Morcilla De León

A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used.

In Europe and the Americas, typical fillers include meat, fat, suet, bread, cornmeal, onion, chestnuts, barley, oatmeal and buckwheat. On the Iberian Peninsula and in Latin America and Asia, fillers are often made with rice. Sweet variants with sugar, honey, orange peel and spices are also regional specialties.

In many languages, there is a general term such as ''blood sausage'' (American English) that is used for all sausages that are made from blood, whether or not they include non-animal material such as bread, cereal, and nuts. Sausages that include such material are often referred to with more specific terms, such as ''black pudding'' in English.

Africa

''Mutura'' is a traditional blood sausage dish among the people of central Kenya, although recently its popularity has spread throughout Kenya. It is made with meat, blood, and spices all encased in the animal's intestines or stomach. In Kenya fillers include fresh minced goat, beef, and mutton, fat, and red onions.

Nowadays many types of mutura, especially commercial street food versions, do not contain blood. The meat used in the filling can be any fleshy part, but like any other type of sausage, prime cuts are not ordinarily used for the stuffing. Instead the tougher, leaner cuts – for example the neck – are trimmed off the bone. The casing for the stuffing is the stomach sac and larger intestines. These are flushed many times with water to clean them.

The meat for the stuffing is finely chopped or minced, and the mandatory fat is often trimmed from other parts. The meat is slightly fried, mixed with finely chopped red onions, salt and optionally fresh chili. Other additions include freshly chopped coriander (dhania or cilantro), garlic, pepper and even beef stock. This is then mixed thoroughly with the fresh blood from the animal, and stuffed into the stomach and intestines, with the openings sewn or tied together with string.

The sausage is boiled in a large pot (often with other parts of the animal not roasted and used to make soup) for 30–45 minutes, and roasted over coals till brown. Sliced, it is served with kachumbari, an onion based salad consisting of tomatoes, red onions and fresh coriander, a bit of chili and squeeze of lemon. The accompanying starch is ugali.

Americas

North America

Caribbean

In Antigua, rice pudding is a local delicacy and it is prepared the same way as blood sausage.

In Barbados, blood sausage, also called pudding, is made with sweet potato (''batata''), pig's blood and onions, seasoned with peppers and other herbs and stuffed in pig intestines. Traditionally pig's blood was used to darken the mixture but Browning sauce (caramelized sugar) is sometimes used as a substitute. It is normally served with ''souse'', which is pickled pig's feet, pig's ears and other trimmings. The cooked meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and soaked in a brine made of water, lime juice, cucumbers, hot pepper, and specially prepared seasonings. Blood sausage and souse, more commonly known as pudding and souse, is a Bajan delicacy usually prepared on weekends and special occasions.

In the French Antilles, ''boudin créole'', or ''boudin antillais'' is very popular, this being the French ''boudin noir'' with local Caribbean chilli and other spices.

In Puerto Rico, blood sausage is known as ''morcilla''. Puerto Rican blood sausage is made with rice, culantro, cilantro, garlic, and Cubanelle pepper. Some contain paprika and annatto. Morcilla is especially popular during Christmas.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the local style of blood sausage is heavily seasoned with local peppers and traditionally prepared from pig's blood, often replaced by pig's liver today. It is sold by local producers as a popular accompaniment to rolls of crusty hops bread or served as an accompaniment to ''trotter souse'', a stew based on trotters.

Other varieties of blood sausage include ''boudin rouge'' (Creole and Cajun), ''rellena'' or '' moronga'' ( Mexico) and ''sanganel'' ( Friuli).

Central America

In Panama, blood sausage is called ''morcilla'', ''rellena'' or ''tubería negra'', and is usually filled with rice. In El Salvador and Nicaragua, it is called "moronga".In Honduras both " moronga " and "morcilla" are used.

Mexico

In the Yucatán Peninsula, ''morcilla'' is made exclusively from pig's blood and once deep fried it is served with a mix of pickled onions, cilantro and spices. It is always consumed in the form of tacos and paired with fresh habanero peppers.

In Central Mexico, ''morcilla'' is known as '' moronga''.

United States

Blood sausages are very difficult to find in US supermarkets. Brussels and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin are both home to local grocers who produce blood sausage, due to their large Belgian American populations. Supermarkets throughout Maine also carry locally produced blood pudding due to the state's large French Canadian population. In southeastern Michigan, Polish-style '' kaszanka'' can be found in supermarkets throughout the year and is very popular.

An Italian-American version of blood sausage in the San Francisco Bay Area is called ''biroldo'' and has pine nuts, raisins, spices, and pig snouts and is made using either pig's or cow's blood. German-style blood sausage and Zungenwurst can be found in Fresno and Santa Rosa, where Russian and Armenian delis offer a wide range of Central European foods. Also, Alpine Village in Torrance, California has Blutwurst due to a considerable German-American population in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County.

