<strong>Canard a la presse: </strong>Blood is the lynchpin of canard a la presse, the signature dish at <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fottos-restaurant.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Otto's</a> in London. Owner and maitre d' Otto Tepasse estimates he's prepared the dish around 25,000 times, crushing the duck carcass inside a silver press to extract blood, marrow and liquified offal.
Canard a la presse: Blood is the lynchpin of canard a la presse, the signature dish at Otto's in London. Owner and maitre d' Otto Tepasse estimates he's prepared the dish around 25,000 times, crushing the duck carcass inside a silver press to extract blood, marrow and liquified offal.
courtesy Juan Trujillo Andrades
<strong>La Tour d'Argent:</strong> First codified by Parisian restaurant La Tour d'Argent in the 19th century, this extravagant meal is a flamboyant celebration of French haute cuisine. But it's rarely practiced today. Served over three courses, Tepasse is one of a few restauranteurs dedicated to the art of canard a la presse and table-side service.<br /><br /><strong><em>Swipe through the gallery to discover how other food cultures cook with blood. </em></strong>
La Tour d'Argent: First codified by Parisian restaurant La Tour d'Argent in the 19th century, this extravagant meal is a flamboyant celebration of French haute cuisine. But it's rarely practiced today. Served over three courses, Tepasse is one of a few restauranteurs dedicated to the art of canard a la presse and table-side service.

Swipe through the gallery to discover how other food cultures cook with blood.
courtesy Juan Trujillo Andrades
<strong>Bun Bo Hue: </strong>A spicy beef noodle soup harking from the Vietnamese imperial city of Hue (from where it takes its name), Bun Bo Hue is devilishly difficult to make, requiring hours of simmering and a fragrant bunch of herbs to balance its fiery tones. Added at the last minute are cubes of congealed pig's blood, brown or maroon in color and with a texture not dissimilar to tofu.
Bun Bo Hue: A spicy beef noodle soup harking from the Vietnamese imperial city of Hue (from where it takes its name), Bun Bo Hue is devilishly difficult to make, requiring hours of simmering and a fragrant bunch of herbs to balance its fiery tones. Added at the last minute are cubes of congealed pig's blood, brown or maroon in color and with a texture not dissimilar to tofu.
John McDonnell/The Washington Post/Getty Images
<strong>Mustamakkara: </strong>Finnish in origin, Mustamakkara is one of many blood sausages found in Europe. At its best when hot and fresh, the delicacy, made with pig's blood, rye and flour, is usually served with lingonberry sauce.
Mustamakkara: Finnish in origin, Mustamakkara is one of many blood sausages found in Europe. At its best when hot and fresh, the delicacy, made with pig's blood, rye and flour, is usually served with lingonberry sauce.
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<strong>Dinuguan</strong>: Dinuguan is a Filipino stew of pork offal or other meat simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood.
Dinuguan: Dinuguan is a Filipino stew of pork offal or other meat simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood.
Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post/Getty Images
<strong>Sanguinaccio dolce: </strong>Hailing from Naples, Italy, sanguinaccio dolce is pig's blood sweetened with milk and chocolate. Served either set in cakes, ice cream or viscous for dipping, it's often combined with pine nuts or dried fruit. One of the greatest fictional villains, Hannibal Lecter <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMgJY0jPspMw" target="_blank" target="_blank">was partial to sanguinaccio</a> -- of course, he would rather it wasn't made with pig's blood.
Sanguinaccio dolce: Hailing from Naples, Italy, sanguinaccio dolce is pig's blood sweetened with milk and chocolate. Served either set in cakes, ice cream or viscous for dipping, it's often combined with pine nuts or dried fruit. One of the greatest fictional villains, Hannibal Lecter was partial to sanguinaccio -- of course, he would rather it wasn't made with pig's blood.
GiuseppeParisi/iStockphoto/Getty Images
<strong>Duck soup: </strong>Duck blood, sold on the streets of Chongqing Municipality, China. Blood use varies in China, but it's a staple in many soups and stocks in Shanghai and Nanjing, and an example of a modern-day delicacy with modest origins. The other common use is in congealed cubes, as seen in Vietnam.
Duck soup: Duck blood, sold on the streets of Chongqing Municipality, China. Blood use varies in China, but it's a staple in many soups and stocks in Shanghai and Nanjing, and an example of a modern-day delicacy with modest origins. The other common use is in congealed cubes, as seen in Vietnam.
China Photos/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
<strong>Snake blood rice wine:</strong> Jars of snake wine on sale at a snake farm in the village of Zisiqiao in eastern China. Snake blood is sometimes infused into rice wine for its purported aphrodisiac qualities.
Snake blood rice wine: Jars of snake wine on sale at a snake farm in the village of Zisiqiao in eastern China. Snake blood is sometimes infused into rice wine for its purported aphrodisiac qualities.
PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Soondae:</strong> Demonstrating the reach of the blood sausage, the soondae (or sundae) is omnipresent in South Korea. Made with boiled or steamed cow or pig's intestines, it's stuffed with barley, noodles and -- of course -- blood. Travel round the street markets of Seoul and you find many a vendor selling either sliced soondaes or in kebab form.
Soondae: Demonstrating the reach of the blood sausage, the soondae (or sundae) is omnipresent in South Korea. Made with boiled or steamed cow or pig's intestines, it's stuffed with barley, noodles and -- of course -- blood. Travel round the street markets of Seoul and you find many a vendor selling either sliced soondaes or in kebab form.
SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images
<strong>Pepitoria santandereana:</strong> This favorite from Colombia involves combining lamb or goat offal with its blood, grains, rice and curd.
Pepitoria santandereana: This favorite from Colombia involves combining lamb or goat offal with its blood, grains, rice and curd.
Karelman/flckr
<strong>Cobra blood:</strong> In Indonesia, cobra blood, bile and marrow is mixed with honey at the roadside. Young men will roll up to stalls like this in Jakarta and down the potent concoction, said to have libido-boosting properties.
Cobra blood: In Indonesia, cobra blood, bile and marrow is mixed with honey at the roadside. Young men will roll up to stalls like this in Jakarta and down the potent concoction, said to have libido-boosting properties.
ADEK BERRY/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Blood milkshake: </strong>The Samburu, cousins of the Maasai in Kenya, have used the blood of the cattle as nourishment for centuries. Typically the blood is mixed with milk to create a nutrient-rich milkshake.
Blood milkshake: The Samburu, cousins of the Maasai in Kenya, have used the blood of the cattle as nourishment for centuries. Typically the blood is mixed with milk to create a nutrient-rich milkshake.
Eric LAFFORGUE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
<strong>Bodi tribe: </strong>The consumption of raw blood is also practiced by the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, and the Bodi tribe of Ethiopia's Omo Valley (pictured). The blood is tapped from the cow's vein using an arrow. The wound is promptly staunched, resulting in no long-term damage to the animal.
Bodi tribe: The consumption of raw blood is also practiced by the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, and the Bodi tribe of Ethiopia's Omo Valley (pictured). The blood is tapped from the cow's vein using an arrow. The wound is promptly staunched, resulting in no long-term damage to the animal.
Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis/Getty Images