Hematogen - Weird Russian candy bar laced with... cow's blood

For a long time, products made in Russia have always been practical for users. In the case of Hematogen, the strange ingredient of this candy is said to help people eat it to treat anemia, malnutrition and fatigue.

Hematogen is a nutritious food loved by both children and adults. This candy has a sweet chocolate vanilla flavor with health benefits.

A Hematogen Bar.

Initially, Hematogen was only sold in pharmacies but can now be found in many stores in the countries of the former Soviet Union such as Russia and Ukraine etc. , even in the US and Canada. You can even order them on Amazon.

Ingredients with bovine blood

The first version of Hematogen was produced in 1890 in Switzerland. Back then, it was a mixture of cow blood and egg yolk. This first version was called "Gomel's Hematogen".

But in the 1920s, Soviet manufacturers adapted the recipe to suit their needs. They use Hematogen as a military food because of its advantages of compactness, ease of storage, attractive taste and high nutritional content.

Over time, because of the sweetness of the chocolate vanilla flavor, Hematogen has become a popular dish.

Hematogen is a food with a very appealing taste.

The hemoglobin bars that make up Hematogen are usually supplied from the slaughterhouses themselves. Europeans do not have the habit of cooking dishes from cow's blood, so the use of them in the candy making process is quite unique.

Hematogen production takes about 24 hours. First, condensed milk, sugar, glucose syrup and vanilla, chocolate are mixed together. The mixture is then allowed to cool because adding cow's blood while the mixture is still hot will cause it to solidify. The next day, the blood-stained gummy mix is ​​rolled into bars and packaged.

Contrary to what many foreigners think, most people in Russia are well aware that Hematogen bars contain bovine blood, but there is no stigma involved. The iron-rich dish is delicious, and helps to treat anemia of young children and pregnant women, as well as speed up the recovery of wounded soldiers.

Due to its high iron content, the Hematogen bar leaves a strange metallic aftertaste in the mouth of the eater, which is also the unusually addictive point of this candy. However, Hematogen is also recommended not to eat too much because each candy bar contains a high amount of sugar.

Today's hematogen is no longer the same as the original because current manufacturers have used powdered blood instead of real blood, but their taste still brings back many old memories with those who have eaten.