# Blood. Eggs. Semen. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 8, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490 "2016-01-08T12:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/1 "2016-01-08T12:53:09Z")
I hate myself for writing this, but - reading Cecil’s column from 8 Jan 16, [Can Blood Be Used As An Egg Substitute](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3270/can-blood-be-used-as-an-egg-substitute) - I couldn’t stop myself - and believe me, I tried - from recalling [an earlier Cecil column which discussed the similarities of egg whites and semen.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/46/how-many-calories-are-in-the-average-male-ejaculation) Now the blood::egg comparison says, > [@](#): > > Key in baking, though, is the protein ovalbumin, which coagulates when heated and so prevents collapse. Ovalbumin accounts for about 54 percent of egg-white proteins; conveniently, related albumins make up about 55 percent of the proteins in blood plasma. In theory, then, sure, this ought to work. While, the semen::comparison says, > [@](#): > > Although it is true that the nutritional elements in semen and egg white (protein, carbohydrates, lipids, etc.) do not correspond down the line, both substances are about 90 percent water, and in both the remaining 10 percent is composed of relatively high energy (calorie) yielding nutrients. Which is unsatisfyingly vague, leading me to ask: Does semen contain the protein ovalbumin? And if so, can one bake meringues from it? This sounds like a job for the SDSAB! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/2 "2016-01-08T13:20:43Z")
Blood. Eggs. Semen. Isn’t that the full English breakfast you hear about Brits enjoying? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/3 "2016-01-08T13:25:45Z")
Band name! ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/4 "2016-01-08T16:29:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Blood. Eggs. Semen. > > Isn’t that the full English breakfast you hear about Brits enjoying? I don’t know about that but it is the beginning of my special waffle recipe. edit: I couldn’t find anything on semen containing ovalbumin but I did find one reference to semen being whippable. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/5 "2016-01-08T17:15:22Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > … > > edit: I couldn’t find anything on semen containing ovalbumin but I did find one reference to semen being whippable. Whip it good!! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/6 "2016-01-08T18:45:33Z")
Here’s a minor cultural quibble about Cecil’s mention of the Maasai people drinking cow’s blood. > [@](#): > > in east Africa, the Maasai people drink cow’s blood straight up. My nephew spent a couple years as a volunteer eye surgeon in Kenya, which once was part of the UK protectorate East Africa. He told me the Maasai people do drink cow’s blood, mixed with milk, but it’s only done on ceremonial occasions, not for daily nutrition. The Maasai, like most Kenyans, are very poor, and the cattle are their only source of income. They can’t afford to bleed a cow just for a snack or a soufflé. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/7 "2016-01-08T18:55:27Z")
How about a nice chocolate chip cookie? Interesting column - never thought of using blood that way. In the last paragraph, Cecil needs either a dash or a colon where bolded: _But come on: the fact that my cow blood produced a recognizable (and, I should add, edible) dessert at all is what I would call passing with flying **colorsspecifically** , a greenish-gray hue seen in both the meringues and the cookies, which, I’ll concede, eaters might be justified in finding off-putting. Perhaps this suggests opportunities for future innovation._ ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/8 "2016-01-09T02:00:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Blood. Eggs. Semen. > > … That was the “how to” historical book written by aliens about subjugating planetary systems. guns, germs, and steel ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/9 "2016-01-09T03:55:42Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > I hate myself for writing this, but - reading Cecil’s column from 8 Jan 16, [Can Blood Be Used As An Egg Substitute](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3270/can-blood-be-used-as-an-egg-substitute) - I couldn’t stop myself - and believe me, I tried - from recalling [an earlier Cecil column which discussed the similarities of egg whites and semen.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/46/how-many-calories-are-in-the-average-male-ejaculation) > **[Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes (Semen cooking):...](https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Harvest-collection-semen-based-recipes/dp/1481227041)** > > Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes (Semen cooking) \[Photenhauer, Paul Fotie \] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes (Semen cooking) But, of course, eating semen (well, for nutritional reasons at any rate) is revolting unless, weirdly, it comes out of a fish… ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/10 "2016-01-09T11:15:57Z")
