Posted on 06/30/2002 5:51:46 AM PDT by csvset
Dog meat hot among Korea and China's trendy young
Animal-rights activists say it is a food fad fuelled in part by a desire to rebel against Western criticism
By Ng Hui Hui
CANINE cuisine is becoming a fad among the young in South Korea and China, much to the dismay of animal-rights activists.
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| The cruelty in the handling of dogs during their slaughter has raised the ire of animal-rights activists. Strung by their necks, the dogs are beaten to death. |
Restaurant owners and dog-meat watchers confirm that youngsters are now taking dog meat as part of their regular diet - much like beef or chicken - as food joints dish out trendy new recipes to whet appetites.
According to one estimate, 92 per cent of men and 68 per cent of women above 20 in South Korea have tasted dog meat recently.
In China, dog breeders are saying that in a few years, there will be as many Saint Bernard dogs on the mainland as cows and sheep.(?)
Although past data on dog-meat consumption is not available, those concerned say the numbers would have been low earlier - since dog meat was considered a type of tonic for the older generation, eaten to increase libido and treat illnesses.
Catering to the fad, on sale now are hotdogs with real dog meat, dog cookies and sandwiches and even dog noodles as restaurants come up with fast-food variations.
Traditional recipes such as kimchi, a spicy fermented vegetable dish, are being given a make- over and are now prepared with dog meat extracts.
Dog meat chefs hope to add more varieties soon.
South Korean nutritionist Ahn Young Geun, who wrote a book titled Koreans and Dogmeat, has come up with more than 350 new recipes.
The professor, who is often referred to as Dr Dogmeat, believes dog-meat consumption should be increased because it offers three times more calcium than other types of meat.
Besides the nutritional value, nationalistic pride seems to be playing a part, said Ms Kyenan Kum, founder of the animal-rights group International Aid for Korean Animals.
About 2.6 million dogs are killed yearly for food in South Korea, Mr Louis Ng, president of Singapore-based Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), told The Sunday Times.
This is a 30 per cent increase over the 1993 figures.
'Eating dog meat is a show of defiance, especially among rebellious young people. They feel that the West has no right to criticise their culture,' he said.
Reflecting this sentiment, a group of students from Seoul University set up a website recently to promote the virtues of dog meat and secured 11,000 signatures in support of its campaign.
But it is the cruelty in the handling of dogs - man's best friend in the West - that is raising hackles among animal-rights activists.
Dogs are usually strung up by their necks and beaten repeatedly to increase the flow of adrenaline in their flesh. Consumers believe the more pain the animals suffer, the more tender the meat becomes.
The dogs would struggle, howl, urinate and bleed till they become unconscious. Finally, they are chopped into pieces. All these are done in front of other dogs awaiting the same fate.
Now, for the first time, an Asian grouping called Asia Link - made up of 14 animal welfare societies from 12 nations - has decided to join the protest and has sent a letter to the South Korean government urging a ban on dog meat.
Said Mr Ng of Acres, an Asia Link member: 'The Koreans say eating dog meat is part of their culture, but one cannot use culture to justify violence.'
Mounting criticisms made South Korea and China ban the trade for short periods in 1988 and 1999 respectively. But that has not kept South Koreans and Chinese from hankering for their dog burgers and dog noodles.
KOREAN CUISINE: Dog dishes
New dishes:
That makes me chuckle... thanks :~D
I was supporting the dog-eaters until this. That's just wrong. Assuming it isn't sensationalist BS, that is.
China was the most advanced civilization in the world and sent out explorer fleets to Africa and elsewhere. Then they stopped, on the edge of doing what Europe did later, including to China itself. Kinda like how we stopped serious space expeditions.
This is true.
In your dream. Don't expect to have dog meat at beef's prices unless the restaurant owner is nuts.
I remember reading that when someone actually went to go interview those people, most of them thought that with so many people around, someone must have already called the police. So it wasn't inhumanity, it was buck-passing.
If you were going to be consistent, you'd have to oppose eating any mammals. Another argument I really don't get is the "it violates trust" argument. If dogs in general truested humans in general, what good would guard dogs be?
It may or may not be. I never saw it when I was in Korea. And yes, I ate dog while I was there.
Uhm, sport, I didn't say it detested me.
While you're at it, what are the winning numbers for the next Lotto drawing?
Now get off your high horse.
The French eat horse, btw, but I'm sure you knew that too.
What I find most interesting is the arrogance of those that post that dogs or other animals have no emotions or feelings. Having been a dog owner most of my life, I can only remember about 6 years in my life where there wasn't a dog or cat around as a pet.
I can say with some authority that dogs especially do have emotions. And I can also say that if a dog is raised with respect and caring, it will be very loyal and protective. To the point of giving it's life for you. They express saddness, guilt, fear, rage and happiness regularly.
I have watch my dogs place themselve between my wife and any danger they thought was near. They do it without thought of danger to themselves. My little Boston Terrier will do everything in his power to stop an arguement between my wife and I. He will get between us and whine and act up to draw attention, and is always happy when the anger is past.
Just a few thoughts of my own, but I do think that dogs and humans have a different link than other animals and humans. IMHO.
Actually the article is kind of exaggerating. There are many ways of slaughtering dogs, but the most common way is to give a blow on the nose of a dog, or pumping water into the nose, which kills the dog in no more than a minute.
It's too obtuse of an idea. I can't imagine being in a situation with that choice... An awful lot needs to go wrong for that to be a foreseeable scenario... so the point is moot.
I would have little difficulty buying a steer to raise for beef... But I see a clear difference in the relationship a steer would come to expect from me. My trouble with maltreatment of pet animals is in the breach of trust, as I said. Other predators don't lie to their prey to make them easier to handle when you go to kill them.
As to Kitty Genovese, social psychologists suggest that "diffusion of responsibility" could play a part, that is, each person believed that someone else was going to help: excatly as you say. There are many, many factors that influence a person's decision to help someone, such as perceived need, the belief that they can help and are in a position to do so, the belief that they'll be held accountable, and even such factors as temperature and weather play a part.
The diffrence is those dogs on the market are raised as food animals not as companions in the first place.
There is no TRUST to build in dog farms.
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