I ate pig blood last night.

I had to say it out loud somewhere, and something tells me it wouldn't be a good idea to post about it on the dinner blog on TheNest.com (where I'm blogging about food and cooking for newlyweds).

But about that blood. It was served with bits of tripe, soft tofu and pickled-tasting veggies in a spicy, broth-y szechuan sauce. I think the dish is called "chang wang". 

The blood was congealed and sliced into small, square slabs. It looked like liver. It tasted like liver. If someone had told me it was liver instead of blood, I probably would've eaten more. But I think the two slices I ate sufficed.

Although I have a long way to go, I'm slowly building my repertoire of consumed innards and bits. I've had sweetbreads (at the now defunct Longbranch restaurant in Abita Springs, LA) and plenty of tripe in menudo. Lots and lots of liver. Braised oxtail ravioli. Tongue tacos. Head cheese. Beef heart. I've nibbled  a chicken foot. (I don't care how many times I'm told it's a delicacy...chicken feet are really not tasty.) I know my list pales compared to the likes of Anthony Bourdain (pulsing cobra heart, anyone?), but it's not a competition. It's a personal challenge. I think the eyeball taco at the Maxwell St. market may be next on my list.

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[Sarah Fisch]

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