The earliest known reference to the Irish practice of consuming blood as food dates back to the epic story of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, or the Cattle Raid of Cooley, in the 1st Century, in which warriors would live bleed animals and drink their warm blood before going into battle. We’ve had so many conversations about what Irish food is on this podcast, but until now, no one has made the case for blood—which may in fact be Ireland’s oldest food. In her new book, Blood, Guts, and Black Pudding: Ireland’s Dying Art of Blood as Food, West Cork-based writer Kate Ryan argues that blood—in the form of black pudding—is the perfect lens through which to understand Irish food culture as a whole.

On this episode of Dyed Green, we speak with Kate about her hopes of “removing the ick factor” around blood as food and changing perceptions of black pudding. We talk about how women have played a vital role in developing unique recipes for black pudding & passing them down through generations; the variety of animal bloods used for puddings and their regional variations; how it is becoming more and more difficult to source fresh blood for puddings; and how Ireland can become a leader in the field of producing blood for food. We also discuss what is lost when our heritage traditions disappear and what we can do to help make sure that doesn’t happen.

Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.

Photo of Kate Ryan by Joleen Cronin.