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:
My question was rhetorical. Hui is definitely NOT Korean.
Eating dog meat is not pragmatic but from tradition. Korea as a country has been ravished by invaders many times. In order to gain strength in the past for the rice harvests, the Koreans ate dog meat to restore their protein levels.
NOT! Dog meat is treated as a specialty available only in certain resturants. While chicken and pork are easily found in the markets, dog meat is NEVER found in the markets.
Well now you are talking about something where the rest of the world is definately wrong. Soccer is boring....
I'm definately on the side of America. In this thread, however, I am expressing a point of view contrary to an opinion you and others apparantly hold (that dogs should not be eaten).
I see that your screen name appears Asian, so perhaps you're sticking up for the motherland and defending her against America.
We are only talking about whether or not it is okay to eat dog meat. I not taking up arms against you for goodness sake.
If you wanted to be an American, or if you have always been an American, why would you so vociferously come out against Americans?
I coming out against Americans that can't see that the rest of the world does not have the same eating habbits as we do.
By the way, western culture IS superior to eastern cultures.
Agreed, at least as far as political systems and English rule of law goes. On other matters, well, there is good and bad in both as I am sure you will agree.
MILFORD, Mich. (AP) -- Thousands of unwanted Canada geese are finding a new home in Iowa.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources last week trucked the last of 4,100 of the honking birds to a conservation area 550 miles away, near Chelsea, Iowa. DNR workers took seven truckloads of about 575 each.
And you think the Chinese are crazy! How much did we spend to move these geese. There is definately an easier and less expensive way to solve a problem of too many geese.
Anyone that claims that a cruelly slaughtered dog, selling for $800 U.S., is food for the poor is a liar.
What kind of a sick culture pays those kinds of dollars to eat tortured, beaten, boiled alive dogs, rhinocerous tusk and all of the other weird concoctions they have, because they believe it will improve their sexlife?
I'll gladly join the boycott!
They better try getting themselves a prescription for Viagra as opposed to choosing to come into my yard for a dog to torture to increase their sexual potency.
The only kind of hard they're going to get, coming into my yard, is rigor mortis.
I have doubt on the price. As I know, in some Chinese high-end restaurants they sell dog meat for about $8 a pound. On local markets it might be less than $2 for a pound of processed dog meat, while the lean beef is over $3 a pound. I don't think dog meat is more expensive than beef in China or Korea.
if you know a little about Chinese culture or Korean culture which is deeply influenced by Chinese, you may know a proverb that says "dog meat can never be put on a table", which means dog meat is not a decent dish to serve guests.
Tell me how to make those uneducated peasants understand they should not have more children than they can afford to raise? Tell me how to make those uneducated peasants understand the ultimate responsibilities for raising those children will rest on the society as a whole?
>>This policy is not equally enforced. Members of the communist party have more than one child.
Hey, it's the most strictly enforced law in China. Even Jiang Zemin's son won't dare to have a second child.
>>There's alot fewer women than men, but their population keeps growing.
The law has been there for only 20 years. It needs another 20 years to make the whole population go down.
"What is your point?"
i think what gets me is this: "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."
IF true this just is not right.
The difference only seems to be that it is a dog, not a pig, cow, chicken, frog, snake, turtle, lobsters or shrimp (my gosh, those poor things are dropped alive into boiling water).
You definitely will not feel uncomfortable if you don't know or choose not to know what happens in butcheries.
Actually I did some research on the dog meat price. Dog meat is NOT expensive in China.
According to Beijing Meat and Food Co, Ltd, stewed dog meat is 11.5 RMB for 250g, which means roughly $3 a pound for cooked, ready-eat dog meat. http://www.zhitongfood.com.cn/jiage.htm
According to a survey by Chines's Northeast Agricultural University, the whole sale price for dog meat balls is 30-35RMB/kg, which means less than $2 a pound. http://www.neau.edu.cn/international/tech_info/shipin.htm
If you buy raw dog meat at a wholesale price, I believe it will be much cheaper.
EXCUSE ME...THERE'S A DIFFERENCE????
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