Chicken and duck blood soup () is a
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
nese soup-based
blood dish, using the blood of
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
and
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
as a principal ingredient. Created by Xu Fuquan, a hawker from Shanghai, and described to be sour and spicy in taste, the dish is viewed as a healthy food with medicinal value in Shanghai.
History
Chicken and duck blood soup was invented by little-known Shanghainese hawker Xu Fuquan, who made the dish by mixing hot chicken and duck blood with the head and feet of a chicken, before boiling it in an iron pot, which he dubbed a "metal cow". In 1973, during his visit to Shanghai, then-
King of Cambodia
The monarchy of Cambodia is the head of state of the Cambodia, Kingdom of Cambodia. In the contemporary period, the King's power has been limited to that of a symbolic figurehead. The monarchy had been in existence since at least 68 AD exce ...
Norodom Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, Norodom Sihanouk filmography, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in vari ...
tried chicken and duck blood soup and reportedly enjoyed the dish a lot, having consumed countless bowls of it.
Preparation and description
The soup is made by boiling the blood of chicken and duck, alongside a handful of chicken organs and other body parts. Chicken and duck blood soup is described as having a sour-spicy taste. The dish is viewed as a healthy food with medicinal value in Shanghai.
Cultural impact
Chicken and duck blood soup is so famous in Shanghai that one source goes on to label it as a cultural icon of the city. It is sold mostly at Shanghai's City God Temple.
Kellie Schmitt of ''
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
'' describes the dish as one of "Shanghai's weirdest foods", although adding that it "tastes better than it looks".
See also
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Czernina
Czernina (pronounced: , from ''czarny'' --- "black"; sometimes also ''czarnina'' or ''czarna polewka --- black soup'', or even "gray borscht", ''barszcz szary'') is a Polish soup made of duck blood and clear poultry broth. Sometimes known as "d ...
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Duck blood and vermicelli soup
Duck blood and vermicelli soup () is a traditional delicacy of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, and is also eaten in other regions of China. A similar dish is eaten in Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania, where it's called ''czernina''.
Legend
Du ...
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Shanghai cuisine
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List of Chinese soups
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List of duck dishes
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List of soups
This is a list of notable soups. Soups have been made since Ancient history, ancient times.
Some soups are served with large chunks of meat or vegetables left in the liquid, while others are served as a broth. A broth is a flavored liquid usua ...
References
{{Soups
Chinese soups
Blood soups
Chinese chicken dishes
Duck dishes
Shanghai cuisine
Food combinations