Would you eat dog meat?

[lastmagi]

This reminds me of an anecdote that Frank Wu wrote about in his book on Asian Americans, Yellow (or it might have been Helena Zia's Asian American Dreams...), where a group of American tourists in China had insisted on trying the presumed "local delicacy" of dog meat, even though the locals were in fact not so eager about the idea (and didn't even eat it in the first place). Turned out it was the tourists who wolfed down that dish after much persuasion to make it while the Chinese crowded around these strange folks.

Anyway, thanks for the historical facts, Lexico. I always find the historical reasons behind cultural differences interesting.

 

[lexico]

This reminds me of an anecdote that Frank Wu wrote about in his book on Asian Americans, Yellow (or it might have been Helena Zia's Asian American Dreams...), where a group of American tourists in China had insisted on trying the presumed "local delicacy" of dog meat, even though the locals were in fact not so eager about the idea (and didn't even eat it in the first place). Turned out it was the tourists who wolfed down that dish after much persuasion to make it while the Chinese crowded around these strange folks.

Thanks for sharing the anecdote; it is both surprising, humourous, and sad to read about the misunderstanding. It probably took a lot of talking amongst the population before it became known in the English language. It is interesting to see the resilience of the Chinese media by refraining from embittered criticism, but it is really sad the way the tourists behaved.

Anyway, thanks for the historical facts, Lexico. I always find the historical reasons behind cultural differences interesting.

The information is from a book called The Dinner Table of Confucius translated from Chinese to Korean. I shall look up the exact title, and see if there is an English translation of it.

 

[Kara_Nari]

Hehehe, Im still laughing at Dead Hippos mention of the 'Pelican game'
Thats the grossest thing in the world, and I agree it's much worse than eating dog.
Its not just the students in Dunedin either, its a country wide thing. I first heard about it at intermediate (junior high).

Dead Hippo are you from NZ?

 

[Anchyyy]

I wouldn't eat it. No way!! Dogs are my favourite animals.

 

[RockLee]

I wouldn't eat it. No way!! Dogs are my favourite animals.

Well, maybe in the future when you grow up you might think different about that, and if you wouldn't know any better than having a dog for pet you probably would've aten it before

"In Guangdong, people will eat anything; in Beijing, they will politicise anything, but if you go to Shanghai, they will sell anything including your mom."

Haha, that is so true Lex !

i wouldn't eat dog because it seems gross, and i am not to thrilled to eat lamb either. i have cut down my meat consumption and eat veggie hamburgers and hotdogs. if i in another culture, i would politely declined.

It SEEMS gross, but who says in reality it is ? Lambmeat is one of my favourite kinds of meat.When I remember 'Jingis Khan' in Hokkaido I get such an urge to eat it I miss Hokkaido so much

 

[Kinsao]

Although I'm not vegetarian, I wouldn't choose to eat dog.

I have noticed that generally, human beings tend to gravitate towards eating herbivores. The meat of a herbivore is different (in texture and taste) to that of a carnivore. (I'm leaving ominvores out of it because I don't know enough and I'll get confused ) For that reason, I think it is better health-wise to avoid eating the meat of carnivores. I think it would make a bigger risk of disease. For more concentration of harmful virus/substance further up the food chain. (In fact, one issue of BSE/CJD/whatever, cows were fed meat, is bad news for us humans... but that is another issue, sorry!)

My instinct would be that I would not choose to eat dog.

But, I would eat it if I was offered by my host, and also I would eat it if someone dared me or implied I wouldn't (because I'm stupid that way )

 

[deadhippo]

@lexico...thanks for the history lesson
well, i think you answered one thing that i wanted to know but maybe you can clarify
i think you are saying that dog meat is low grade meat but some people enjoy its flavour or texture so its available throughout the year
i thought it might have been a delicacy because i have read somewhere (whether reliable or not heres the source which i have only glanced at) that korean people living in Japan sometimes but dog meat illegally to eat
this idea made me think it was a delicacy

@kara Nari, no, I'm from Ireland, but I have some kiwi friends and ive visited three times because my sister married a kiwi bloke and spawned some baby kiwis
ive have heard many stories about nz universities, but was informed that Dunedin was the most infamous for this time of activity
and the chunder mile and the pelican were not the grossest things i heard either

 

[Kara_Nari]

Dog meats not that cheap in the restaruants. Unless maybe you go to the horrid little one down the road from my place. The one where you might be lucky to get a side order of toe nails.
Yeah, those grotty university students get up to some weird stuff... and I guess that Dunedin does have more of a reputation for it over the others. Which is quite amusing considering that some of the most intelligent attend that uni. I guess vomit games and the like have great stress relief? I think I would just rather settle for the binge drinking and the hangovers... I would eat dog before ever participating in THOSE games.
Some of the Uni games here are interesting too... havent heard any stories resembling the Pelican game, but they find a use for almost anything to add to their horrendous cocktails.

