20 Apr The Allure and Benefits of Mao Xue Wang
Westerners have come to love many Chinese dishes over the years such as Kung Pao chicken and chow mein. However, Mao Xue Wang is not one of those dishes. Although many Westerners would find its ingredients distasteful, the dish remains hugely popular in China where it originated.
What is Mao Xue Wang, and How Did It Originate?
This dish combines blood curd from a duck, tripe, and chicken gizzards along with other organs into a simmered broth containing chilis and peppercorns. People who enjoy eating Mao Xue Wang appreciate it for the different textures it features. For example, the blood curd is silkyand the chicken gizzard and tripe are crunchy.
As with the origins of many Chinese dishes, the story of Mao Xue Wang is likely part truth and part legend. The part that is definitely true is that China experienced food scarcity in the 1940s due to ongoing armed conflict. Wanting to help his countrymen, a butcher with the last name of Wang began selling the scraps and innards from his butcher shop at extremely low and affordable prices.
According to stories passed down through the generations, Mr. Wang’s wife who had the surname Zhang suggested that he put the butcher scraps into a soup rather than sell them separately. They soon discovered that the broth was delicious. Not long after, Zhang accidentally put duck blood curd into the soup broth only to learn that it tasted even better.
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Dish on the post: Mao…Posted by Z & Y Restaurant on Monday, March 8, 2021
Mao Xue Wang Not the Only Food in China to Contain Animal Blood
The Chinese have several other favorite foods that contain animal blood besides this popular soup. Examples include:
- You may see “blood cake” on a menu, which is a rice cake containing blood from pigs
- There’s also “blood sausage,” made from a combination of animal blood and meat
- “Blood tofu” contains the congealed blood of a duck, pig, cow, or chicken
Animal blood used as a food ingredient always go through a filtration process first. Cooks also add salt and allow the blood to congeal for several hours before using it as a food ingredient. Duck blood tofu is a common appetizer served in squares that somewhat resemble brownies in the United States. Some restaurants serve the appetizer with hot soup as a dipping sauce.
The popularity of these types of meals has brought out people who attempt to sell fake blood in the Chinese marketplace. This is especially common with duck blood tofu. The fraudulent sellers add harmful ingredients to make the duck blood look authentic.
One of the toxic ingredients is formaldehyde that damages the nerves, kidneys, and liver. Fraudsters choose formaldehyde because it makes animal blood thicker and allows it to have a longer shelf life. Unfortunately, they have no regard for the people harmed by their actions.
Mao XueWang Easy to Make for Beginners
People do not have to go to a restaurant to enjoy this Chinese delicacy if they have all the ingredients they need to make it at home. Other ingredients required besides those already mentioned include ham, bean sprouts, oil, dried chili, sesame seeds, parsley, and hot and sour sauce. The soup takes minutes to prepare and is ready to eat immediately after allowing just a few minutes for the broth to cool.
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