My idea is for a new fusion dog meal. As dog meat tastes a little gamey and oily, it could be prepared like duck or lamb, maybe. Thats would require roasting or cooking it on a rotisserie, rather than the customary boiling or poaching. And then, serving it with a mint or plume sauce would be tastey. “Sooyook” is made that way. I ain’t talking the “tang” variety. Anyways, I mention this only in the spirit of globalization and to those westerners who don’t seem to like the sesame leaf of “boochoo.”
Once when my buddy was studying at Michigan University or somewhere in the middle of the US, he and his friends there accidentally hit a dog on their way to go camping for a week. My buddy is a real country bumkin, and knows how to slaughter farm animals the old fashioned way. To make a long story short. They decided not to let the unlucky pooch go to waste. And after a few pit stops on the way to the wilderness, they were ready to roll. They feast lasted the whole of the week or so out there.
I think you’re wrong about D - dog eating goes back to the Chosun dynasty. But from what I’ve heard, dogs were eaten by the poor back then, it was not the gourmet stamina food it’s marketed as today.
The major distinction between dogs and cows, pigs, lamb, etc, are that dogs are social creatures that form strong bonds with people. Basically, we’ve bred them over thousands of years to live and work with us. And, as the sign says, you don’t eat your friend.
You can’t argue with a poor peasant in the Chosun dynasty choosing to eat dog over starvation, but in modern affluent
Korea there’s no excuse.
Tests have shown that pigs are actually more intelligent than dogs. The pork industry works hard to suppress this information from the public as folks might not be as keen to eat Porky Pig if they knew he was intelligent.
Link: http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs.asp
I guess I’d fall somewhere between B and C under hoju_saram’s categories being somewhat a realist and an animal lover.
I have no problem with Koreans eating dogs provided they aren’t unnecessarily tortured in the process, and that goes for all animals provided they are endangered or threatened.
Indigenous Australians have been eating kangaroos for 50,000 years but that still doesn’t left-wings nuts, particularly in Europe (France especially, hello Ms. Bardot), decrying the consumption of the bouncing half of the Australian coat of arms. Never considering the fact that roos are a in plague proportions in some areas, destroying crops. (I know, roos came before farmers, but money will always win that argument). And if they are to be culled, it’s better to do something for them than let them rot.
By the way, kanga bangas - kangaroo sausages - taste great.
Can anyone tell me why Korea is the only country picked on by everyone as the “dog eating” country? I even once had a Chinese netizen who told me to “go back to your dog eating country” during an on-line debate. And of course, Japanese incessantly put up videos of chosenjin monkies eating dogs on the youtubes almost as a daily occurance. I mean I can understand Westerners getting disgusted by it, but when other Asians start using the same thing to bash Koreans with, it certainly is puzzling.
It is one of the many issues Koreans get way to oversensitive about and thus the reason people push the button. If you tell someone where you have an itch, they are going to scratch it.
I just had an image in my head about the scene from the “Planet of Apes” where pigs instead of monkeys telling humans that they could have ruled the earth but for the pork industry putting “stupid pills” into their food.
Maybe it should be “Planet of Pigs”. Then, some say it already is.^^
Dokdofever has it right when it comes to dogmeat eating. Now if he or she can learn to admit that Dokdo is Japanese territory, he or she can begin his or her journey on the path to righteousness.
Robert,
Dogmeat eating is not cool, and it is not going to make you a Korean, no matter how many you eat, so I hope you puke your guts out after your next dogmeat meal and learn a lesson.
It is one of the many issues Koreans get way to oversensitive about and thus the reason people push the button.
Funny, I’ve always thought the same about Westerners and dogmeat. Christ, I even had to hear someone on the Tony Kornheiser Show on Friday complaining about how even though she liked Korea’s new tourism promotion campaign, she wouldn’t visit Korea because of dogmeat.
Dogmeat eating is not cool, and it is not going to make you a Korean, no matter how many you eat, so I hope you puke your guts out after your next dogmeat meal and learn a lesson.
Wouldn’t want to do that. Might mess up my hanbok.
CM asks an interesting question. I suspect the Koreans’ hypersensitivity and over reaction tend to make it the target of choice more so than say the Philippines or Vietnam. And if it weren’t for Korea who’d be paying attention to the unpleasant-to-the-eyes Brigitte Bardot?
Emotional melt downs are always fun to watch. Physical ones are kind of sad.
Speaking of mr. gbevers (assuming he is Mr. Gerry Bevers) I actually debated for a while on the site occidentalism on the issue. I argued that enforcing the view that eating dog is wrong is ethnocentric and therefore not right. After exchanges involving me trying to keep civility and receiving “sarcastic” responses, it ended up with a conclusion that I was being ethnocentric because I thought eating dog was ok and that I was trying to enforce my view on others. I stopped, not wishing to participate in the loop of logic that was being created. (Also, I had an OChem test come up, which, let me tell you, is a #^#$^#$%$%%$%$%!!!!!)
I’ll simplify my view here. Dog has been considered as a food source for a long time (one form or another), and is not inherently a “social” or “companion” animal. If one abhors the practice, that’s their prerogative, but when the practice is labeled as barbaric and/or uncivilized, the line has been crossed.
Inhumane treatment of the dogs for consumption is wrong, and it should be remedied by legally recognizing dog meat as a livestock (and therefore leads to government regulations and inspections).
@ Robert
Hanbok really is a real b*tch to clean when it’s dirtied… (the clothes completely nullify the modern advancements in laundry!!!) unless you wear one of those gaeryang ones.
I love the netizens’ responses on the article… some of them are so sarcastic, I could swear they were written by the Great Colbert himself.
One of the netizen’s comment brings out a very good point (albeit said in a very hostile manner). What is true cruelty? Eating them for food, or neutering them, cutting out their vocal cords, and groom them for not their benefits but ours? (Not to mention the large sum of dogs that get killed because people don’t want them?)
well, a man’s dick leads him to do many things that you would consider absolutely nuts.
Look at Charlie Sheen. Gonna get married yet again.
prior to Viagra in the 90’s, there wasn’t a good option to deal with male impotence.
I doubt it is true, but they say the dog is a special animal that doesn’t sweat, and when it is beaten to death and cooked right away, there are certain factors released that can help a man perform. I fully expect SNU to publish a study on this, since it has been working on kimchi as well.
viagra can be obtained. But with a prescription and a price. No doubt eating doggy soup is cheaper.
But I like dogs, even if dogs and cats have proven to nibble at dead people when they’re locked in with nowhere to go except to gaze at their dead owners for days.
I like cats, too.
I wouldn’t eat either.
And, thanks to my mom, I was prevented from eating it.
