# What does your blood taste like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 19, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873 "2001-05-19T02:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/1 "2001-05-19T02:11:24Z")
I just cut my gums with dental floss without really realizing it and got a mouthful of my own blood. It had a metallic but otherwise indescribably awful taste. How the hell do those damn vampires and devil worshippers do it? Ever swallowed some of your own blood? If so, care to put a description on the taste? Ever swallowed anyone else’s? You have? Sicko… ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/2 "2001-05-19T02:14:58Z")
Holy shit I was JUST thinking that is been a LONG time since I’ve seen aha around! Blood… yeah… wouldnt want to drink a quart of it. Slightly metallic like you said. Non offensive. Hella good dripping out of a thick steak. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/3 "2001-05-19T02:20:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Slightly metallic like you said. Non offensive I don’t know Whammo mine tasted like shit…wait… maybe that’s not an apt description… biologically speaking. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/4 "2001-05-19T02:20:57Z")
My automatic “ouch” reaction is to put the injured extremity in my mouth, so i taste blood every time I cut my finger or hand. Tastes kinda coppery, slightly sweet. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/5 "2001-05-19T02:32:14Z")
I never drink…blood. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/6 "2001-05-19T02:33:33Z")
Whenever I cut myself, I suck the blood and lick the wound. It’s instinctual. I found out after a while that saliva has enzymes that speed healing, so I figure that’s why I do it. I cut myself a lot, so I end up drinking a lot of my own blood, and I figure, why not? Hey, that’s material that’s not escaping my body, anyway. What’s it taste like? I really can’t remember right now. metallic sounds about right. It’s not an unpleasant taste for me at all. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/7 "2001-05-19T02:35:13Z")
[Jack]You can swallow a pint of blood before you get sick[/Jack] I’ve always liked the taste of my blood. I like that metallic, sour in the corners of the cheeks taste. I was wondering where **aha** was too. Good to see ya 'round. ---
**Author:** ![Anti\_Pro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/8 "2001-05-19T02:45:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aha \* > \*\*I just cut my gums with dental floss without really realizing it and got a mouthful of my own blood. It had a metallic but otherwise indescribably awful taste. \*\* \*\* aha!! \*\* just couldn’t stay away from us, couldya??? 😃 We were afraid you’d been rock n’ roll napped, and we’d have to break open our piggy banks to bring you back. > [@](#): > > \*\* > How the hell do those damn vampires and devil worshippers do it? \*\* I’m guessing that besides the play on words, ‘damned’ vampires and ‘bedeviled’ worshippers believe that there is power in the blood, renewing their own lives, in a way. \* NOT that I know for sure, you understand! \* Maybe the metallic taste gives them some immunity against the silver bullets…oh never mind, that is the werewolves, isn’t it? \*\*\<\<\\>\>\> \*\* I’ve only swallowed my own blood, and it had a metallic taste, unpleasant enough, that I avoid it as much as possible. 😉 But, I’m glad that it keeps on circulating! Ever swallowed anyone else’s? You have? Sicko… \*\* [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/9 "2001-05-19T02:56:40Z")
I’ve swallowed more than my fair share of my own blood, I think–that happens when you’re as accident-prone a child as I was. I never found anything particularly unpleasant about the taste. It’s coppery-metallic (odd, given that it’s iron-based), moderately salty (less so than, say, sweat), and slightly sweet. As for why anyone would deliberately drink someone else’s blood…well, it’s a pretty potent symbol, isn’t it? It’s hard to get more personal than one’s own blood. If it’s mutual, then it could be regarded as the ultimate bond (witness blood-brotherhood and blood-oath rituals); if it’s one-way, then it could be regarded as the ultimate violation. It’s mainly a question of intent. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/10 "2001-05-19T02:58:57Z")
I wasn’t too far away…just been busy as hell. SDMB and the people on it are always on my mind. I think I may be getting a warm fuzzie here. \* ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/11 "2001-05-19T03:42:34Z")
Oh for pete’s sake, **aha!** You freaking VANISH for freaking EVER, then you come back with _this???_ Busy, my ass. You were kidnapped by aliens, weren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![superdenseprotohippy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@superdenseprotohippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superdenseprotohippy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/12 "2001-05-19T04:51:14Z")
Chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/13 "2001-05-19T05:46:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aha \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Slightly metallic like you said. Non offensive > > I don’t know Whammo mine tasted like shit…wait… maybe that’s not an apt description… biologically speaking. \*\* You’ve tasted your own shit!?! Sicko. 🙂 I think dental flossed blood tastes worse than pricked finger blood, more metallic, less salty/sweet. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/14 "2001-05-19T06:50:53Z")
I’ve noticed my blood tastes coppery. I haven’t managed to have the chance to taste someone else’s blood. I have noticed that if any of my patients swallow too much blood (what is too much?) they vomit rather violently. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/15 "2001-05-19T12:50:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > \*\*Oh for pete’s sake, **aha!** > > You freaking VANISH for freaking EVER, then you come back with _this???_ > > Busy, my ass. You were kidnapped by aliens, weren’t you? \*\* Perse my love!!! I have been over in GD and GQ’s a few times so I didn’t vanish altogether. BTW is there any chance **you** could abduct me and maybe do a bit of probing? ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2001, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-blood-taste-like/65873/16 "2001-05-19T20:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > I have been over in GD and GQ’s a few times so I didn’t vanish altogether. Just like I said. Kidnapped by aliens. :rolleyes: As for _me_ abducting you, well…we’re having a fest here in June…😉