Xiangxi Blood-Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumplings

Xiangxi Blood-Stuffed Glutinous Rice Dumplings

　　　If I told you that blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings are made with blood and intestines, would you find it horrifying? A friend from Shanghai responded to me, “The term ‘blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings’ instantly brings to mind the human-blood steamed buns in Lu Xun’s writings, sending chills down my spine—it’s terrifying. I never expected people in Xiangxi to actually eat anything!” Of course, her words had me laughing so hard I had a stomachache—I who love eating these dumplings. Comparing blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings to human-blood steamed buns is probably just the overactive imagination of someone who’s never tried them.

　　To dispel any fears among friends from other regions, I have to take this as a lesson and first fully explain the ingredients and method used to make blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. The blood, of course, is pig’s blood, and the intestines are definitely pig intestines. But if you just use pig intestines and pig blood, that’s called pig blood sausage, which I’ve had in Chenzhou—a dish served to honored guests. Xiangxi doesn’t have pig blood sausage. In Chenzhou, pig blood sausage is made by stuffing pig blood into intestines and then boiling it. It’s usually eaten with the broth, where the fatty intestines turn all white from cooking, but the blood inside remains black. Even though plenty of seasonings are added to the soup, I still detect a hint of bloodiness when eating it—which really is a bit creepy.

　　Xiangxi’s blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings also use pig blood and large intestines, but because they’re meant to be dumplings, the main ingredient is actually glutinous rice. Moreover, Xiangxi’s version is deep-fried until crispy, making it completely different from Chenzhou’s pig blood sausage. Whether in color, aroma, or taste, it’s superior, and the dumplings served on the table are anything but frightening.

　　In addition to blood and intestines, blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings also include glutinous rice. The specific method is to first clean the pig large intestines and set them aside, then wash the glutinous rice. Next, mix the glutinous rice with fresh pig blood and salt until well combined. For a more refined version, you can also add minced meat, pepper powder, chili powder, etc. Then, stuff the blood-glutinous rice mixture into the pig intestines just like making sausages. Be careful not to stuff them too full—account for the fact that the glutinous rice will expand when cooked. Usually, filling them halfway is enough. Then, tie both ends of the pig intestines tightly with cotton thread, and prick the intestines with a needle to allow air to escape. Finally, place the stuffed sections of pig intestines in a pot and steam them until cooked—ready to eat.

　　Generally, people in Xiangxi only make blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings during the Lunar New Year when they slaughter a pig, and they make thirty or forty pounds at a time. This is also related to local customs. Slaughtering the New Year’s pig is a major event for any household, and relatives and friends are invited to enjoy a feast together. Pig blood and intestines are considered offcuts and not presentable, so the host family keeps them for themselves—but they can’t finish them all at once. That’s why they’re all made into blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings. Even if too many dumplings are made and can’t be eaten right away, it’s not a problem. Once the dumplings cool, they harden. Just hang them up with a string and smoke-dry them along with cured meats—they’ll keep indefinitely. When you want to eat them, just steam them again with water, and they’ll taste just as good as freshly made.

　　The best way to enjoy blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings is to slice them thinly, then deep-fry them until fragrant, and stir-fry them with dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and garlic. Although the stir-fried dumplings may look dark red and not particularly appealing, their flavor is numbing, savory, fragrant, soft, spicy, not greasy or sticky, leaving a lingering taste on the lips and teeth—a perfect drinking snack.

　　It’s said that there’s a vivid folk story behind the origin of blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings. It goes that during a standoff between two armies, soldiers prepared to stuff glutinous rice into intestines as rations. But one chef accidentally spilled a basin of pig blood into the glutinous rice. With no other choice, he went ahead and stuffed the blood-mixed glutinous rice into the intestines. Unexpectedly, the resulting ration turned out even tastier. Later, when the army won the battle, the recipe for these blood-stuffed glutinous rice dumplings was passed down.