One particular Korean habit I loathe is the knee-jerk reliance on always claiming special circumstances, or unique situations, and exceptions to the rule, and a whole load of other horseshit that is so commonly pulled out of thin air to justify hypocritical or inconsistent viewpoints or behaviors that ultimately benefit themselves.
Well, whitey pulling that shit gets the same treatment and loathing. Sorry Bevers, but dogs aren’t special, or unique, or an exception. They’re simply fucking animals like all the rest, a notch lower on the food chain, and deserve to be treated as such. That means sliced, diced, sauteed, fried, barbecued, broiled, boiled, steamed, or whatever makes them taste good.
Claiming that dogs are unique and deserving of special consideration for any reason whatsoever just makes you guilty of the same hypocritical bullshit.
from what i hear all this talk about stamina and power that you get from eating dog, drinking gensing, and the host of other things koreans believe it doenst work!
the ladies dont lie and neither does the porn channel at the love motels!
basically if you arent 60 years old you really shouldnt need any help in korea this place is a walking erection derived from the abundant amount of hot chics
I think one reason Koreans are picked on for eating dogmeat is that Koreans tend to boast about it as a way of showing definance. They also try to promote it as a kind of exotic, Korean cultural food, when, in fact, it is not. During the Joseon period, dogmeat was considered an inferior meat and eaten mainly by the poor who had no other option.
I think most Koreans today eat dogmeat as a kind of screwed-up patriotic gesture, which is one reason they are always trying to get foreigners to try it. Even Koreans are insecure about eating dogmeat and want foreign company to make them feel better about themselves. Unfortunately, there are weak-willed foreigners who give into the pressure and eat dogmeat with the hope that it will win them favor with their host and will make them a part of the “Uri” crowd. However, I think the action actually causes Koreans to lose respect for the foreigner because Koreans can then look at the foreigner and think to themselves, “See, you are no better than us.”
Hopefully, young Koreans, like the ones in the photo, will eventually put an end to the barbaric practice and bring Korea into the twenty-first century. Is the act of defiance really worth the bad publicity Korea is getting?
Dogs are specials, which is why they are one of our favorite pets. There seems to be a link between dogs and humans, which is why they are called man’s best friend.
Yes, I think dogs are a notch lower than humans on the “food chain,” but I think there are a lot of other animals lower than humans and dogs on that chain. If we have a choice, we should eat those other animals first.
Humans are also animals, and people used to eat humans, but eating humans has for a long time been considered barbaric. I remember reading a twentieth-century interview with an old cannibal from New Guinea, I think, who said that he missed eating human meat. He said it tasted like fish. Just as eating humans has become taboo, eating dogmeat, one of the next animals on the food chain, has become taboo in most advanced societies. And when Korean society finally develops to a certain point, eating dogs will become taboo in Korea, too.
Thank you, Gerry, for your insight into the motivations of the modern-day dog eater. I suppose many Muslims regard Westerns eating pigs as an act of defiance and/or an intentional affront to their religion.
Unfortunately, there are weak-willed foreigners who give into the pressure and eat dogmeat with the hope that it will win them favor with their host and will make them a part of the “Uri” crowd.
I’m a bit slow, so I’m having a hard time determining whether that’s an ad hominem attack or a strawman argument.
However, I think the action actually causes Koreans to lose respect for the foreigner because Koreans can then look at the foreigner and think to themselves, “See, you are no better than us.”
Heaven forbid they think us no better than them. How would we lecture the savages on the fine points of civilization then?
Hopefully, young Koreans, like the ones in the photo, will eventually put an end to the barbaric practice and bring Korea into the twenty-first century.
Yeah, and to engage in a little strawman/speculation of my own, I’m sure if said young girl were holding up a sign that said “Fucking USA” or some anti-Japanese statement, she’d be a poor tool being used by adults for political/social aims she couldn’t possibly understand.
Luckily, however, she’s condemning dogmeat. Which means she’s a good sign that Korea may one day rise above its barbaric present into the 21st century.
Mr. Bevers, first, your argument about dog meat being eaten only by poor class (and therefore must not be a major part of Korean cuisine) is faulty, considering that for the most part in Korean history, poor farmers were the majority of the population. (using the same argument, various forms of 잡곡밥 cannot be considered as part of traditional Korean cuisine either since 쌀밥 was the preferred form of cooked rice for the “haves”)
In addition, your speculation about dog meat seems a bit stretched. You’re claiming that a ‘national pride’ is fueling an entire industry of dog cuisine (a rather improbable stance… how many ‘patriotic’ meals can you have in a day? Especially a pricey one like 보신탕?).
You’re also telling us that foreigners who try dog meat are pressured into doing so, and that even Koreans themselves are insecure about it. That is a lot of generalization in one paragraph. Many people consider it a “beating the summer heat away” meal (along with 삼계탕), “welcome home from the hospital” meal, or, as pointed out above, a supposed boost for male virility. My friends (unless they are avid dog lovers) always ask me to take them to Korea and let them try dog meat; no coercion here, unless you’re claiming that I can somehow create this supposed “uri” mentality all by myself in the middle of Arizona desert.
And “bad” publicity? Only the rabid radical animal rights groups are willing to go far as to label Korea “barbaric” “backward” etc. for dog eating (yes, including that group that caused trouble in 2002).
Wouldn’t that (most people see dogs as pets) be an appeal to majority (a lot of people believe this, so it must be true)?
And it’s not like anyone’s condoning people stealing pets as foods, are they?
And for crying out loud, enough with eating dog is tantamount to cannibalism argument. I can just claim that eating meat in general is wrong with the same argument, but it wouldn’t be justified now would it?
guys get over it for gods sake
listen do i eat dog meat HELL NO!
do koreans eat it HELL YES but i would say not that many
and a lot of the ones that do not eat it are the same ones who use the nationalisitic argument as a defense of the practice
its the same line of logic koreans take when they tried to enforce a car seat law for kids
“we have our own way to take care of children, we do not want laws like they have in western countries”
they will defend something out of spite to show their so called patriotism even if it makes no sense
like i said put Jindo dogs on the menu and see how many koreans would flip out you know JINDO dogs are the smartest, most loyal and fierce kanines in the world
well at least in the eyes of the average korean
this can go back and forth forever
ok dog eating is bad
eating dog is our business leave us alone
blah blah blah!
i think asians in general get bad publicity for eating animals that we westerns would never eat
”Funny, I’ve always thought the same about Westerners and dogmeat. Christ, I even had to hear someone on the Tony Kornheiser Show on Friday complaining about how even though she liked Korea’s new tourism promotion campaign, she wouldn’t visit Korea because of dogmeat.”
