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I Ate Whale Meat
Atlantic ^ | David Nakamura

Posted on 08/31/2009 11:52:31 AM PDT by big black dog

One rule of thumb I generally observe while traveling abroad: Always know what something is before putting it in your mouth. Recently, I broke that rule--and ended up regretting it.

I ate whale meat.

I didn't mean to. It just sort of happened during an otherwise routine company enkai--office party--at a hole-in-the-wall izakaya called Andy's Shin Hinomoto under the Yurakucho railroad tracks in central Tokyo. I ordered a beer and sat down next to my co-workers, just as the waitress was bringing out plates of food: generous cuts of sashimi, deep-fried chicken nuggets, a sautéed mushroom salad and--what the heck was that? On a plate next to some lettuce leaves and a wedge of tomato were thin-cut strips of stringy red meat.

(Excerpt) Read more at food.theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Japan
KEYWORDS: meat; whale
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To: big black dog

From all the angst, one would think he had been tricked into trying some lutefisk.


21 posted on 08/31/2009 12:10:44 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Proud Sarah-Bot.)
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To: big black dog

Should have tried the spotted owl or dolphin soup!!


22 posted on 08/31/2009 12:12:40 PM PDT by Shaka
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To: faucetman

There ought to be a reality show about Somalian pirates too. I guess the world just isn’t post-racial enough to celebrate black pirates.


23 posted on 08/31/2009 12:15:34 PM PDT by TigersEye (0bama: "I can see Mecca from the WH portico." --- Google - Cloward-Piven Strategy)
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To: big black dog

It must be a terrible burden for writers to have to constantly come up with material to write about - especially when deadlines must be met. Hence, we get articles like this one...


24 posted on 08/31/2009 12:17:03 PM PDT by Zeppo (Save the cheerleader, save the world...)
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To: big black dog
He needs to go harpoon a fat chick to get even and clear his guilt!
25 posted on 08/31/2009 12:18:12 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: big black dog

My kids tell their friends their Dad roots for the Japanese when watching “Whale Wars”

In fact, I simply tell them that the “Steve Irwin” can only conduct their staged outrage and faux activism against other civilized, modern parties.
Ghandi would not have lasted 5 minutes against the Soviets.


26 posted on 08/31/2009 12:18:23 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: big black dog

If the whales being eaten are not endangered species who cares. I see it little different than eating any other big game taken under licensing restrictions. In a recent trip to Australia I enjoyed kangaroo loin, but nothing is as good as American buffalo. Note neither taste like chicken.


27 posted on 08/31/2009 12:19:41 PM PDT by The Great RJ ("The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher)
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To: big black dog

I was a bit drunk and smiling at my Thia girl friend, we were at her place, we bought some fried rice from a street vender and was chowing down. She smiled at me and said monkey balls. 1971 I think.


28 posted on 08/31/2009 12:20:09 PM PDT by boomop1
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To: swain_forkbeard
So he ate it but didn’t know what he was eating at first. So it was sort of a fluke.

That sounds like something clinton would say.

29 posted on 08/31/2009 12:21:39 PM PDT by HIDEK6 (T.")
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To: The Great RJ

“If the whales being eaten are not endangered species who cares.”

I agree. Up next, dog chops and monkey stew!


30 posted on 08/31/2009 12:23:20 PM PDT by swain_forkbeard (Rationality may not be sufficient, but it is necessary.)
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To: P8riot
No picky icky yucky sushi

Sushi is not just raw fish.

Sliced raw fish alone is "Sashimi", as distinct from "Sushi". Sushi is rice rolled into small portions with fish, egg, or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed. Sushi may have a thin slice of cooked or raw seafood on top. Sashimi consist of very thin bite-size slices of fresh raw fish, traditionally served with soy sauce and wasabi. I prefer Ahi tuna.

