What Is Blood Soup?

Blood soup is any type of soup that uses animal blood as a main ingredient. Restaurants in many parts of Europe and Asia have several types of blood soup on their menus. Some popular varieties of the dish include duck blood soup and Dinuguan, a pig's blood recipe that hails from the Philippines. This kind of soup is not commonly served in America.

Czernina, also known as duck blood soup, is a traditional Polish dish. The two main ingredients of the soup are poultry broth and duck blood. Vinegar is often added to the broth to enhance its taste. There are many variations of the soup, and extras that can be added to the broth to make a hardy dish include potato dumplings, noodles and raisins.

Dinuguan is a staple food of the Philippines. This blood soup has a thicker consistency and can be considered more stew-like than Czernina. Blood sausage and pig's blood are the two main components of this soup. Garlic, onions and black pepper are often used to season the soup. Steamed rice cakes called puto are served as an accompaniment for dipping.

England is home to black pudding. Black pudding is not a dessert but a mixture of onions, pig's blood and animal fat squeezed into a sausage casing. The food can be eaten on its own for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pieces of black pudding also can be added to blood soup. Americans who enjoy this food may have trouble finding it in local grocery stores but should have better luck ordering it on the Internet.

Pig's organ soup is a popular dish eaten in China, Singapore and Malaysia. Animal blood is one major component of the dish. The soup is enhanced by also including the pig's tongue, intestines and liver in the broth. Tofu, vegetables and eggs can be served as side dishes to this type of blood soup.

Ducks and pigs are not the only animals that have blood that is considered useful when making soup. The Mexican culture is known for Fritada, a goat blood soup. An alternate version of the soup can be made using lamb's blood. The heart, liver and pancreas of the animal are used to make the soup. The practice of making and eating blood soups dates back to the 18th century, when food was scarce and no part of an animal was to be wasted.