Robert,
In theory, I agree that dog meat is just another source of protein. But the fact that most Westerners (besides farm kids) have never had a chicken or a pig as a pet probably explains much of the emotionalism.
Also, having personally seen how the dogs are cared for (neglected) in Korea prior to slaughter I would never support the industry by eating dog meat in Korea. I now close my eyes when going past farms in Korea as I rather enjoy eating other Korean meat products occasionally. Ignorance is bliss.
Maybe you were raised on a farm and had the opportunity to slit Porky’s fat neck so he could make a sweet Christmas ham and are thus immune to the issue?
I spent msny vacations on my relatives’ farms and I still hear the blood curdling cry of sheep (they can sound like a baby cryiing when they are getting smoked) when I eat a good lamb chop.
27. Gbevers, you are right. Dogs are special. They are special because they helped us win the war against Neanderthal man.
See, humans have small noses. Dogs lingered around settlements and ate left over food and waste. They just ‘cleaned’ up and humans noticed this and kept them because they were useful…not cute.
I have eaten dog, and I’d eat cat if I had the chance. Hell, I’d give elephant a try. Who gives a shit? Apparently you do. SO why not go grab a nice pipping hot bowl of dog soup. You’ll need the stamina.
Interesting that people created lots of different breeds of dog for various purposes, shaping dog evolution by selective breeding, yet they didn’t create a “meat dog” for eating. Other animals were designated for that. So, eating a dog is like ignoring thousands of years of human - canine cohabitation. Dogs are different.
ok fair enough, but what percentage of dogs
were bred for eating vs. other species -
very few I’d bet. And which animals
do people still live with today?
That’s enough to make the canine relationship
with people unique.
I spent msny vacations on my relatives’ farms and I still hear the blood curdling cry of sheep (they can sound like a baby cryiing when they are getting smoked) when I eat a good lamb chop.
They smoked ‘em, live?; and you have qualms about the way food dogs are treated in Korea (not that you shouldn’t, but that you do is surprising)?
Chiamattt- doesn’t eating your pet strike you as cold and inhumane? Dogs are sociable animals bred to consider humans as “part of the pack.” They trust you, as pack leader, not to kill them. Dogs were domesticated like no other animal to live with us, protect our property, be our friends, etc. It’s a cold, merciless betrayal to kill a member of the group. I can’t accept treating dogs that way.
Koreans should start eating more cats instead of dogs so they don’t have to hear foodists saying that dogs love you unconditionally and been humanities friends for so long etc. etc.
Not even the most fervent animal lovers can deny that cats only love you as long as you feed them and clean out their toilet.
I have had dogs most of my life. I love dogs. BUT, I also love to eat dogs! On ehas to keep in mind that there are dogs in Korea that are considered pets, and those that are considered livestock. I doubt too many Malteses or Shitzus are appearing on tables in restaurants. As for why Korea gets picked on? Someone (I am too lazy to go back and see who) hit the nail on the head– it is only because Koreans scream and yell about it when people like Brigitte Bardot condemn them for it. Most of Southeast Asia eats it, as do the Chinese, and even certain rural areas in Japan. Don’t forget teh eastern cantons of Switzerland either. The difference is none of those countries feel (rightfully so, IMO) that the criticism doesn’t even warrant a response.
Oops! I meant that “none of these countries feel that the criticism even warrants a response!”
Robert (or any other ‘evil, dog-eating waygooks’ out there), if you are ever down in the 경주/포항 area, there is an excellent 여양탕집 here in 안강. It is fairly reasonably priced and they make a great 전골.
“Why single out France? Much closer to (this blog’s) home, horse meat is also considered a delicacy in Japan. As a matter of fact, the practice of horse slaughter in Japan for human (and/or animal) consumption led to one of the greatest scandals in recent horse racing history, the ignoble death of 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand.”
Haven’t made it to Jeju Island yet eh? They like to eat the ponies there too.
Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces.
Jules: I don’t eat dog either.
Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal?
Jules: I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
And there you have it folks. Dogs have personality! That’s why you can’t eat them. Well, you can. I mean, who’s gonna stop the Koreans? The U.N.? Hahahaha…
However, it’s got huge consequences. As much of the Western World is in love with a dog’s personality, a nation that is well publicized as having cainine on the menu is just going to leave a bad taste (no pun intended) in one’s mouth and in pop culture. Another case in point, in an episode of Friends, Phoebe says: “Korean bbq? Ewww, a crate full of puppies, that’s what I call Korean bbq.”
The all important national image that Koreans always talk about will always get a beating if it’s propagated in pop culture that Koreans eat dog. We can debate the right and wrong forever, but the fact is it just freak’in looks bad.
ummm… (or should i say, yum?) korean dogs… they were no different than any other livestock that just ran around the front yard. I would think that a korean farmer would feel more attached to their cows (like the hindus) than their dogs. A dog’s only purpose on the farm is to be a living door bell/security system. unlike the cow, which literally fed his entire family. of course, in rich countries dog’ main function is to love and be loved.
My chinese brother in law told me this story about his friend. He went to visit his uncle in China and played with the monkey in a cage in his front yard. next day after lunch he went to play with the monkey and said, “hey, where’s the monkey?” well, yes, you astute readers, you guessed it.
I remember reading a story on DailyNK about an old woman who was raising a pig and NK soldiers stole it. In the story, the woman would talk to the pig every day and took special care of it, since it represented her meager savings. Lots of people get attached to their animals, but butcher them anyway. It wasn’t so long ago that Korea was agrarian and everyone lived in mud huts. It wasn’t all that long ago Korea was more or less feudal. (in fact this is mostly true above 38th parallel)
I serious doubt the middle ages europeans had any qualms about eating dogs either. They just grow out of popularity since they make poor meat animals and they don’t taste that much better than chicken. The practice of breeding “eating” dogs in kennels is a new thing. I don’t believe the stories of beating dogs to make it taste better. I’m sure the shops advertised it that way, but it’s too much a pain in the @$$ to beat living dogs–i doubt it taste any different either.
christ… right or wrong about eating dogs… it’s not like they are boiling a live baby. anyway, ROK government should host a boshintang party on dokdo with Gerry B as special guest of honor. You know, to apologize for getting canned. Maybe he will forgive us then.
‘The Jeju Livestock Cooperative Federation estimates that 507 horses were butchered between the beginning of this year and September, close to the 564 recorded for the whole of last year. It also estimates that some 1,800, three times the number approved, were butchered privately. That is theoretically illegal, but it is such a venerable practice in Jeju that no one takes issue with it.‘ (emphasis mine)
Guess it ain’t just those folks in the boshintang business that get a pass for illegality. The only trouble I have with this ‘venerable practice’ of criminality is that it’s supportive of increased demand stemming from Japanese consumers. What’s the rationale for that?
