Posted on 03/06/2007 1:24:26 AM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu
The famous reverse news headline "Man bites dog!" is old news to some restaurants in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. "Welcome to animal kingdom where man pikin dey show dog pepper," says Chibuzo Eze in Pidgin English, meaning: Welcome to place where the son of man is giving dogs a hard time. Mr Eze then hungrily gets back to tugging his chunk of dog meat. He is standing under a mango tree in "South Africa", the name of an open-air restaurant hidden behind the living quarters of a Western construction firm in Abuja. "It is called South Africa because behind those high walls you'll find rich Europeans and outside here is Soweto, where we, ordinary masses, struggle with dog meat," Mr Eze explains with a smile playing on his face. 'Improves your sex life' Mr Eze says he eats dog meat because "e dey protect person from all those nyama-nyama disease them" - it gives you immunity from different diseases.
A few yards away Bassey Umoh, South Africa's owner and chief chef, pokes at larger chunks of sizzling meat barbecuing on wire gauze over an open fire. Mr Umoh, or Oga Bassey (oga is Pidgin English for boss) - as the "South Africans" fondly call him, says he has been selling dog meat since he completed a two-year apprenticeship in the business some 30 years ago. He also eats the meat he sells. "Eating dog meat gives you a special protection against the most potent juju (charm)," he claims, reeling off the benefits of dog meat. "Dog meat also improves your sex life. And if you eat dog meat, you cannot be poisoned."
Oga Bassey, however, says that despite the huge demand for his cuisine, his business is not doing very well because dogs are becoming scarce now in Abuja. "Everybody is eating dog meat openly now, that is why dogs are scarce," he says. Easy target Many Abuja dog owners complain that their dogs have gone missing, probably ending up in the likes of Oga Bassey's big dog pepper soup pot.
Most Nigerians keep dogs not as pets, but as guard dogs.
And instead of keeping them in kennels, the dogs are usually left to wander about freely, making them an easy target for people to kidnap and sell to restaurant owners like Mr Umoh. But Mr Umoh says he does not buy stolen dogs. He, however, admits that it is often difficult to tell whether some of the dogs sold to him have been stolen. "We have heard of people stealing dogs to sell. Our policy here in 'South Africa' is that we do not deal in stolen merchandise. So, we normally quiz our customers to be sure they are selling their own dogs," he explains. "Moreover, 'South Africa' is not the only dog-meat joint in Abuja," Mr Umoh adds. Indeed, there are three popular dog meat joints in this district on the western edge of Abuja alone. Also as a rule, there is always a dog-meat pepper soup joint in every army or police barracks in Abuja.
Nigeria's riot police seem to have a thing for dog meat too as a popular dog-meat joint called Obalende sits in the middle of their barracks in Nyanya, another Abuja suburb. Another popular dog-meat spot is "Zimbabwe", an open-air joint next to a small river on the outskirts of Abuja. Unlike "South Africa", "Zimbabwe" is, however, notorious for its gamblers, pick-pockets, prostitutes and bootlegged spirits. Culture Another dog-meat eater, Beke Nnkwo says he was introduced to the cuisine as a cure for malaria.
"People who eat dog meat have no business with malaria," Mr Nnkwo says. "So, I was introduced to the meat as a cure for malaria and I can testify that it works." Mr Nnkwo, an Igbo from south-eastern Nigeria, says eating dog meat is a question of culture. "I hear they eat frogs in certain parts of the world. But I tell you, no matter how you cook or dress a frog, I can never eat it. "But dog is different. So, eating dog meat is a question of culture for me." Dog meat is also eaten in Plateau and Gombe states in the north and it is becoming quite popular in other parts of the country including Kaduna and Adamawa with Abuja as the newest entrant. Asked how tasty the meat is, Mr Nnkwo beams and says: "Oh la la! You don't know what you are missing."
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You could make eating scum popular in Africa if you pandered to the stupidest superstitions. Just say it promotes sex, luck, money, etc. I usually bristle at dog eating articles but this one strikes me more as another lesson on how driven this culture is on, I'm sorry to say this, but ignorant notions.
I hear 'ya! Dog is off the menu for me. They're darn near human!
And if you were really really hungry, you would start eating yourself. At least that's what one of Stephen King's characters did. Surgeon finds himself marooned in an island devoid of flora and fauna. Starts eating his limbs until only the right arm remains on the torso. Last entry in his diary .."..and today I am going to eat my right arm.."
"Frog legs are tasty! But I draw the line at roast Rover or Puppy ona stick."
Rats on a stick! Rats on a stick!
Yes, I've heard the arguments about the intelligence of pigs. But they still squeal like a pig whenever you try to pick them up. And the pointy feet make them terrible lap pigs. Plus, their tails don't wag.
Cute, but we've already got a working word -- chow. Came from the breed of dog (chow-chow) routinely eaten by the Mongolians. Something to remember the next time you "chow down."
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