 

[lexico]

i think you are saying that dog meat is low grade meat but some people enjoy its flavour or texture so its available throughout the year

You're welcome deadhippo. Yes, it is true that some people enjoy it. I didn't do a comparison of the meat price; dog meat prices must have been lower than those of beef or pork. But the price these days are not that low, and some of those are considered high-class joints. My parents and my family enjoy it, although I find it rather distasteful. People in general like to go to restaurants specialising in dog meat cuisine, but it is worthwhile to note that devout Buddhists really dislike the idea of eating a dog since they believe in reincarnation. How terrible it would be to eat an ancestor who might have been reincarnated as a dog by some ill-fated karma such as killing to many enemies in battle or some other crime !

i thought it might have been a delicacy because i have read somewhere (whether reliable or not heres the source which i have only glanced at) that korean people living in Japan sometimes but dog meat illegally to eat this idea made me think it was a delicacy

Thanks for the Animal People article ! My response is half-half; while the study conducted by Kim Bartlett and Merritt Clifton presents much new information, often the quality of information given by sources are not verified. But I would definitely like to know more. As for Korea, I was surprised to learn that about 100,000 cats were consumed yearly in S.Korea because I have never heard of it. I shall definitely keep my eyes open for information on cats; I have often thought cat meat would be a terrible thing to eat, but you never know !

Of the various attractions of the dog meat, I think I can identify them present in Korea.

1) "for food value": I am quite sure during a prolonged disaster or war situation, dogs were one of the things that served as a food source. I am also quite certain that "all the dogs and cats (that) disappeared in Japan during WWII" were consumed by Koreans in Japan at that time because "usually Japanese don't eat dogs or cats." (Elizabeth Oliver, Refuge Kansai founder) My mother in law, who spent her childhood in Japan before returning to Korea ca. 1940, told me during WWII rice was rationed in Japan but not in her family, so she would mail some rice to her Japanese friend.

2) "to enhance sexual attraction and potency": this is rather similar to viagra although I do not know of any scientific study into its effectiveness. I personally think it's a bit sick, but this is only my modern perpective. In the olden times (how long ago ? I don't know... post-Korean War or post-WWII ?) food was so scarce that many couples suffered from infertility, so it might have been a serious problem esp. during and immediately after the two recent wars.

3) for the taste rather than nutrition or as a cure for infertility.

 

[deadhippo]

I found that article while doing some research about dogs and japan
but i just quickly read the japan section so i didnt read about the cats..im a little surprised that they are eaten in KOrea (if its true) but not so much that cats are eaten
even though they dont seem very meaty

 

[lexico]

Cats' meatiness aside, I was under the impression that they might taste somewhat like rabbits. I distantly recall someone telling me that cats have a bad taste owing to a repulsive smell; coming to think of it, how could the person have known what a cat dish smelled like ? Oh, what agony ! But in times of great hunger, what would prevent a cat from being eaten regardless of smell ? Would people who'd experienced the war and had eaten a cat; would they tell others of the horrors to the last detail ? But at least it's better than eating human flesh.

 

[Kara_Nari]

100,000 cats for more than 45million people isnt really that much.
Those cats could perhaps be concentrated in one small countryside town. If a towns full of families consume one cat each per week, then the numbers really arent that significant.
If one particular restaurant on the other hand was to serve up 100,000 cats on the menu in one year, then I can see the reason for shock or concern.
I personally wouldnt eat cat, I would be more inclined to try dog.

 

[werewolf]

Well, for one thing, dogs and cats are carniverous animals, and isn't it correct that people don't usually eat carniverous animals, at least partially for reasons of health?

What really bothers me about the eating of dogs in Korea is that they are said to torture them before killing them.

 

[deadhippo]

What really bothers me about the eating of dogs in Korea is that they are said to torture them before killing them.

said by whom?

 

[werewolf]

said by whom?

Here are a few links for you. You could google up many more.

腐女天堂gv网址,60分钟从头啪到尾无遮挡,亚洲av日韩av欧美av怡红院,我在ktv被六个男人玩一晚上

http://www.animal-lib.org.au/more_interviews/kyenan_kum/

KOREAN DOGS FACE HORRIFIC DEATH - From Animals in Print 3 December 2000 Issue - A Newsletter concerned with: advances, alerts, animal, animals, attitude, attitudes, beef, cat, cats, chicken, chickens, compassion, consciousness, cows, cruelty, dairy, dog, dogs, ecology, education, egg, eggs, empathy, empathize, empathise, environment, ethics, experiment, experiments, factory, farm, farms, flesh, food, foods, fish, fishing, fur, gentleness, health, human, humans, non-human, hunting, indifference, intelligent, intelligence, kindness, lamb, lambs, liberation, medical, milk, natural, nature, newsletters, pain, pig, pigs, plant, plants, poetry, pork, poultry, research, rights, science, scientific, society, societies, species, stories, study, studies, suffering, test, testing, trapping, vegetable, vegetables, vegan, veganism, vegetarian, vegetarianism, water, welfare

 

[deadhippo]

Here are a few links for you. You could google up many more.