Tell you what, eat anything you want. Kill whatever animal you want and eat it. But kill the damn thing and be on your way. Don’t whack it for an hour because you’re afraid to lose your hard-on. Don’t tell me that doesn’t still go on. It does.
45. Dokdo:
I have never eaten a pet. I have eaten an animal that was bred to be eaten. It just so happens that its also an animal that COULD have been a pet.
Just because one dog is a pet does not mean another dog is also a pet. Pit bull’s aren’t bred to be pets. They are bred to be killers. By lumping all dogs into the same category of “faithful friend of man” you sound rather simplistic.
What’s simplistic is to think that because we have some sort of intentions for a specific breed that somehow that eliminates their central nervous system and they don’t feel pain. Just freakin kill them! Don’t slowly torture them to death so you can get the “full benefit”.
When the guy talked about sheep getting smoked, I don’t think he meant live sheep being herded into a roomy oven with some hickory chips. I think he meant it like, “I pulled out my thirty-eight and smoked the guy”. Nor was he talking about rolling animals in paper and lighting up. Maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps that’s what they do where he comes from to get erections.
Oh, and when someone says, “I laid the wood to that babe”, don’t assume any forestry products were involved.
But the issue isn’t really the animal cruelty is it? It was the same camp of protesters who blocked the legal efforts to legalize (and therefore regulate and inspect) the industry who’s protesting now. The animal abuse can be easily curbed by legal control, which isn’t that hard to set up either.
Which brings us back to the issue of eating dog itself. To the actual practice of eating dogs, the opposition (foreign or domestic) has not yet provided a valid reason. The usual arguments are animal cruelty (off-topic and ironic as noted above), companion animal (as mentioned previously in this thread, not true), and not necessary to eat (one can argue that to any food in existence). When the “bad image” is being created by something that is illogical, it shouldn’t be just accepted as status quo.
You must have me mistaken for the sheep being led into the oven. As far as I am concerned the issue is the cruelty and you saying it’s not doesn’t change it. You can try to lump me in with others but I won’t fit. MY ISSUE IS WITH THE CRUELTY.
Eat dogs. Eat em all. But don’t tell me what I object to and what I don’t.
I can’t stop you and I won’t. You want to kill some animal slowly and tell me how beneficial it is to your health, great. Try to remember the types of people who come up with this crap. And the sadistic bastards who talk about the release of certain glandular chemicals and blah, blah, blah… You’re not fooling anyone.
Let’s say one day a dog bit his master. Instead of just roasting him up and eating him he decided to get a measure of vengeance. That night he had amazing sex and came to the conclusion that it was some glandular secretion permeating the meat of the terrified animal. He didn’t realize that psychologists have a name for people like him. He was aroused by the act itself and not any secretion. Word spread. We all know the level of Korean skepticism. You can fill in the rest. Maybe it wasn’t in Korea. Maybe it started in China. But who else would come up with this? Who would be the first to try it?
They’re just animals, right? However, this kind of callousness sometimes doesn’t limit itself to individual species.
Like I said, do what you want. The problem is you want to eat dog and have everybody be down with it. Sorry, too many people like dogs and not for their savory, yummy, yummy goodness.
My point was that since legalization of dog meat as livestock (as in, include it as a livestock in Korean law) is easy to do and will solve the problem of cruelty, and since the original topic of the discussion was dog consumption (”Don’t eat my friend”), it’s off-topic to talk about cruelty. Basically, the problem you raise up has a solution already and has been tried (but has been blocked by people opposed to eating dogs).
Not so sure how you can link bestiality into matters of cuisine. Using the same logic, I can argue against eating cows or pigs (albeit as disturbingly).
And once again, I think it’s a real problem when people are opposed to an idea without any valid logical reasons. To simply say “well, that’s how the majority feels” is fallacy (appealing to the majority) and should not be accepted as a status quo.
Bestiality? Holy crap! No, the word is sadism.
I realize idiots take it too far. They are the same people trying to save the planet while driving their air-conditioned BMW’s. They tell Jorge to quit strip burning his forest while we continue to treat our forests like they are undiminishable.
But if you think passing a law is going to stop that backwoods proprietor from butchering his dog the old fashioned way your being myopic.
I can see how my comment might have gotten misconstrued. The “measure of vengengeance” would have been a slow and painful death. The sex would have been with his wife, a girlfriend or, I don’t know, a traveling gypsy lady? Sorry! Boy, bestiality would have been a strange genesis for poshintang.
I think orankay is going to give us a sliver of latitude on the topic, particularly when the article referenced isn’t in English. I believe we’ve gone farther afield in previous threads.
Lol you know, that could possibly be the most hilarious internet misread on my part ever.
But are you talking about restaurants practicing animal abuse or just people doing it? Former can be definitely taken care of by including dog into livestock in the animal welfare law that already exists.
Latter is now illegal: (http://au.news.yahoo.com/070709/3/13×8k.html)
My father runs a restaurant in the States and I have an idea what is involved in code inspection and investigation. It’s pretty difficult there where you don’t have the convoluted alleys, restaurants stacked one upon another and the hidden Ma and Pa joints in the boonies. I can’t even imagine how difficult it must be here.
Bribe money might also carry some weight. I’m sure the inspectors wouldn’t mind overlooking a violation or two. Who knows? Maybe the chief inspector is looking for an assist in the bedroom. You think everyone will immediately agree to laws like that?
I think it would be a great compromise between the two camps. The industry’s already under heavy fire especially for the cruelty involved in slaughtering, and I think they would be glad to find a way to keep their business and evade public scorns.
My parents also have ran restaurants in U.S., and considering that inspection requires examination of the food stocking, it would be pretty tough to hide the whole dog cage and beating issue. Plus, the law would give the animal rights group legal mandate for their purpose, which would bleed into societal consciousness as well as make the law more powerful.
In addition, having been in the community of restaurant owners, I know (as you know) that bribery can only go so far in health inspection; some things they just can’t risk to cover up. With animal cruelty behind the specific proposed legislation here, the ‘unbribable’ category would fit in here.
I just don’t trust that all the dog meat being sold is fit for human consumption because there are no regulations on butchering these animals. There has also been at least one documented case in the Korean press of people being arrested for selling to restaurants the carcasses of thousands of dogs used in medical research.
Precisely the reason why the industry should be regulated by the government. Curb the animal abuse, establish safety, and create a compromise between the anti-dog meat camp and pro-dog meat camp. Three birds with one stone.
