Czernina

For other uses, see Czernina (disambiguation).

Czernina, duck blood soup (in a Dutch cup)

Czernina [t​͡ʂɛrˈɲina] (from czarny "black"; sometimes also Czarnina or Czarna polewka) is a Polish soup made of duck blood (sometimes hen, rabbit or pig blood would be used) and clear poultry broth. In English it can be called "duck blood soup".

Generally the sweet and sour taste of the soup comes from the balance of sugar and vinegar. However, there are hundreds of recipes popular in different parts of Poland and Lithuania. Among the ingredients used are plum or pear syrup, dried pears, plums or cherries, apple vinegar and honey. Like most Polish soups, czernina is usually served with kluski, fine noodles, macaroni, boiled potatoes, or dumplings.

Until the 19th century czernina was also a symbol in Polish culture. It was served to young men applying for the hand of their beloved ones after the parents rejected their proposal. It is a plot element in Pan Tadeusz, a famous Polish epic poem by Adam Mickiewicz.

It is also a regional dish in Kashubia and Poznań.

Czernina is very similar to Swedish svartsoppa.

See also

• Blood as food
• Polish cuisine
• Svartsoppa is a very similar Swedish soup dish, which uses goose blood and is eaten on Saint Martins Eve
• Tiết canh, a Vietnamese dish of raw duck blood
• Duck blood and vermicelli soup