I’m not surprised blood can make a passable meringue. I don’t know if it is still true but a generation ago a major component in the fire-fighting foam used by the Navy was pig’s blood. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/11 "2016-01-09T13:20:14Z")
Yeah, but can you make bread from human, uh, yeast? ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/12 "2016-01-09T22:15:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Blood. Eggs. Semen. > > Isn’t that the full English breakfast you hear about Brits enjoying? That’s the “Partially Full” English Breakfast. The “Full” English Breakfast includes puss and bile. But that’s still a far site better than the Full Australian Breakfast. That monstrosity includes the most vile ingredient of all–Vegemite. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/13 "2016-01-11T00:43:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Blood. Eggs. Semen. > > Isn’t that the full English breakfast you hear about Brits enjoying? What do you eat for breakfast? Shit? Only wondering because you always seem full of it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/14 "2016-01-11T14:29:19Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > What do you eat for breakfast? Shit? > > Only wondering because you always seem full of it. **Moderator Warning** **mascaroni** , insults are not permitted outside the Pit. This is an official warning. Don’t do this again. Colibri Comments Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/15 "2016-01-11T15:49:43Z")
You know, blood is only the second-most-surprising meringue I’ve heard about this month. Evidently you can make (texturally, at least) acceptable meringues using the water from canned chickpeas. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/16 "2016-01-11T18:16:44Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Warning** > > **mascaroni** , insults are not permitted outside the Pit. This is an official warning. Don’t do this again. > > Colibri > Comments Moderator Fair enough **Colibri**. Apologies **kayaker** , it was an over-reaction to a bit of knockabout US/UK banter. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/17 "2016-01-12T15:08:31Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > How about a nice chocolate chip cookie? > > Interesting column - never thought of using blood that way. In the last paragraph, Cecil needs either a dash or a colon where bolded: > > _But come on: the fact that my cow blood produced a recognizable (and, I should add, edible) dessert at all is what I would call passing with flying **colorsspecifically** , a greenish-gray hue seen in both the meringues and the cookies, which, I’ll concede, eaters might be justified in finding off-putting. Perhaps this suggests opportunities for future innovation._ You mean _Ed_ needs to add punctuation, because as we know Cecil is perfect and all the mistakes arise in the editing. (Funny how all the newspaper writers I know personally – I spent ten years as a photojournalist at a middlin’ daily paper – say the same thing, but I’ve seen the printouts they sent to the the copy desk before and after the red ink. 😛 ) (Edit: I know spoiler tags are usually frowned upon for jokes, but I think it’s warranted in this case, it’s something a lot of people wouldn’t want to know.) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/18 "2016-01-18T13:22:41Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > Fair enough **Colibri**. > > Apologies **kayaker** , it was an over-reaction to a bit of knockabout US/UK banter. Apology accepted. My UK friends know that I actually love the breakfasts over there, and routinely have baked beans as a breakfast side. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/19 "2016-01-18T18:07:21Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > [an earlier Cecil column which discussed the similarities of egg whites and semen.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/46/how-many-calories-are-in-the-average-male-ejaculation) Which led to the [Pan-fried Semen](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=198659) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490/20 "2016-01-18T23:27:24Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I’m not surprised blood can make a passable meringue. I don’t know if it is still true but a generation ago a major component in the fire-fighting foam used by the Navy was pig’s blood. I was wondering if Cecil might have had better results with fresher (or at least less clotted) blood. He described using residual blood around a large clot. I’m guessing a lot of fibrin (ie- protein) was left behind in the clot and that the residual blood was probably protein deficient. Still he said his results were similar to others, so maybe not a problem. I don’t think I could go for greyish-green cookies, though. :dubious: (And don’t even get me started on other bodily fluids!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-eggs-semen/742490.md?page=2)