Blood as Food

There's a scene early in The Name of the Rose involving barrels of pigs' blood. It was autumn, and time to slaughter the pigs, but of course you wouldn't want to waste the blood.You could not, however, just let the blood pour into a container and sit, because it coagulates quickly and becomes unusable. If you intend to try any recipes using fresh blood, remember that you must immediately stir the fresh blood constantly while it cools (if you've ever made a hollandaise, you'll know how tedious this can be).Vinegar or wine could also be added to the blood. The acidity in them lowered the pH and slowed bacterial growth, keeping the blood smooth. (Consider this site if you want modern pointers on this process.) None of this is unusual for cultures that used every part of an animal. Blood was a rich source of protein as well as flavoring.As for the actual use of the preserved blood? It acts as a binder, and could be used to give texture to a broth. It could also thicken a sauce, but blood…