All about Dồi Tiết

Fact: In Vietnam, Southerners make dồi tiết using the small intestine for the casing layer, while the Northern people often use the large intestine.

#100 in Vietnam

Dồi Tiết: Basic Information

Pronunciation

/doy tiet/ or
/doy hwee-et/

Alternative Name(s)

Dồi huyết

Dish Type

Steamed dishes, grilled and barbecued dishes

Course

Main course, appetizer

Mealtime

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Dồi Tiết: Origin and Region

Origin

Vietnam

Continent’s Region

Southeast Asia

Country’s Region

Nationwide Origin

Associated Region

Unspecified

Popular Dồi Tiết Variations

Dồi Lợn (Heo)

Dồi Chó

Dồi Sụn

Dồi Lươn

Dồi Rắn

Dồi Cổ Vịt (Ngan Or Ngỗng)

Dồi Tiết: Ingredients and Preparation

Main Ingredients

Animal intestines (typically pork), blood, herbs

Main Cooking Method

Steaming or grilling

Preparation Process

Intestines are stuffed with a mixture of blood, herbs, seasonings, mung beans, and fish sauce, then steamed.

Dồi Tiết: A Deep Dive

Cultural Significance

A traditional Vietnamese delicacy

Taste

Savory

Texture

Firm

Aroma

Savory, herby

Color

Dark gray

Serving Style

On a plate, cut into slices

Serving Temperature

Warm or at room temperature

Accompaniment

Herbs, dipping sauce.

Occasions

On any occasions

Seasons

Year-round

Special Diets

Gluten-free

Calories

114 calories, according to MyFitnessPal for a 100-gram serving of Dồi Lợn.

Popularity

Vietnam

Popular Similar Dishes

Sausage
Chinese Sausage

Popular Dining Area

Widely available in local eateries and households across Vietnam

Dồi tiết, or dồi huyết, is a unique Vietnamese blood sausage that mainly utilizes animal intestines for stuffing with a mixture of pig blood, pork, various herbs, seasonings, mung beans, and fish sauce. After being packed in the intestine, Vietnamese locals will steam dồi tiết to cook through all the elements.

Once cooked, the blood in the stuffing mixture gives dồi tiết a dark gray color. Interestingly, people often puncture the stuffed intestine intentionally using toothpicks to let off some of the liquid and prevent the dồi from bursting.

In Vietnam, both the Southern and Northern regions have this kind of blood sausage that comes with various adaptations. Typically, the blood is only a part of dồi tiết in Vietnam, as the additional proteins like meat and other chopped-up organs are employed to serve dồi tiết as a street food dish.

When served, people often slice the cooked dồi tiết into bite-sized pieces for accompanying various herbs and dipping sauce. Alternatively, some will grill the dồi slices for a golden brown surface.

Learn more about the many versions of dồi tiết before knowing about the process of creating this unique blood sausage. Plus, I’ve also prepared some pros and cons relating to dồi tiết and inquiries relating to it. Additionally, you should discover some specialties that are similar to dồi tiết.

Key Points

Dồi tiết is a Vietnamese blood sausage that uses animal intestines as casing and pig blood as one of the main ingredients.
Dồi tiết has a dark gray color when cooked.
Dồi tiết is a regional dish that varies in flavor and texture depending on the additional proteins and organs used.

Dồi Tiết Images

What Are the Variants of Dồi Tiết?

When it comes to dồi, a slight change in the ingredients or cooking method can produce a different result. However, let me introduce you to 6 popular versions of this blood pudding in Vietnam:

Dồi Lợn (Heo)

Traditional pork blood sausage
Southerners use the small intestine
Northerners use the large intestine

Dồi Chó

Made with various offal and organs of dog or pig
Grilled after being steamed

Dồi Sụn

Contains cartilage, providing a crunchy texture

Dồi Lươn

Features minced eel meat with the bone removed
Sprinkled with crushed peanuts when serving

Dồi Rắn

Snakes, including meat and bones, are minced for incorporating with herbs

Dồi Cổ Vịt (Ngan Or Ngỗng)

Utilizes the neck of ducks or geese
Has a bold flavor and a fatty profile
Use the neck skin as the casing to contain the stuffing

Next up, discover the basic process of making dồi tiết in Vietnam to expand your understanding of this dish.

How Dồi Tiết Is Made?

Dồi tiết is made differently depending on the region in Vietnam. For that, let me give you a general process of creating dồi tiết:

Step 1: Preparation of Ingredients

Clean and prepare animal intestines for the casing, and prepare the filling with fresh animal blood, minced meat, and other ingredients.

Step 2: Mixing the Filling

Combine the blood with minced meat and additional ingredients, adding seasonings like salt, pepper, and local spices.

Step 3: Stuffing the Intestines

Carefully stuff the prepared filling into the cleaned intestines using a funnel or sausage stuffer, ensuring not to overfill.

Step 4: Sealing and Segmenting

Tie off the stuffed intestines at intervals to create individual sausages, adjusting the length as preferred.

Step 5: Cooking the Sausage

Steam the dồi tiết, occasionally puncturing them to prevent bursting and allow excess liquid to escape.

Step 6: Final preparations and Serving

Optionally grill or fry the cooked sausages for extra texture and flavor, then slice and serve with accompaniments like herbs, dipping sauces, or pickled vegetables.

In case you’re wondering whether dồi tiết is suited for your diet, check out some of the benefits and drawbacks that this Vietnamese pudding offers when consumed.

Pros and Cons of Eating Dồi Tiết

Here are some of the features of eating dồi tiết that you should weigh up carefully before consuming it:

Pros

Flavorful: For those who enjoy adventurous eating, dồi tết offers a rich, savory flavor that is distinct and can be quite enjoyable.
Utilization of the whole animal: This dish exemplifies the nose-to-tail eating philosophy, which aims to reduce waste by using all parts of the animal.
Versatility in cooking: Dồi tiết can be prepared in various ways (steamed, grilled, etc.), offering versatility in cooking methods.

Cons

Health concerns: Consuming blood products can be risky if not prepared hygienically, as blood can harbor pathogens.
Acquired taste: The texture and concept of eating blood sausage might not be appealing to everyone and can be an acquired taste.

Remember, there is more to dồi tiết, especially when people have a lot of concerns about this Vietnamese person of blood pudding.

Dồi Tiết FAQs

It’s a good source of protein and iron, though it should be consumed in moderation.

No, it’s not suitable for vegetarians, vegans, or those with certain dietary restrictions.

Yes, when prepared hygienically and cooked thoroughly, it is safe to eat.

Cooked dồi tiết should be refrigerated and consumed within a few days.

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Truc Tran (Kris)

Senior Food Editor

Expertise

Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Recipe Development, Baking and Pastry, Food Editor, Cooking-video Maker, Vietnamese Food Evaluation Expert

Education

Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) at TasTAFE
Culinary Arts at Kendall College (Australia Branch in Sydney)
Vietnamese Cuisine Head Chef at HNAAu School (Vietnam, International Joint Training Program)

Truc Tran (Kris), an experienced food writer and editor, is great at exploring and describing global cuisines, from simple street food to fancy dining. In her writing, she skillfully mixes different flavors, cooking methods, and culinary traditions, showing the unique character of various cultures through their food and drinks. On azcuisines.com, Kris highlights her knowledge, especially in Asian cuisine and worldwide traditional dishes.