I'm going to start by saying this may be a sensitive topic to some. The opinions I'll be expressing are solely my own and I don't necessarily expect you to agree with them, maybe just go into this post with a very open mind.
A few weeks ago I posed a question to my co-workers, "Would you ever eat dog or cat? No way being involved with the killing or cooking, but if it was presented to you just looking like cooked meat on a plate". Not unlike I'd planned, the large majority of people had a very big problem with the idea of it. It was stated that generally people couldn't stand the idea of eating something that can be considered such a close pet. While different cultures around the world with these animals as part of their diet, in the same respect may find a different animal to be in those same regards, not being able to bring themselves to stomach even a little nibble. Morals.
Maybe it's the natural desire to explore taste that has me very indifferent, as long as I didn't have to be part of the killing I would be interested to try. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the hunt for St. Bernard Stew or anything.... but if the opportunity arose I wouldn't turn it down. I've eaten enough questionable food to make me desensitized, without question I would take a plate of pooch over natto (fermented soybean) with raw egg any day. There are also boundaries i stay within too... no rats (I think dirt and disease) and certain seafood just doesn't peak my curiosity, but that's just a matter of safety and taste preference.
I then began to wonder why most people only have this hard a time getting over dog and cat. What about rabbit and horse? I can find both of those in North American restaurants if I search enough, yet both these animals are highly regarded pets also. Just makes me question how far our morals really stretch.... think really hard, could you do it?
2 comments:
Yes I would eat dog or cat if it was well cooked and maybe encrusted in a nice flakey pastry. Having eaten in an Iranian restaurant in Paris a few years ago the thought of eating dog is easy compared to what we ate there! We indulged in their version of tapas and had the dubious honour of sampling finest Iranian cuisine. We asked the waiter to tell us what some of the dishes were but after he informed us in broken English and lots of hand signals that one was marinated veins and another was the testicles of something or other we didnt really want to know. But anyway we tried them all and although we didn't die it wasnt an experience I would rush to repeat.
Also the French have no worries about eating horse with vans on the roadside selling great big steaks of flank or withers or whatever horsey cuts of meat are called. If it looks good, tastes good and isnt poisonous then give it a go.
ok that does sound like quite the experience. I probably would have been able to brave it, but I have been sick a couple times from "interesting" food or maybe jut how it was prepared. I've become a little more concerned now with where I eat, rather than what.
thanks so much for reading and i'm interested in hearing more culinary escapades.
Post a Comment