SomeguyinKorea, I know this is way off-topic, but your comment reminded me of an old, old issue. Is animal cruelty justified when it involves direct human benefit? (like medical research, for example) (Disclaimer: Not trying to relate this to eating dogs… just happens that some of my friends are hardcore PETA members and we always get into this argument…)
When the issue of dogmeat comes up, I am fond of citing this research study from Purdue University:
“There are a variety of environmental conditions which can cause stress in animals. Some of these include extremes in temperature, humidity, light, sound, and confinement. Other stressors are excitement, fatigue, pain, hunger, thirst. Movement to unfamiliar surroundings can also cause stress in animals. Stress before slaughter can cause undesirable effects on the end quality of meat such as pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat and dark firm dry (DFD) meat.
The article explains the chemical processes that damage meat, resulting from two kinds of stress - pre-slaughter mistreatment and poor diet/living conditions. The whole notion that beating a dog to death enhances the quality of the meat is, like fan death, part of modern Korean mythology. Moreover, any animal meat is only as good as that animal’s diet. I would guess that livestock dogs are fed rendered animal parts that are probably high in toxins. The further up the food chain, the higher the pesticide residue in the meat.
Man’s best friend might be tasty, but it’s probably not healthy and not even good quality meat.
The all important national image that Koreans always talk about will always get a beating if it’s propagated in pop culture that Koreans eat dog. We can debate the right and wrong forever, but the fact is it just freak’in looks bad.
Speaking of which, how’s your crusade to get people to stop referring to the Mercury as the “kimchi palace” going?
“using animals for medical research can be done humanely, just as butchering livestock for food generally is.”
I don’t know if things have changed any, but last time I watched a video on what goes on in a slaughter factory, I thought I was going to vomit the the whole day.
I see someone’s been trolling the web, looking for information on yours truly. That was on what? Page 22 of google search after you hit “repeat the search with the omitted results included”? I’m not going to even venture to ask why you even bothered.
“I have never eaten a pet. I have eaten an animal that was bred to be eaten. “,/i>
Did you see the dog before it was slaughtered? Most dogmeat comes from farms, but larger household or guard dogs that are no longer wanted may be sold to a butcher or a restaurant. I used to walk by a dogmeat restaurant every weekend on the way to a friend’s house, and I would see live dogs in cages outside the restaurant. The dogs were not always the light brown livestock variety. Chinese dogmeat restaurants will cook anything that barks. Down the road from my apartment was a “fresh kill” dogmeat restaurant that butchered on demand. The cage outside was full of dogs of every breed. We even saw a collie and a German shepherd.
“Chinese dogmeat restaurants will cook anything that barks.”
Just saw a new story on street food in China. They were being exposed for making mandu dough out of cardboard softened with chemicals. The Chinese vendor called it the 60/40 formula. 60% flour (or whatever they make mandu dough out of) and 40% cardboard. Anything to save a few coins in production costs.
I won’t be eating any street food on my first visit to China needless to say. Surprisingly the Chinese food vendor said he doesn’t eat his own food either…nice.
77 Comments
I don’t see a tasty bird in the lot. Seoul Motor Show girls, please.
Okidoki, I will eat ugly dogs from now on.
As I think about the subject, I have come to the conclusion that I might have eaten an ugly one, a bitch.
She looked sexy outside but ugly inside.
My idea is for a new fusion dog meal. As dog meat tastes a little gamey and oily, it could be prepared like duck or lamb, maybe. Thats would require roasting or cooking it on a rotisserie, rather than the customary boiling or poaching. And then, serving it with a mint or plume sauce would be tastey. “Sooyook” is made that way. I ain’t talking the “tang” variety. Anyways, I mention this only in the spirit of globalization and to those westerners who don’t seem to like the sesame leaf of “boochoo.”
Once when my buddy was studying at Michigan University or somewhere in the middle of the US, he and his friends there accidentally hit a dog on their way to go camping for a week. My buddy is a real country bumkin, and knows how to slaughter farm animals the old fashioned way. To make a long story short. They decided not to let the unlucky pooch go to waste. And after a few pit stops on the way to the wilderness, they were ready to roll. They feast lasted the whole of the week or so out there.
Happy Consitution Day.
#3, From what I’ve heard, dog meat is too dry and tough for roasting - that’s why it’s boiled. BTW Is it constitution day in Korea?
I can see where this thread is headed:
A. Random expat: Eating dog meat is disgusting and uncivilized.
B. Realist: Why? What’s so different about eating dog to eating cow or pig?
C. Animal lover: But many people torture the dogs to make them taste better.
D. Korean: Nobody does that anymore. Besides, it tastes delicious and it is culturally important. Also, see B.
D. Historian: No its not culturally important, it started in the Korean War when people were starving and had nothing else to eat.
Repeat and rinse, ad nauseam.
I think you’re wrong about D - dog eating goes back to the Chosun dynasty. But from what I’ve heard, dogs were eaten by the poor back then, it was not the gourmet stamina food it’s marketed as today.
The major distinction between dogs and cows, pigs, lamb, etc, are that dogs are social creatures that form strong bonds with people. Basically, we’ve bred them over thousands of years to live and work with us. And, as the sign says, you don’t eat your friend.
You can’t argue with a poor peasant in the Chosun dynasty choosing to eat dog over starvation, but in modern affluent
Korea there’s no excuse.
. . . or old adghoshi’s eating dogs are merely the inedible in pursuit of the unspeakable.
Tests have shown that pigs are actually more intelligent than dogs. The pork industry works hard to suppress this information from the public as folks might not be as keen to eat Porky Pig if they knew he was intelligent.
Link: http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs.asp
I guess I’d fall somewhere between B and C under hoju_saram’s categories being somewhat a realist and an animal lover.
I have no problem with Koreans eating dogs provided they aren’t unnecessarily tortured in the process, and that goes for all animals provided they are endangered or threatened.
Indigenous Australians have been eating kangaroos for 50,000 years but that still doesn’t left-wings nuts, particularly in Europe (France especially, hello Ms. Bardot), decrying the consumption of the bouncing half of the Australian coat of arms. Never considering the fact that roos are a in plague proportions in some areas, destroying crops. (I know, roos came before farmers, but money will always win that argument). And if they are to be culled, it’s better to do something for them than let them rot.
By the way, kanga bangas - kangaroo sausages - taste great.
Can anyone tell me why Korea is the only country picked on by everyone as the “dog eating” country? I even once had a Chinese netizen who told me to “go back to your dog eating country” during an on-line debate. And of course, Japanese incessantly put up videos of chosenjin monkies eating dogs on the youtubes almost as a daily occurance. I mean I can understand Westerners getting disgusted by it, but when other Asians start using the same thing to bash Koreans with, it certainly is puzzling.