腐女天堂gv网址,60分钟从头啪到尾无遮挡,亚洲av日韩av欧美av怡红院,我在ktv被六个男人玩一晚上

http://www.animal-lib.org.au/more_interviews/kyenan_kum/

KOREAN DOGS FACE HORRIFIC DEATH - From Animals in Print 3 December 2000 Issue - A Newsletter concerned with: advances, alerts, animal, animals, attitude, attitudes, beef, cat, cats, chicken, chickens, compassion, consciousness, cows, cruelty, dairy, dog, dogs, ecology, education, egg, eggs, empathy, empathize, empathise, environment, ethics, experiment, experiments, factory, farm, farms, flesh, food, foods, fish, fishing, fur, gentleness, health, human, humans, non-human, hunting, indifference, intelligent, intelligence, kindness, lamb, lambs, liberation, medical, milk, natural, nature, newsletters, pain, pig, pigs, plant, plants, poetry, pork, poultry, research, rights, science, scientific, society, societies, species, stories, study, studies, suffering, test, testing, trapping, vegetable, vegetables, vegan, veganism, vegetarian, vegetarianism, water, welfare

thanks for the links...ill check them out when i get the chance

im more interested in the japan-related dog stories though...if you come across any good links id appreciate it

 

[pipokun]

thanks for the links...ill check them out when i get the chance

im more interested in the japan-related dog stories though...if you come across any good links id appreciate it

Just a brief history in relation to Japanese and dogs...
Interesting enough, before the Yayoi period, Japanese was not to eat dog meat as shown in some courteous burials for dogs. After the Yayoi, Japanese evidently started eating dogs like other Asian cultures. With the stronger influence of Buddhism after 7th century, Japan had turned into nearly complete veggie oriented society till the end of the Edo. It took over a thousand year for Japanese to drink milk or eat cheese again.
The 5th shogun of Tokugawa shogunate, Tsunayoshi, is well-known as "dog-friendly shogun" enacting his radical animal protection law. But some recent studies show that the law itself was not that authoritarian law. It was a sort of symbol from the militaristic government to more peaceful ruling policy.

After the Meiji, Japanese started to eat more meat, but has stopped eating dog meat. "Do you eat dog meat?" is a kind of stupidest question to Japanese now. But another question like... "Do Japanese take companion animals' right as important?", is rather controversial, and my answer is "no".

I try to find links for dog meat culture in Japan.

 

[Kara_Nari]

I was going to give some examples of the killing of dogs, but it really was too graphic to put on here.
Even if they dont eat their dogs, there are people out there who get plastic surgery performed on their animals. Now thats getting stupid.

 

[deadhippo]

@pipokun...thanks for the info
@Kara_Nari...thanks for sparing us

 

[bossel]

With the stronger influence of Buddhism after 7th century, Japan had turned into nearly complete veggie oriented society till the end of the Edo. It took over a thousand year for Japanese to drink milk or eat cheese again.

Could you give some source? I have some serious doubts that the whole of Japan was (even close to) a vegetarian society.

 

[smurf]

I couldn't imagine eating a dog. Thats like eating the family dog. Uck no thanks.

 

[Apollo]

Nope, I wouldn't eat dog meat...to me, they should be kept as pets and not to be slaughtered.....

I have read recently that in China they also serve bear's paws, which also seems a bit weird... I would just say "no thankyou"...

 

[Kara_Nari]

Thats not all they do with the poor bears.
Actually they use their stomach gases for medicines. Its an ancient remedy type thing which is no longer necessary as they can make the same thing in a synthetic version.
Im going to China this week, I want to try snake. Anyone had snake before???

 

[lexico]

I have tried dragon meat after a deadly battle,

and it tasted like dried fish. Always eat it well done to avoid the parasites. Do not drink the posonous venom becuase you could get killed if there is one tiny scratch in you mouth or intestinal tract. Do not drink dragon blood (as what you might have seen in a Thai night market, in the film Beach ?) even if it is offered in strong alcohol. (Don't drink any blood at all -- remembering at least 50 % of all blood carries unclean body wastes.) Have a safe trip to China !

 

[Kara_Nari]

Thanks... yeah I saw snakes blood in Thailand and Cambodia, but wasnt brave enough to drink it. What about the Korean goats blood soju? Yuck, pass on the blood thing.
I think im going to stick to beer as an alcoholic beverage. How do I know if there is no poisonous venom in the meat??? What if when the killed it they accidentaly cut it in a way that the venom seeped into the meat???? Now im paranoid. But since it tastes like dried fish, I think I might turn that down.
When I saw the fresh snakes meat in Cambodia it looked like it would taste quite nice, white and fleshy.