MY journalist friend's, obsession: dog-eating

[eatingwitheddie]

My friend loves to hunt.

He loves his dog.

He writes, sometimes about food.

And for 4 years that I know of, he has been on a quest to cook and eat a dog. I assume he would only do this where the law (and culture) permit. Though in his heart I know he dreams of chowing down at some little out of the way storefront in Flushing and discovering that the mystery meat in the casserole was not sold by the pound, but AT the pound.

So far, (when last I heard), his quest has gone unfulfilled.

So calling all you intrepid eaters, especially you Cantonese and Korean types, I want to hear about the real thing. Unleash those reminiscences! Some of you must have had dog skin in Beijing or Seoul.

[TatarsHat]

Interesting topic..... Dogs as an edible commondity........It does happen in other countries. I have been served cat in a Chinese restaurant without my knowledge.. They were busted a month after. What was so sad was they were getting them from the human society.....Really sick people, considering it was Cape Cod. It had gone on for years from what I learned.

I think we need to take a stand on this...

[Suvir Saran]

What stand would you suggest be taken?

What other animals do you think should not be eaten?

How do you think a vegetarian thinks of those that eat beef, pork, chicken rabbit, lamb, goat, pigeons, partridge, pheasant, deer etc?

I have had several of the above as domestic pets.. and so should react similarly to their slaughter.

Should I? What is the real difference? Can it be of cultural significance or difference? Who is to say which on of us is correct in eating what other animal?

I am not endorsing the consumption of cats and dogs or cows or pigeon. I ask this for the sake of understanding....

[SteveW]

Could it be possible, that they're some Asian restaurants in North America, offering dog meat dishes under the table(not listed on their menu)? That they will offer it, to the customers who they trust(since it's illegal).

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Steve

[Louisa Chu]

Some of you must have had dog skin in Beijing or Seoul.

Is that a specialty? It must be some particularly fatty breed otherwise I can't see the special appeal. Though I can't see them using purebreds because of the expense. Sharpei comes to mind though.

My family has a story which some find funny, some sad. My uncle had a dog as a kid and one day while he was away at school they killed the dog and made him for dinner that night. Not funny for a lot of reasons but primarily because they did it out of starvation as it was during the Japanese invasions.

My mother always comments now about how my dog looks just like that dog they ate.

And I've actually overheard private conversations by the Chinese tourists watching my dog as she digs for rats at the Eiffel tower that she looks like a good dog for eating. I think it's because she has a very full chest and meaty looking legs - she's a blonde shepherd/lab mix. I often joke with her and tell her someday I might want dogchop for dinner.

But my brother had it as well when he was a kid in Hong Kong. Says it was tasty but does not remember details. Probably all just a matter of the meat and preparation as with most dishes.

[Fat Guy]

How do you think a vegetarian thinks of those that eat beef, pork, chicken rabbit, lamb, goat, pigeons, partridge, pheasant, deer etc?

I have had several of the above as domestic pets.. and so should react similarly to their slaughter.

This to me pretty much sums up the irrationality of objecting to dog- and cat-eating while continuing to eat pig, cow, etc.

I hasten to add that in countries where dogs are eaten, dogs are also often kept as beloved family pets.

Now, Eddie, as for your friend's psychological well-being . . . this does seem a rather odd obsession . . .

[Rachel Perlow]

Here are some other eGullet threads that touched on this subject:

The Politics of Dog - a discussion of an article about forbidden foods.
Dog: The OTHER red meat - stayed mostly on-topic
Free Dog Meat! - serving dog at the World Cup in Korea

[eatingwitheddie]

Could it be possible, that they're some Asian restaurants in North America, offering dog meat dishes under the table(not listed on their menu)? That they will offer it, to the customers who they trust(since it's illegal).

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Steve

That's exactly what my friend has been wondering.

He's been looking for more than four years and has enlisted my help. We've been seaching, but could find no bone. We have discovered guinea pig (in a Latino joint), flying fox, armadillo (in a market not a restaurant), and the legendary and grossest of all dishes: monkey brains (in Canada).

Someone has written about a Chinese restaurant that got busted for serving cat, supposedly to save money and not on it's own merits. I for one don't believe it without proof.

[Fat Guy]

Given how cheap pork is per pound, it's hard to imagine one could save any money by serving cat. The labor cost alone -- low as it is in a Chinese restaurant -- might weigh in favor of pork even if the cat was donated.

[Ruth]

Dog is an expensive delicacy in some parts of China. It is considered a male aphrodisiac by some and is eaten almost exclusively by men and in winter. In Shanghai there are restaurants that include it in their hotpots.

What we eat is part of our culture and our revulsion at the thought eating certain meats as opposed to others is obviously cultural. I cannot explain why I would not knowingly eat dog, cat or horse or, for that matter, any carnivorous animal. However, I am off to Shanghai for the month of January and, whilst I plan to eat plenty of soup dumplings, I shall try to report on the latest developments in canine gastronomy on my return.

[SteveW]

Horse meat is not that hard to find in Montreal. I've eaten it before.

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Steve

[Nick]

I'm not too keen on eating any four-legged critter that eats meat itself. Don't ask me why I don't apply this same thinking to fish or chickens. I don't know.

[Simon Majumdar]

A lot of people shy away from eating these animals, but in the correct context, I have been persuaded to try them.

I would not walk into the house of a girlfriend in London and suggest that she throw poochums on the Weber, but I have eaten dog in both Korea and China ( in both cases in a very gamey slow cooked stew )

Horse meat is something I always buy on my trips to southern france ( in Perdiguier, for eg, there is an excellent Chevallier ) and freeze before bringing back to the UK

Snake is also something I have tried on more than one occasion, but people rarely get upset about that. I guess that, unlike the first two animals, it is because a snake never rescued anyone from a well in a children's programme.

"What's that you say slithy? Jake's fallen down the well" doesn't really play does it?

S

[Jon Tseng]

Had dog meat cold in china - tastes very similar to pork. Other people say its sweeter than other meat.

The main objection to eating dogs is anthropomorphism plain and simple - we see dogs around us every day so we treat them like people, confer affection &tc. The contrast is with cows - if you've ever seen a live cow up close their incredibly cute beasties, especially with those big eyes and long eyelashes. Unfortunately they're out of sight - out of mind so people just don't think about eating beef in the same way as they do when served fido a la plancha

Also note that commercial dogmeat would be reared like other livestock on farms - its not as if they're snatching pooch off the street and chucking him in the stockpot!

J

[cabrales]

Also note that commercial dogmeat would be reared like other livestock on farms - its not as if they're snatching pooch off the street and chucking him in the stockpot!

Jon's point is a crucial one (not that I have yet eaten dog). There are various contaminants that could be carried in dog meat, and limited (if any) research on what potential negative effects the ingestion of certain contaminants might have on human health.