It is one of the many issues Koreans get way to oversensitive about and thus the reason people push the button. If you tell someone where you have an itch, they are going to scratch it.
ElCanguro,
I just had an image in my head about the scene from the “Planet of Apes” where pigs instead of monkeys telling humans that they could have ruled the earth but for the pork industry putting “stupid pills” into their food.
Maybe it should be “Planet of Pigs”. Then, some say it already is.^^
Dokdofever has it right when it comes to dogmeat eating. Now if he or she can learn to admit that Dokdo is Japanese territory, he or she can begin his or her journey on the path to righteousness.
Robert,
Dogmeat eating is not cool, and it is not going to make you a Korean, no matter how many you eat, so I hope you puke your guts out after your next dogmeat meal and learn a lesson.
Funny, I’ve always thought the same about Westerners and dogmeat. Christ, I even had to hear someone on the Tony Kornheiser Show on Friday complaining about how even though she liked Korea’s new tourism promotion campaign, she wouldn’t visit Korea because of dogmeat.
Wouldn’t want to do that. Might mess up my hanbok.
gbevers,
You are so ugly and twisted.
Before you start to picking on Roberts, I at least have tried to understand your point of view on Dokto.
But, now you are just ugly. Racist ugly.
Pity that the KORUS FTA didn’t include dog meat.
The US euthanizes approx. 10 million animals a year; many of these could have been exported to Korea. Could have been a nice source of revenue. A business opportunity for someone I reckon.
CM asks an interesting question. I suspect the Koreans’ hypersensitivity and over reaction tend to make it the target of choice more so than say the Philippines or Vietnam. And if it weren’t for Korea who’d be paying attention to the unpleasant-to-the-eyes Brigitte Bardot?
Emotional melt downs are always fun to watch. Physical ones are kind of sad.
Speaking of mr. gbevers (assuming he is Mr. Gerry Bevers) I actually debated for a while on the site occidentalism on the issue. I argued that enforcing the view that eating dog is wrong is ethnocentric and therefore not right. After exchanges involving me trying to keep civility and receiving “sarcastic” responses, it ended up with a conclusion that I was being ethnocentric because I thought eating dog was ok and that I was trying to enforce my view on others. I stopped, not wishing to participate in the loop of logic that was being created. (Also, I had an OChem test come up, which, let me tell you, is a #^#$^#$%$%%$%$%!!!!!)
I’ll simplify my view here. Dog has been considered as a food source for a long time (one form or another), and is not inherently a “social” or “companion” animal. If one abhors the practice, that’s their prerogative, but when the practice is labeled as barbaric and/or uncivilized, the line has been crossed.
Inhumane treatment of the dogs for consumption is wrong, and it should be remedied by legally recognizing dog meat as a livestock (and therefore leads to government regulations and inspections).
@ Robert
Hanbok really is a real b*tch to clean when it’s dirtied… (the clothes completely nullify the modern advancements in laundry!!!) unless you wear one of those gaeryang ones.
I love the netizens’ responses on the article… some of them are so sarcastic, I could swear they were written by the Great Colbert himself.
One of the netizen’s comment brings out a very good point (albeit said in a very hostile manner). What is true cruelty? Eating them for food, or neutering them, cutting out their vocal cords, and groom them for not their benefits but ours? (Not to mention the large sum of dogs that get killed because people don’t want them?)
well, a man’s dick leads him to do many things that you would consider absolutely nuts.
Look at Charlie Sheen. Gonna get married yet again.
prior to Viagra in the 90’s, there wasn’t a good option to deal with male impotence.
I doubt it is true, but they say the dog is a special animal that doesn’t sweat, and when it is beaten to death and cooked right away, there are certain factors released that can help a man perform. I fully expect SNU to publish a study on this, since it has been working on kimchi as well.
viagra can be obtained. But with a prescription and a price. No doubt eating doggy soup is cheaper.
But I like dogs, even if dogs and cats have proven to nibble at dead people when they’re locked in with nowhere to go except to gaze at their dead owners for days.
I like cats, too.
I wouldn’t eat either.
And, thanks to my mom, I was prevented from eating it.
like I mentioned many times, dog eating is common practice in countries like Vietnam as well. This Vietnamese girl said dog meat tastes sweat. Sweat.
Sweat. I wonder if that’s a natural sweatness.
Anyway, for now, they’re definately under the radar.
Korea, on the other hand, is marked by the world as that dog eating country.
No matter how you look at it, it is a reason for ridicule.
And, I don’t think dogs are butchered any worser than cows and chickens and pigs.
all of them probably feel betrayed by man, who raised them, smooth talked them, or whatever and violently ender their lives.
but, make no mistake about it. We need to eat animals.
sweet, not sweat
One particular Korean habit I loathe is the knee-jerk reliance on always claiming special circumstances, or unique situations, and exceptions to the rule, and a whole load of other horseshit that is so commonly pulled out of thin air to justify hypocritical or inconsistent viewpoints or behaviors that ultimately benefit themselves.
Well, whitey pulling that shit gets the same treatment and loathing. Sorry Bevers, but dogs aren’t special, or unique, or an exception. They’re simply fucking animals like all the rest, a notch lower on the food chain, and deserve to be treated as such. That means sliced, diced, sauteed, fried, barbecued, broiled, boiled, steamed, or whatever makes them taste good.
Claiming that dogs are unique and deserving of special consideration for any reason whatsoever just makes you guilty of the same hypocritical bullshit.
from what i hear all this talk about stamina and power that you get from eating dog, drinking gensing, and the host of other things koreans believe it doenst work!
the ladies dont lie and neither does the porn channel at the love motels!
basically if you arent 60 years old you really shouldnt need any help in korea this place is a walking erection derived from the abundant amount of hot chics
now that gives me stamina!!!
CM,
I think one reason Koreans are picked on for eating dogmeat is that Koreans tend to boast about it as a way of showing definance. They also try to promote it as a kind of exotic, Korean cultural food, when, in fact, it is not. During the Joseon period, dogmeat was considered an inferior meat and eaten mainly by the poor who had no other option.
I think most Koreans today eat dogmeat as a kind of screwed-up patriotic gesture, which is one reason they are always trying to get foreigners to try it. Even Koreans are insecure about eating dogmeat and want foreign company to make them feel better about themselves. Unfortunately, there are weak-willed foreigners who give into the pressure and eat dogmeat with the hope that it will win them favor with their host and will make them a part of the “Uri” crowd. However, I think the action actually causes Koreans to lose respect for the foreigner because Koreans can then look at the foreigner and think to themselves, “See, you are no better than us.”