31 posted on 08/31/2009 12:31:41 PM PDT by MosesKnows (Love many, Trust few, and always paddle your own canoe)
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To: big black dog
I have made the following observations of people who visit Asian countries. After living in Asia for 5 years I noticed that these multicultural liberals would come and visit and always have some issue with what was being eaten or used by the local population. It was beat into my head in college that we must accept other cultures and their beliefs. They are all for that until someone puts some dolphin or whale on the plate. Then the true colors come out. They really don't want you to be multicultural they really just want you to hate everything American.

When my theater teacher taught us in class that we must accept other cultures I could see the mush filled heads around me nodding in agreement. I always hated this kind of unthinking acclimation. “The professor has said it so it must be true.”. I would always take these chances to make the masses start to think on their own. This time I rose my hand and asked the teacher “Do we accept female sexual mutilation in muslim countries in Africa?” she just started at me. Then I asked “Do we accept 8 year olds being sold into sexual slavery in Muslim countries?” she kind of stammered this time. Then I added “Do we accept female fetus termination in Asian countries?” She began to say something when a young girl spoke up and asked me “does that stuff really happen?” The teacher spoke over my answer and told the girl that yes that kind of stuff happened but that it was rare and that I am overstating the situation and that those things are not really part of anyones culture. I smiled and had 10 students asking me questions after class. I pointed them in the right direction and slept well that night knowing that I opened up 10 minds that will no longer take for face value what their teachers tell them.

32 posted on 08/31/2009 12:33:56 PM PDT by KungFuBrad (White Devil http://whitedevilredangel.mee.nu/)
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To: MosesKnows; RikaStrom
Sushi & Sashimi are AWESOME!

Hat tip to Rika.

33 posted on 08/31/2009 12:39:02 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: big black dog
It's been said before, and it's worth saying again:

There's room for all of God's creatures...right next to the mashed potatoes.

34 posted on 08/31/2009 12:44:07 PM PDT by SoDak (Sig/Edgar Hansen 2012 dream ticket)
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To: big black dog

What a wuss! I not only tried whale meat one time, I got five other guys to try it with me.

In the early 60s I was in Boston for a company training course. Boston has some very fine restaurants. One evening I spotted a Norwegian restaurant in the Dining Guide Magazine and talked 5 of my fellow trainees to go with me to explore this unknown cuisine.

At the restaurant they had a traditional Norwegian smorgasbord plus you got to order one dish off the menu. There it was: WHAlE STEAK.

I talked it up but ran into some opposition—not because of ecological concerns—but because no one had ever tasted it before. My argument was logical and irrefutable. This would be our only chance to try this delicacy. So we ordered. And the steak came out looking just like a piece of charcoaled prime beef.

Let me tell you about Whale Steak. Imagine calf liver that has been marinated in fish oil for several weeks. Norwegians and Inuits will apparently eat anything.

And the smorgasbord was nothing but inedible salted fish of various kinds.

The group made me pay for the meal.


35 posted on 08/31/2009 12:44:51 PM PDT by wildbill (You're just jealous because the Voices talk only to me.)
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To: big black dog
I eat it every time I go to Iceland! Tastes like a sea-salty, slightly game-y steak. The Thrir Frakkar restaurant in Reykjavik is I believe the last place you can get it in Iceland - at least in Reykjavik.
36 posted on 08/31/2009 12:46:27 PM PDT by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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To: stuartcr
I wonder what he said when they brought out the horse sashimi

You like Uma? I have a story about Horse Sashimi. Sounds like a similar experience. "The more you eat Japanese food - the more disgusted you become." Jack Seward

Regards,

TS

37 posted on 08/31/2009 12:48:53 PM PDT by The Shrew (www.wintersoldier.com; www.tstrs.com; The Truth Shall Set You Free!)
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To: faucetman

Oh now you’ve gone and done it........


38 posted on 08/31/2009 12:51:15 PM PDT by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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To: big black dog


In my best Rambo Voice, "I'm coming for you ...."
39 posted on 08/31/2009 12:52:10 PM PDT by Scythian
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To: KungFuBrad

AWESOME! I am going to steal that technique and use it the next time I see a weepy liberal imploring that we need to embrace diversity...


40 posted on 08/31/2009 12:54:25 PM PDT by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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