Steamed Blood

The back cover of the book 'A Taste Of Uganda - recipes for tradtional dishes' promises a book full of delights, and that both Ugandans and foreigners are to be surprised at the sheer quantity of local recipes. It also says that cooks will welcome it, gourmets will be excited and that every lover of food will want to taste the dishes.

I think that is quite an overexcited statement. I lost my motivation on page 85 when I found this recipe on how to cook a dish called 'steamed blood':

• ½ litre of blood
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Drain the plasma from the solid blood. Add salt. Place the blood in a metallic container with a cover or wrap in a banana leaf. Steam for 30 minutes. Cut in nice dices and serve as a side dish.

Seen through the eyes of a Dane, who fancy eating the grilled skin or cooked brain of a pig for Christmas; and who many times have shared a table with Icelandic relatives eating the testicles of a sheep pickled in sour milk - I should leave it to the Ugandans. I have to say though that this is the most simple recipe I have come across in a long time, nutricious, contains iron, little preparation and few dishes to do.

And then I haven't even mentioned the 'White ant relish' or the 'Blood in onions and tomatoes'...Makes you wonder what's in the Ugandan version of a 'bloody mary'...?