[KS] Re: dog-eating

[Lance Kelly]

As a recent taster of Dog myself in South Korea, which also breeds the dogs it
eats especially for that purpose, the question should be asked also be asked "
why do we eat any animal such as sheep, whale in the case of japan, and cattle,
snails, frogs legs and worms, and witchity grubs, monkey head.?
The eating of dog is as an aphrodesiac or for virility and the eating of most if
not all Korean Food has a general intent for health wealth and happiness.
Can we say the same for our western diets?
Westernised influences in Korea have made some Koreans feel embarrased about it,
but certainly not all. Middle aged Koreans are proud that they eat dog and will
indeed encourage their younger members to eat Dog.
Regards,
Lance.



"Richard C. Miller" wrote:

> Alas, I have no sources to which to point you on the issue of dog-eating,
> but I will hazard the guess that turn-of-the-century European/American
> visitors to Korea, if they had any experience in Asia at all, were likely
> not surprised at the practice. It's everywhere, not just Korea. China,
> Vietnam, Thailand (which is currently debating closing dog/cat restaurants
> in Bangkok), the Philippines, and those parts of Indonesia beyond the reach
> of Islam: around Lake Toba in Sumatra, in the Toraja highlands in south
> Sulawesi, in Minahasa (north Sulawesi), and throughout Ambon. Not to
> mention the fact that many Native American groups ate dog as well, some of
> the Mexican peoples going so far as to have a special breed for the purpose.
>
> I find the attitudes toward dog-eating in different parts of Asia rather
> curious. I have gotten the impression that many Koreans are embarrassed by
> the practice--certainly a lot of Korean-Americans are, although that may in
> turn reflect the grief they've gotten from non-Asian Americans on the
> subject. (Growing up nearly forty years ago in the upper Midwest, which at
> that time had almost no Asian-Americans outside the larger cities, I also
> note the lack of differentiation between Asian nations among non-Asian
> Americans...). Vietnamese I have spoken with, and I grant there have not
> been many, seem mostly mystified that anyone cares. The folks here in
> Minahasa, on the other hand, know quite well that many Europeans and
> Americans (not to mention Muslims) are revolted by the thought of snacking
> on Rover, and take immense pleasure in boasting about their own dog-eating.
> It's a festive dish here, by the way, and hardly cheap: 200,000 rupiah for
> one meal's worth (feeds 4-6 people), which is significantly more than a
> month's salary, on average. (If you're curious, there will soon be 10,000
> rupiah per $US, so about $20 per "tail").
>
> It does not taste like chicken.
> --Richard C. Miller
> --UW School of Music
> --Manado, Indonesia
> --rcmiller at students.wisc.edu
>   http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~rcmiller/



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