Cajun '' boudin'' is a fresh sausage made with green onions, pork, pork liver (making it somewhat gritty or grainy), and rice. Pig's blood was sometimes added to produce ''boudin rouge'', but this tradition became increasingly rare after the mid-twentieth century due to the decline of the ''boucherie'' (traditional communal butchering) and government health regulations prohibiting the transportation of raw blood. As a result, Cajun ''boudin'' is now usually made without blood; however, blood or "black" ''boudin'' can still be purchased.

Latin America

In many areas of Latin America, ''morcilla'' is served. ''Morcilla'' is sometimes made with a filler of rice and/or onions, and seasoned with paprika and other spices. In Puerto Rico, it is served fried and mostly consumed during the holidays. In Colombia, ''morcilla'' can have rice, green peas, cilantro or culantro, and is often eaten as an appetizer called "picada" or with the traditional dishes "Bandeja Paisa" or "Fritanga". In Venezuela, ''morcilla'' is often served with ''parrilla'' (barbecue).

South America

Andean

In Ecuador and Bolivia the blood sausage is also called ''morcilla'', and is usually filled with rice.
Colombia

Argentina, Uruguay

''Morcilla'' is also eaten inside a sandwich called "morcipán", especially in the Río de la Plata. ''Morcilla'' is a component of the '' asado criollo'', a regional mixed grill or barbecue meal. In Uruguay and in Argentina, a sweet version including raisins and pine nuts is popular; some vendors even add chocolate, caramelised orange peels, peanuts, and other dried fruits. Uruguayans usually are fond of sweet or salty ''morcilla'', and most restaurants and supermarkets carry both versions.

Brazil

In Brazil there is a version of the blood sausage called ''chouriço'' or ''morcela'' (sometimes the Castillian Spanish version ''morcilla'' is used as well), consisting of a fresh sausage made of the blood and fat from pork and usually rice. It is a variation of the Portuguese blood sausage, and it is known for its deep dark color. In some regions, it is popular on barbecues (''Churrascos'') as a starter.

Chile

In Chile, the blood sausage is called "prieta" (a synonym of "negra", black) and tends to have a very thick skin, so is eaten cut open lengthwise. Apart from blood and a little fat, "prietas" may contain a variety of ingredients, such as chopped onion and spices, cabbage, peppers, watercress, rice, meat or even dried fruit or nuts. "Prietas" or "morcillas" are part of the Chilote tradition of "''reitimiento''" involving the slaughter and preparation of a pig.

Prietas are easily found at supermarkets throughout the country and are available from practically any butcher.

Guianas

In Guyana, blood sausage is a very popular snack served at social occasions, and as "cutters" when drinking. The main ingredient is cooked rice seasoned with herbs, such as thyme and basil. The rice is mixed with cow's blood, stuffed into cow's or pig's intestine, and boiled until firm, sliced and served with Sour (a mild type of dipping sauce with hot peppers). White pudding is also made.

In Suriname, blood sausage is known by the Dutch name ''bloedworst'', and white pudding by the equally Dutch name ''vleesworst''.

Asia

Across Asia, various people create food from congealed animal blood. Most of these food types do not have casings and might be considered a version of sliced sausage.

East Asia

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the dish closest to blood sausage is pig blood curd, which is only made from pig's blood and is not considered a sausage.

Korea

The majority of Korea's ''sundae'' (순대) can be categorised as blood sausage. The most common type of ''sundae'' is made of sweet potato noodle (''dangmyeon''), barley, and pig's blood, but some variants contain sesame leaves, green onion, fermented soy paste ('' doenjang''), sweet rice, kimchi, and bean sprouts, in addition to the common ingredients. The Korean sundae is wrapped with pig's intestines. The addition of sweet potato noodle is a more modern addition to the dish. There is another Korean food called ''seonji'' which is cow blood that has been boiled in soup. It looks like the Blodpudding of Sweden.

Manchuria and China

In Chinese cuisines, whole coagulated blood is fried or steamed as a snack or cooked in a hot pot. In mainland China, "blood tofu" (), or "red tofu" (), is most often made with pig's or duck's blood. Like the above dishes, this has no casing but is simply cut into rectangular pieces and cooked. In Northeast China, the "blood sausage" was a traditional food which is cooked with sheep or goat blood. In Tibet, congealed yak's blood is a traditional food. Chinese people also used pig blood curd that was consumed by laborers in Kaifeng over 1,000 years ago in the south of China.

Mongolia

Blood sausage is popular in Mongolia. In Mongolia a special method of killing sheep was made mandatory by Genghis Khan to save blood for sausage. It appears in the Yasa and is still used today.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, "pig's blood cake" () or " rice blood cake"(), made of pork blood and sticky rice, is served on a popsicle stick; this is a very popular snack at local night markets.

