Hungry for Blood in Chad

After high food prices affected most of the world, a blood-based dish known as 'Vampire' is making a comeback in Chad, a country whose Global Hunger Index is "Alarming."

The BBC reported today that the dish known in Chad as 'Vampire' is making a comeback, primarily because of the affordability of the blood. The blood is cooked, and is an excellent source of nutrition. Chad is ranked as the world's 5th poorest country. Blood used to be a substantial part of the human diet, used all around the world. Most notably, you will find blood as ingredients in fine French cuisine these days. In Africa, many peoples have subsisted by drinking fresh blood. Chad, a country consisting of both arid and tropical climate regions, has a population of 9 million people. The country is not politically stable, and there are travel advisories, as all areas of the country are subject to violence and civil unrest. Food prices have risen drastically around the world, but the effects of higher prices have been hardest on people in developing nations. The United Nations Food and Agriculture agency, reported earlier this year that high prices for cereals in Africa persist -- even though there has been an increase in supply -- and a decline in international food prices. Response to the food crisis in Africa from the United Nations has included providing people with seeds and fertilizer to enable agricultural production, as well as providing emergency food supplies, among other actions.