Czernina


Czernina is a Polish soup made of duck blood and clear poultry broth. Sometimes known as "duck soup", hen, rabbit or pig blood can also be used. In English it can be called "duck blood soup".

Flavours

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, Belarus 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.

Symbol

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. If the suitor was accepted he would be served black czernina along with the rest of the family. If not, he would be served a bowl of golden czernina, made without the duck's blood, as a symbolic rejection of 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, Masuria and Poznań.
Czernina is very similar to Swedish svartsoppa.