Tibet

In Tibetan cuisine, sausages or ''gyurma'' refer to blood sausages and are made with yak or sheep's blood which may or may not include either rice or roasted barley flour as filler. The sausage uses natural casing employing the use of yak or sheep's intestine.

Southeast Asia

Indonesia

In Bali, ''Urutan'' is a version of blood sausage made with pork intestine and pork blood. It is served with rice.

Another version in Java called ''saren'' or ''marus'', is made with chicken's blood and usually cut into small cube pieces.

In Sumatra, '' Kidu-Kidu '' is a Batak sausage dish made from pork intestines, served with sauce made from pork's blood and spices such as andaliman pepper.

Malaysia

In Penang or other northern states, pig blood curd (known locally in Penang Hokkien as "too huet"; ) is usually served with the local street delicacy Curry Mee (curry noodles). It can also be mixed with some traditional Hokkien dishes as well.

Philippines

Blood sausage is known generically as ''longganisang dugo'' (lit. "blood longaniza") in the Philippines. A notable type of native pre-colonial blood sausage is '' pinuneg'', which is composed of minced pork and innards in a pork casing made from large intestines that is prepared in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the Philippines.

Thailand

In Thai cuisine ''sai krok lueat'' (Thai: ไส้กรอกเลือด) is a blood sausage ( th, sai krok = sausage, th, lueat = blood), often served sliced and accompanied by a spicy dipping sauce. "Blood tofu" is simply called ''lueat'' ( th, เลือด, blood) in Thailand. This can be used in many Thai dishes such as in noodle soups, Thai curries, or as an addition to certain rice dishes such as Khao man kai.

Vietnam

Vietnamese 'dồi tiết' (Northern) or 'dồi huyết' (Southern) is blood sausage, boiled or fried, made with pork blood, pork fat and basil.

South Asia

India

In Meghalayan cuisine, ''doh snam'' is type of blood sausage made from pork intestine with local spices and ingredients.

Nepal

In Limbu cuisine, ''sargemba'' or ''sargyangma'' is a type of blood sausage made mostly from pork intestines, pork fat, rice and ''yangben'', a type of edible wild lichen.Noyoz
''The Nepali Times'', 18-24 Jan 2013Subba, J. (2008) ''History, Culture and Customs of Sikkim'', Gyan, p.133

Europe

Central and Eastern Europe

Throughout Central and Eastern Europe, blood sausage, known as '' kishka'' (meaning "intestine"), is made with pig's blood and buckwheat kasha. It is also known in Russia as ''krovyanka'' (кровянка), or ''krovyanaya kolbasa'' (кровяная колбаса, literally "blood sausage"), and includes buckwheat as a main filler, instead of oats or oatmeal. In Ukraine it's called ''krov'yanka'' (кров'янка) or ''kryvava kyshka'' (кривава кишка), and ''kiszka'' or '' kaszanka'' in Poland; '' krvavnička'' in Slovakia and '' krupniok'' in Silesia. Polish '' salceson'' ("black" and " Brunszwicki") are a type of head cheese ("brawn") that contains blood. In Hungary, ''véres hurka'' is typically made with pig's blood and barleycorn or cubed bread (typically zsemle) as filler as such also known as ''zsemlés hurka'' and ''gerslis hurka''. In Bulgaria, ''karvavitsa'' (кървавица) is usually prepared with pig's blood, fat and a variety of mountain herbs and spices and eaten warm during the winter.

In Romania, the traditional ''sângerete'' (from ''sânge'', "blood" in Romanian) is made from shoulder butt pork meat, pork blood and a filler such as pre-boiled rice seasoned with pepper, garlic and basil. It has many regional variants, but the most common are the ''sângerete'' from Transylvania.

Similarly, in Czech cuisine, ''jelito'' is made from second-rate pork, pig's blood and peeled barley; the stuffing served by itself, unformed, is called ''prejt''.

Northern Europe

Denmark

In Denmark, ''blodpølse'' is made from pigs's blood and suet, rye flour, brown sugar, raisins, salt, cinnamon and cardamom stuffed into natural or artificial intestines. It is usually boiled in its skin, eaten hot or cold, sometimes sliced and fried, served with syrup, cinnamon and stewed apples.

Estonia

In Estonia, ''verivorst'' (blood sausage) is made of pig's blood, barley groats, pork, marjoram and other flavourings. It is sold and eaten mostly in winter, being a traditional Christmas food. At that time there is a large variety of ''verivorst'' in stores, ranging in shapes and sizes. ''Verivorst'' is usually cooked in an oven, but sometimes also fried in a pan. ''Verivorst'' is often eaten together with lingonberry jam, but occasionally also with butter or sour cream. Another similar dish is called ''verikäkk'' ( black pudding, or blood dumpling, depending on the shape). The popularity of ''verikäkk'' has decreased during the past decades (possibly because of its less appealing commercial appearance) and has mostly been substituted by ''verivorst''.