Hopefully, young Koreans, like the ones in the photo, will eventually put an end to the barbaric practice and bring Korea into the twenty-first century. Is the act of defiance really worth the bad publicity Korea is getting?
Bevers, you going to “pick on” China and Switzerland for their dog eating traditions too?
Apparently they even had/have bilateral trade in mung-mung:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/bernard.htm
“I think most Koreans today eat dogmeat as a kind of screwed-up patriotic gesture”
vs.
“I think America started the Korean War to take over Korean peninsula and enslave Koreans”
Which is stupider?
gbevers sunk to the level of Korean Commies. Give some viagra and hot chicks. He may change.
LOL for Google:
http://www.puppybeef.com/index.php
I think it’s bogus, but….
Iheartblueballs,
Dogs are specials, which is why they are one of our favorite pets. There seems to be a link between dogs and humans, which is why they are called man’s best friend.
Yes, I think dogs are a notch lower than humans on the “food chain,” but I think there are a lot of other animals lower than humans and dogs on that chain. If we have a choice, we should eat those other animals first.
Humans are also animals, and people used to eat humans, but eating humans has for a long time been considered barbaric. I remember reading a twentieth-century interview with an old cannibal from New Guinea, I think, who said that he missed eating human meat. He said it tasted like fish. Just as eating humans has become taboo, eating dogmeat, one of the next animals on the food chain, has become taboo in most advanced societies. And when Korean society finally develops to a certain point, eating dogs will become taboo in Korea, too.
Mr. Bevers, first, your argument about dog meat being eaten only by poor class (and therefore must not be a major part of Korean cuisine) is faulty, considering that for the most part in Korean history, poor farmers were the majority of the population. (using the same argument, various forms of 잡곡밥 cannot be considered as part of traditional Korean cuisine either since 쌀밥 was the preferred form of cooked rice for the “haves”)
In addition, your speculation about dog meat seems a bit stretched. You’re claiming that a ‘national pride’ is fueling an entire industry of dog cuisine (a rather improbable stance… how many ‘patriotic’ meals can you have in a day? Especially a pricey one like 보신탕?).
You’re also telling us that foreigners who try dog meat are pressured into doing so, and that even Koreans themselves are insecure about it. That is a lot of generalization in one paragraph. Many people consider it a “beating the summer heat away” meal (along with 삼계탕), “welcome home from the hospital” meal, or, as pointed out above, a supposed boost for male virility. My friends (unless they are avid dog lovers) always ask me to take them to Korea and let them try dog meat; no coercion here, unless you’re claiming that I can somehow create this supposed “uri” mentality all by myself in the middle of Arizona desert.
And “bad” publicity? Only the rabid radical animal rights groups are willing to go far as to label Korea “barbaric” “backward” etc. for dog eating (yes, including that group that caused trouble in 2002).
Wouldn’t that (most people see dogs as pets) be an appeal to majority (a lot of people believe this, so it must be true)?
And it’s not like anyone’s condoning people stealing pets as foods, are they?
And for crying out loud, enough with eating dog is tantamount to cannibalism argument. I can just claim that eating meat in general is wrong with the same argument, but it wouldn’t be justified now would it?
guys get over it for gods sake
listen do i eat dog meat HELL NO!
do koreans eat it HELL YES but i would say not that many
and a lot of the ones that do not eat it are the same ones who use the nationalisitic argument as a defense of the practice
its the same line of logic koreans take when they tried to enforce a car seat law for kids
“we have our own way to take care of children, we do not want laws like they have in western countries”
they will defend something out of spite to show their so called patriotism even if it makes no sense
like i said put Jindo dogs on the menu and see how many koreans would flip out you know JINDO dogs are the smartest, most loyal and fierce kanines in the world
well at least in the eyes of the average korean
this can go back and forth forever
ok dog eating is bad
eating dog is our business leave us alone
blah blah blah!
i think asians in general get bad publicity for eating animals that we westerns would never eat
nuff said
#4
Good job on your prediction.
Also, will I find my true love this year?
”Funny, I’ve always thought the same about Westerners and dogmeat. Christ, I even had to hear someone on the Tony Kornheiser Show on Friday complaining about how even though she liked Korea’s new tourism promotion campaign, she wouldn’t visit Korea because of dogmeat.”
Robert,
In theory, I agree that dog meat is just another source of protein. But the fact that most Westerners (besides farm kids) have never had a chicken or a pig as a pet probably explains much of the emotionalism.
Also, having personally seen how the dogs are cared for (neglected) in Korea prior to slaughter I would never support the industry by eating dog meat in Korea. I now close my eyes when going past farms in Korea as I rather enjoy eating other Korean meat products occasionally. Ignorance is bliss.
Maybe you were raised on a farm and had the opportunity to slit Porky’s fat neck so he could make a sweet Christmas ham and are thus immune to the issue?
I spent msny vacations on my relatives’ farms and I still hear the blood curdling cry of sheep (they can sound like a baby cryiing when they are getting smoked) when I eat a good lamb chop.
27. Gbevers, you are right. Dogs are special. They are special because they helped us win the war against Neanderthal man.
See, humans have small noses. Dogs lingered around settlements and ate left over food and waste. They just ‘cleaned’ up and humans noticed this and kept them because they were useful…not cute.
I have eaten dog, and I’d eat cat if I had the chance. Hell, I’d give elephant a try. Who gives a shit? Apparently you do. SO why not go grab a nice pipping hot bowl of dog soup. You’ll need the stamina.
Fortunately, they sell dogmeat in the Philippines.
Why do liberals always give France a pass about eating horsemeat?
Interesting that people created lots of different breeds of dog for various purposes, shaping dog evolution by selective breeding, yet they didn’t create a “meat dog” for eating. Other animals were designated for that. So, eating a dog is like ignoring thousands of years of human - canine cohabitation. Dogs are different.
dokdoforever, thanks for being wrong.
the mexican hairless AKA Xoloitzquintli was bred by the Aztecs specifically for food purposes (no pesky hair to shave off).
I wonder what foods we will be sniveling about in a thousand years?
ok fair enough, but what percentage of dogs
were bred for eating vs. other species -
very few I’d bet. And which animals
do people still live with today?
That’s enough to make the canine relationship
with people unique.
dokdoforever. People live with a lot of different animals(and insects). That isn’t to say that it is wrong to also eat them.
Oh right, Porky Pig is more intelligent than Underdog…..Don’t even.
“Why do liberals always give France a pass about eating horsemeat?”
