9 food items from around the world that use blood as an ingredient

From charcoal to grounded coffee and blackened garlic, we have seen many weird ingredients find their place in food cultures around the world. But the most unconventional of them all has to be blood. Yes, it might sound revolting to some but blood has been a part of the culinary history in many countries. It has long been used as an ingredient in various food items around the world. Here are 9 out of them...

Blood sausages are made with minced meat and blood that is dried and combined with filler until it becomes thick and solid. The meat and blood coming from goat, duck, sheep, donkey, horse, cow or pig may be used in making these. Different variants of the sausages are available worldwide. In France, they are known as boudin. But they are most popular in America.

Tiết Canh is a traditional preparation of the country which is made with pure duck blood, viscera and duck meat. The freshly extracted blood is mixed with a certain amount of fish sauce to prevent coagulation. Usually, one quart of blood is thinned using five to six teaspoons of fish sauce. The prepared dish is stored in the fridge so that the coagulated state of the blood can remain maintained.

Blood is the last thing on our mind when we think about pancakes. But the Blodplättar sold in Sweden and Finland uses fresh pig blood whipped with onion, flour and some other spices. And it is popular in both countries. It is served with sweet syrup or fruit jam.

Jadoh Snam is a delicacy of the Khasi tribe in Shillong. This is a biryani type dish where they pour in chicken or pork blood while cooking it. Sometimes they might also add pork fat to enhance the taste further.

How can something associated with vegetarianism or veganism make it to this list? That’s what we are all asking! This is a type of Tofu made in China, where fresh blood from pig, chicken or duck is used to darken the colour. The black tofu is supposed to be rich in nutritional value and also has medicinal properties.

Thai Boat Noodles use the blood from pig, duck or goose to darken the colour of the soup. The noodle soup gets it luscious, thick and dark broth from the blood. It is served with noodles loaded with veggies, seafood and meat.

This tasty looking Portugal recipe is cooked with rabbit or chicken meat along with their blood. Using the blood along with the meat is a part of many cultures. Vinegar is also mixed to add savouriness to the curry. It is customarily served with steamed rice.

Dinuguan is a casserole dish made with pork and its blood. It uses garlic, pepper, capsicum, vinegar for flavouring the dish and the blood is well-cooked so the end result is thick and meaty. This one is also typically served with steamed rice.

When it comes to crazy food experiments, the United States is also not far behind. This dish makes blood pancakes look like losers. To improve the texture of the ice-cream and give it a thicker, custard type consistency, pig blood is used in the place of eggs.