Finland

''Mustamakkara'' (literally "black sausage") is a roasted sausage containing pig's blood and very similar to Estonian ''verivorst''. The sausage is said to originate from Tampere and is considered an integral part of the city's culture.

A dish similar to the British black pudding is also made by making batter out of pig's blood and baking it like pancakes. Traditionally, rye flour or oatmeal is used and minced onion is added to the mix. This dish is called ''veriohukainen'' or ''verilettu'' (blood pancake). ''Rössypottu'' is a traditional soup in northern Finland with blood pudding as a main ingredient.

Most blood sausage dishes in Finland are often eaten with lingonberry jam to sweeten the taste.

Iceland

In Iceland, ''blóðmör'' is one of two types of ''slátur''. It is made from lamb's blood and suet, rye flour and oats, traditionally stuffed into pouches sewn from the lamb's stomach. It is usually boiled in its skin, eaten hot or cold, sometimes sliced and fried. After cooking, it is often preserved in fermented whey and acquires a distinct sour taste.

Latvia

In Latvia, blood sausage is either called ''asinsdesa'' (blood sausage) or ''putraimu desa'' (groat sausage) because of the added barley groats. It usually served with lingonberry jam and sour cream.

Sweden

''Blodpudding'' is a traditional medieval dish still popular in Sweden. The exact proportions and ingredients vary, partly according to regional preference, but generally it is made from pig's blood, milk, rye or barley flour, diced lard, either beer or ''svagdricka'', treacle and onion, flavoured with allspice and marjoram. It is then poured into forms and oven-baked in a waterbath. Most of the ''blodpudding'' consumed today is made on industrial basis.

When prepared for serving, it is sliced and fried. The style of serving and accompaniments vary across the country, and it is not uncommon to have the ''blodpudding'' act as the meat in a meal. Nationally, the common way is to serve it with lingonberry jam, grated carrots and ice cold milk to drink. Fried bacon or pork side is also common. In Scania, the lingonberry jam is often replaced by finely sliced apples, fried along with the pork.

Other blood-based foods include ''blodkorv'' (blood sausage) which differs from ''blodpudding'' by having raisins, pork tallow and apple sauce in it, ''blodplättar'' (blood pancakes, similar to the original Finnish dish ''veriohukainen'' above) and '' blodpalt''. There is also a soup made from blood, called ''svartsoppa'' (black soup).

Southern Europe

Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Slovenia

A similar blood sausage to ''karvavitsa'', called ''krvavica'' (крвавица), made out of similar ingredients, is eaten in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia in wintertime, usually with sauerkraut and potatoes.

Italy

In Italy, regional varieties of blood sausage are known as ''sanguinaccio''. In Tuscany, ''buristo'' is a sausage made with pig's blood and fat cooked in a pig's stomach. It is not reheated and is often spread on bread. It is found only in the south of Tuscany in the winter months and even there it can be difficult to come by. ''Biroldo'' is another type of black pudding which can be found in Tuscany, while the version made in southern Lombardy is called '' marsapan''.

''Migliaccio'' is a black pudding that is traditionally prepared in winter in Romagna. It is a sweet pudding with a thick black filling made with pig's blood, sugar, breadcrumbs, almonds, chocolate, butter and spices contained in a thin pastry crust. A similar pudding is made throughout southern Italy, generally called ''sanguinaccio''.

Portugal

In Portuguese cuisine, there are many varieties of blood sausage. Sausages made of blood are usually called ''morcela'' or ''negrinha'' (a slang term from Portuguese ''negro'' meaning dark or black). There are many varieties around the Portuguese world. There are varieties local to mainland Portugal, the Azores, Hawaii, China, US and India, etc.

Spain

Spanish ''morcilla'' has many variants. The most well-known and widespread is ''morcilla de Burgos'' which contains mainly pork blood and fat, rice, onions, and salt, and is produced in two varieties: cylindrical and gut-shaped. In Albacete and La Mancha, the ''morcilla'' is filled with onions instead of rice, which completely changes the texture. In Extremadura the creamy ''morcilla patatera'' includes roughly mashed potatoes. In the northern regions and the Canary Islands there is a sweet variety known as ''morcilla dulce''. Other varieties introduce breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and almonds, and vary the proportions of the other ingredients or flavourings, some of them considered delicacies.

There are other similarly famous kinds being made at Asturias (slightly darker and smaller, used for bean and chickpea stews) and León (without rice, grilled & spread on toasted bread). Other less popular varieties may add cumin