The Time I Almost Ate Coagulated Blood

Ick. Gross. Oh No! Are you serious?!? Yup, just let it all out!!! It’s okay—I had the same reaction.

Yes, ladies and gents, the above title you’re reading is true. BUT—fear not veggie lovers, and well, actually all Green Grapes Blog (GGB) readers—I did not participate in any Vampire-like activities. Too bad though—I probably would have been really popular with the Twilight crowd …

Right now—I am sure you’re thinking, “My gosh the GGB chick has lost her mind! Why in the world is a healthy living and eating blog posting about blood!?!”

Well—simply because this lil’ tidbit proves a pretty entertaining jaunt, we all can afford to venture from GGB’s normal healthifying chatter–just for a moment–and  savor some crazy nutrition foodie fun (if we can call it that), and I bet you don’t know the nutrition stats on blood pudding– cuz I sure as heck didn’t!  So, actually—we will get some healthifying in there!

Where to Begin?

Well, the other night the boyfriend wanted to have a dining night out on the town—guess he was a tad tired with the usual seasoned veggies in a skillet … so, off we went to try the new Korean restaurant down the street.

As I peered through the menu, I was eager to try the steamed shrimp dumplings with a side seaweed salad and a miso soup—how could I go wrong? Simple, easy, tasty, and nutritious–lean protein from the shrimp, plus antioxidant, vitamin packed seaweed, and satisfying low-cal miso soup! But, then I thought … that’s so BORING! I need to venture out! So … I did …

I ordered the Haejangguk soup also known as “Hangover” or “Morning” soup, as it is a traditional home-style soup eaten after a night of heavy drinking.  The description of this soup was simply put as “beef, vegetables, and cabbage in a light broth.” I thought—hey, some lean meat, chock-full of iron, plus vegetables seems like a pretty safe bet to me, but I am still trying something new! Fabulous. I’ll take it!

Then the Food Came

Minutes later …  my dish arrived. I plunged my chopsticks  into it and dug up a portion of the ocean’s kelp forest. HOLY MOLY– WOWZA! This is what’s wrong with America! We’re eating Pop-Tarts, Corn Flakes, donuts, and gigantic sugary muffins for breakfast, while other countries are devouring vegetables for breakfast!!!

As I prodded further into my bowl, something thick, deep dark brown, and spongy that dissipated small red droplets in the surrounding faint yellow broth appeared. Hmmm … now I rarely eat steak, but I definitely remember that it DOES NOT encompass these descriptives.

Oh geez—what is it? I know I ordered something that’s gonna put a jolt in my curls! What is it? Brains, intestines, tongue?!? I must know!

I kindly ask the waiter and his response is, “oh, that (as pointing to the spongy mass I have dangling off an end of my chopstick)—that’s blood.” I smile, say thank you, and silently feel as though my stomach is about to come up to my throat. Now—if you like this delicacy, good for you, you’re more adventurous than I! But, me, on the other hand, I feel light-headed at any sight of blood—human or animal. So, as you’d imagine it didn’t go over too well.

When all is Paid for, Not Eaten, and Researched

I soon discovered that I had gone against Korean etiquette, as I jabbed my food with chopsticks and declined food offered by an elder (sorry, I didn’t know til now!). BUT, I just couldn’t eat it. Upon my defeated and hungry return home, I Googled this soup while eating Trader Joe’s bloodless Gyoza (so delish!), thinking–is it normal to have blood in there? It wasn’t written on the menu …

Apparently, yes it is. According to my online research, Haejangguk is a thick, spicy, hearty soup made from ox bone broth with soybean paste, vegetables and sometimes ox blood in the form of black pudding. Black pudding? Well, black pudding is a type of sausage made by cooking blood with a filter until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.

Now, being the nutrition geek I am. I needed to know the nutrition 411 on blood pudding … I present you with the down and dirty info: Per 3.5 ounces (a tad more than the size of a deck of cards): 370 calories, 35 grams of fat (53% of your daily value!), 1 gram of Carbohydrate, 15 grams of protein, and surprise, surprise, 36% of your daily iron dose! SO—this soup that I thought was supposedly super healthy isn’t as healthifying as imagined …. the blood pudding packs in A LOT of FAT—maybe that’s what helps ease the queasy stomach the morning after a night on the town.

What’s My Message Here?

Go out, explore, try something new and get cultured—at least you’ll get a good story out of it! And, blood pudding is high in fat. Als0—I dig the fact that Koreans are munching on veggies for breakfast—they’ve got an awesome thing going on!

Lastly, I must make a disclaimer that many, many Korean dishes are healthy, delicious, and nutritious … I just ordered a dish that neither my taste buds nor intestines could handle …  Next time—steamed dumplings here I come! I hear they’re fab!!!

Happy Healthifying!

What’s the CRAZIEST food you’ve ever tried?