I‘ll confess, I made a rookie mistake – I forgot to charge my camera battery. The only picture I managed to take before my battery ran out was of a recently slaughtered chicken next to a bowl of its own blood.
Ingredients for today's lunch.
I didn’t get to ask the cook what they intended to do with the blood, but since they went to great lengths to collect it in a bowl post-slaughter, I assume it was incorporated into the meal in some way. While this may sound unappetizing to a lot of readers (especially those in North America), it’s pretty common in other parts of the world — even in Western countries. The Brits are known for their blood sausage and blood pudding. For centuries the Maasai warriors of Kenya have consumed the blood of cows. In Cambodia, where so many are anemic, adding animal blood to the diet makes sense as it’s an excellent source of iron.
I’m spending the 8th day of baseline at a health center to watch the NIPH (National Institute of Public Health) technicians collect more blood samples, but I’m saving the details for a post on the blood collection process. So instead of a recap, check back tomorrow for another special feature!