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:
THOUSANDS of children over there are STARVING and all you are doing on this thread is calling those who choose to eat dog meat, "lowlife." Okay, I would like to hear you say that to a starving child in the streets.
Do you really consider yourself to be a "Christian"? If you really do, you are a hypocrite. Anyone who would condone such atrocities, besides having a cold empty soul, is subhuman, nevermind "Christlike", which is what is meant by the term "Christian".
It's people like you that convince non-believers that many who proclaim themselves "Christians" are nothing more than self-righteous fools.
Like I said before, why don't you guys just go over to the country and live there for a while, before you make ridiculous over generalized statements about a culture which you have no clue about.
What's more, I would like to see you guys deny dog meat to a starving orphan, just because the animal was killed in a cruel way. What's more important: Human life? Or animal life? You people have your priorities all mixed up.
In your infinite wisdom you neglect to consider that it is not WHAT is being eaten, but HOW it is being tortured and killed.
You better pray REALLY hard tonight that there is no such thing as HELL, because if there is, you might just get to find out what it's like to experience what these little creatures experience.
And you are putting up new straw men as fast as we knock them down... The article and the thread have not been about starving orphans.
By the way, western culture IS superior to eastern cultures.
A SMALL TREND? Have you bothered checking any of the links that I posted? Go back, read them, then tell me if you feel the way. Perhaps you're just ignorant, and if so, I may have been too harsh. BUT, on the other hand, you're simply being apologetic for these inhuman methods, then everything I've said applies.
Like I said before, why don't you guys just go over to the country and live there for a while, before you make ridiculous over generalized statements about a culture which you have no clue about.
Why don't YOU go take a look at the links and see for yourself what is GOING ON.
What's more, I would like to see you guys deny dog meat to a starving orphan, just because the animal was killed in a cruel way. What's more important: Human life? Or animal life? You people have your priorities all mixed up.
For one, these people aren't doing it to feed starving orphans. They're doing to give the West the proverbial finger, as they know MOST people in the West find these practices needless and cruel. AND SECONDLY, IF it were a matter of feeding starving children, there would STILL BE NO REASON FOR THE TORTURE AND THE CRUELITY. Wake up and smell the coffee MR. FJC.
Western culture is indeed superior to Eastern culture, but you are taking the issue of eating dog meat way too seriously. To the point that I thought you guys were joking around at first.
It is not morally wrong to eat dogs and cats, get over it.
I disagree. I think it is morally wrong. And I have no intention of getting over it... I am completely content with my view. My world is much more pleasant than yours... Get over that.
I am trying to figure out your logic. Why is it ethical to eat some animals and not others? It is not a cows, horses, or pigs fault that they aren't as intelligent as dogs and cats. Is that why you advocate eating these animals and not others?
Since the period of Adam's Fall, original sin, and the New Testament Covenant, all animals have been designated as fair game by God.
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