Updated on 13 October 2026. The original 2008 post is kept below.
Meet tiết canh
The dish in the photo is tiết canh, a Vietnamese raw blood pudding. It’s not really a soup. Fresh duck (or pig) blood is mixed with a little fish sauce so it doesn’t clot too early, poured over chopped cooked meat and gizzards, and topped with peanuts and herbs. The blood sets into a soft jelly, and it’s eaten cold, often with a glass of rice wine and a side of good luck.
The catch is food safety. Raw blood, especially pig’s blood, can carry bacteria such as Streptococcus, and infections from eating raw blood pudding can be severe and even fatal. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has repeatedly urged people not to eat it, especially pig blood pudding.
Tiết canh can also be made from goose, goat or pig blood, and duck is the most popular. In Vietnam, eating it is linked with good fortune, which makes it a slightly risky lucky charm. So yes, it’s best served fresh. Even better, admired from a safe distance.
More blood and soup: bat soup and balut.
From the 2008 original
If you are into really disgusting delicacies (which I guess you are, since you are here), then here’s a true treat for you! Vietnamese duck blood soup is best served fresh. In fact, the soup consists of only raw, uncooked duck blood, which is normally flavoured with ginger and some vegetables. Quick, fresh and supposedly very tasty. Yummy!
Source: www.odditycentral.com
