consistency to tofu. When an animal is slaughtered, normally by slitting the throat, the blood is collected and then set out in large, one-inch deep trays. In these trays, the blood congeals and solidifies to a jelly-like state. Blood tofu aficionados claim that the texture is soft, silky, and smooth, and that it has a gamey flavor.

Blood tofu is commonly served in small chunks that have been skewered. Prior to consumption, these chunks are often heated up slightly in a hot and spicy soup, or they are added to other dishes, like Congee or Hot Pot, for flavor. Here is a sample recipe that uses blood tofu and minced pork:

Ingredients:
1 clove minced garlic
50 grams minced pork
80 grams pig's blood (coagulated blocks)
1/2 block tofu (cut into chunks)
1/2 cup of water
1.5 tbsp. Chinese black vinegar
Salt
Corn flour slurry (A cold liquid mixed with corn flour until smooth and glossy; used as a thickening agent.)

Directions:

Fry the garlic in a pan over hot oil until fragrant.

Put in the minced pork. Toss to get it cooked evenly.

When the pork is no longer pink in color, toss in the pig's blood blocks. Give them a couple of turns to blend with the pork.

Add the tofu chunks and quickly mix before pouring in 1/2 cup of water.

When the liquid comes to a boil, add salt to taste.

Add the corn flour slurry to thicken the mixture slightly.

Add the vinegar and mix well.

Allow the mixture to come to a slight boil, and then immediately remove from heat and serve. Note: Don't overcook the blood.

Garnish with spring onion.

Recipe courtesy of Kong-Kay 1; Photo courtesy of Ifood.tv

Additional information courtesy of Cultural China

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4. Blood Soup

Blood soup (also known as black soup) is another popular recipe in a variety of countries, including Sweden (Svartsoppa), Poland (Czarnina) and Vietnam (Tiêt Cahn). This is a relatively old dish that dates back to a time when people had to make the most out of every part of a slaughtered animal. The Swedish version of blood soup is traditionally served as a starter dish prior to a meal of roast goose on St. Martin's Day, which occurs in early November.

Directions:

Boil veal broth.

Stir in strained, liquid duck's blood.

Add ingredients to taste, such as: prunes, apples, sugar, ginger, brandy, and sherry.

Allow mixture to simmer and thicken before removing from heat and eating.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Vice Magazine

You can also make thick stews using blood, such as the Filipino Pork Dinuguan (also known as pork blood stew).

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5. Blood Pancakes

Blood pancakes (Veriohukaiset) are traditional Finnish cuisine. They consist of blood, milk, flour, eggs, syrup, and seasonings. If you want to make authentic blood pancakes, then you'll have to get your hands on some reindeer blood. Otherwise, pig's blood will have to do.

Ingredients:

400 ml pig or deer blood
400 ml milk
400 ml barley flour
1 egg
1 tbsp. dark syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of white pepper
Dash of marjoram
Butter (for frying)

Directions:

Mix the blood and milk together in a mixing bowl.

Add the barley flour while constantly stirring.

Add the egg, syrup, and seasonings.

Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

Brown the blood pancake batter on a greased pancake griddle.

Flip the pancake once the blood starts bubbling (2 to 3 minutes on each side).

Serve with lingonberry jam.

Recipe courtesy of FinnGuide; Photo courtesy of Paliskuntain Yhdistys

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6. Blood Bread

Blood bread is another Finnish recipe. Its origins date back to the early days of Finland, when people slaughtered animals just once a year. Back then, the blood was immediately collected and made into dough that was either used to make blood pancakes or loaves of baked, dried bread. If the bread gets too dry, you might have to soak it before eating it.

Ingredients:
3 cups graham flour (Use whole wheat or rye flour if you cannot find graham flour.)
3 cups boiling water
3/4 cup shortening, melted
3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 (0.6 oz.) cakes of compressed fresh yeast
1 quart chicken or pork blood
6 cups medium rye flour
4 cups bread flour

Directions:

In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the graham flour and boiling water until smooth.

Stir in melted shortening, salt, cloves, allspice and yeast.

Mix in blood until well blended

Stir in rye flour and bread flour 1 cup at a time.

Stir until dough no longer sticks to the spoon or the sides of the bowl.

Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough.

Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.

Once the dough has doubled, stir it down and spoon it into six, 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Let the dough rise again until it is doubled in size.

Grease the tops of the loaves.

Bake loaves for 1 hour at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the tops are browned and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.