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:
If she offered to share a plate of kegoki with me, I'm afraid I'd have to say yes.
Including each other, probably, given half a chance and the incentive that it's against western mores.
101 ways to wok your dog.
Siberia definitely. Putin knows this. Not the Middle East for living space--but for fuel. Also, recolonization of Africa by the Chinese and a move on Australia are not out of conception.
I know that the relationship between humans and their dogs is not the same as between humans and their children, but there is a level and depth to the human/canine relationship that is profound and real. It is from that place that my revulsion for this story comes from.
If you,or anyone else reading my post, are unaware of this relationship, then I feel pity for you and am truly sorry for what your soul is missing. These are nothing but my humble opinions, of course,so please feel free to flame away.
Some animals have the capacity to touch a part of our soul that we never knew existed.
Just thought it was curious that animals we consider "domesticated" ended up on the dinner table, or in a zoo. I don't know many people who keep cows, chickens or minks in their homes, so that is why I view dogs and cats as domesticated. Maybe you can housetrain a cow, I don't know, LOL.
We ate dog and cat, not to mention snake and probably a few rats while we were there. But coming from a western country there is a bit of culture shock when you see what you consider to be domesticated animals being slaughtered for food. Not that we in the US don't kill lots of dogs and cats that are abandoned at our pounds. It's just the food aspect of it that was unusual.
Of course, in the same market we saw tiger paws and rhinocerous horns, but that's a different issue.
Is food dog a new breed?
Not really. But you don't develop affection towards those dogs because they are raised in a dog farm for food markets, just like cows in the US.
I would say this is because they haven't developed a matured food dog industry. So everything has to be done manually. Also Asians like fresh food, so you kill dogs on the spot to prove they are fresh. No kidding.
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