Why single out France? Much closer to (this blog’s) home, horse meat is also considered a delicacy in Japan. As a matter of fact, the practice of horse slaughter in Japan for human (and/or animal) consumption led to one of the greatest scandals in recent horse racing history, the ignoble death of 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand.
They smoked ‘em, live?; and you have qualms about the way food dogs are treated in Korea (not that you shouldn’t, but that you do is surprising)?
Chiamattt- doesn’t eating your pet strike you as cold and inhumane? Dogs are sociable animals bred to consider humans as “part of the pack.” They trust you, as pack leader, not to kill them. Dogs were domesticated like no other animal to live with us, protect our property, be our friends, etc. It’s a cold, merciless betrayal to kill a member of the group. I can’t accept treating dogs that way.
Koreans should start eating more cats instead of dogs so they don’t have to hear foodists saying that dogs love you unconditionally and been humanities friends for so long etc. etc.
Not even the most fervent animal lovers can deny that cats only love you as long as you feed them and clean out their toilet.
So let’s all chow down on Mr. Bigglesworth.
I have had dogs most of my life. I love dogs. BUT, I also love to eat dogs! On ehas to keep in mind that there are dogs in Korea that are considered pets, and those that are considered livestock. I doubt too many Malteses or Shitzus are appearing on tables in restaurants. As for why Korea gets picked on? Someone (I am too lazy to go back and see who) hit the nail on the head– it is only because Koreans scream and yell about it when people like Brigitte Bardot condemn them for it. Most of Southeast Asia eats it, as do the Chinese, and even certain rural areas in Japan. Don’t forget teh eastern cantons of Switzerland either. The difference is none of those countries feel (rightfully so, IMO) that the criticism doesn’t even warrant a response.
Oops! I meant that “none of these countries feel that the criticism even warrants a response!”
Robert (or any other ‘evil, dog-eating waygooks’ out there), if you are ever down in the 경주/포항 area, there is an excellent 여양탕집 here in 안강. It is fairly reasonably priced and they make a great 전골.
“Why single out France? Much closer to (this blog’s) home, horse meat is also considered a delicacy in Japan. As a matter of fact, the practice of horse slaughter in Japan for human (and/or animal) consumption led to one of the greatest scandals in recent horse racing history, the ignoble death of 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand.”
Haven’t made it to Jeju Island yet eh? They like to eat the ponies there too.
http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....00001.html
Call me a western imperialist, but dog is just NOT on the menu. Same goes for cat.
PS: Horse meat is quite tasty though.
From Pulp Fiction-
Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces.
Jules: I don’t eat dog either.
Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal?
Jules: I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
And there you have it folks. Dogs have personality! That’s why you can’t eat them. Well, you can. I mean, who’s gonna stop the Koreans? The U.N.? Hahahaha…
However, it’s got huge consequences. As much of the Western World is in love with a dog’s personality, a nation that is well publicized as having cainine on the menu is just going to leave a bad taste (no pun intended) in one’s mouth and in pop culture. Another case in point, in an episode of Friends, Phoebe says: “Korean bbq? Ewww, a crate full of puppies, that’s what I call Korean bbq.”
The all important national image that Koreans always talk about will always get a beating if it’s propagated in pop culture that Koreans eat dog. We can debate the right and wrong forever, but the fact is it just freak’in looks bad.
ummm… (or should i say, yum?) korean dogs… they were no different than any other livestock that just ran around the front yard. I would think that a korean farmer would feel more attached to their cows (like the hindus) than their dogs. A dog’s only purpose on the farm is to be a living door bell/security system. unlike the cow, which literally fed his entire family. of course, in rich countries dog’ main function is to love and be loved.
My chinese brother in law told me this story about his friend. He went to visit his uncle in China and played with the monkey in a cage in his front yard. next day after lunch he went to play with the monkey and said, “hey, where’s the monkey?” well, yes, you astute readers, you guessed it.
I remember reading a story on DailyNK about an old woman who was raising a pig and NK soldiers stole it. In the story, the woman would talk to the pig every day and took special care of it, since it represented her meager savings. Lots of people get attached to their animals, but butcher them anyway. It wasn’t so long ago that Korea was agrarian and everyone lived in mud huts. It wasn’t all that long ago Korea was more or less feudal. (in fact this is mostly true above 38th parallel)
I serious doubt the middle ages europeans had any qualms about eating dogs either. They just grow out of popularity since they make poor meat animals and they don’t taste that much better than chicken. The practice of breeding “eating” dogs in kennels is a new thing. I don’t believe the stories of beating dogs to make it taste better. I’m sure the shops advertised it that way, but it’s too much a pain in the @$$ to beat living dogs–i doubt it taste any different either.
christ… right or wrong about eating dogs… it’s not like they are boiling a live baby. anyway, ROK government should host a boshintang party on dokdo with Gerry B as special guest of honor. You know, to apologize for getting canned. Maybe he will forgive us then.
From Creo’s linked article:
‘The Jeju Livestock Cooperative Federation estimates that 507 horses were butchered between the beginning of this year and September, close to the 564 recorded for the whole of last year. It also estimates that some 1,800, three times the number approved, were butchered privately. That is theoretically illegal, but it is such a venerable practice in Jeju that no one takes issue with it.‘ (emphasis mine)
Guess it ain’t just those folks in the boshintang business that get a pass for illegality. The only trouble I have with this ‘venerable practice’ of criminality is that it’s supportive of increased demand stemming from Japanese consumers. What’s the rationale for that?
Tell you what, eat anything you want. Kill whatever animal you want and eat it. But kill the damn thing and be on your way. Don’t whack it for an hour because you’re afraid to lose your hard-on. Don’t tell me that doesn’t still go on. It does.
45. Dokdo:
I have never eaten a pet. I have eaten an animal that was bred to be eaten. It just so happens that its also an animal that COULD have been a pet.
Just because one dog is a pet does not mean another dog is also a pet. Pit bull’s aren’t bred to be pets. They are bred to be killers. By lumping all dogs into the same category of “faithful friend of man” you sound rather simplistic.
What’s simplistic is to think that because we have some sort of intentions for a specific breed that somehow that eliminates their central nervous system and they don’t feel pain. Just freakin kill them! Don’t slowly torture them to death so you can get the “full benefit”.
When the guy talked about sheep getting smoked, I don’t think he meant live sheep being herded into a roomy oven with some hickory chips. I think he meant it like, “I pulled out my thirty-eight and smoked the guy”. Nor was he talking about rolling animals in paper and lighting up. Maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps that’s what they do where he comes from to get erections.
Oh, and when someone says, “I laid the wood to that babe”, don’t assume any forestry products were involved.
But the issue isn’t really the animal cruelty is it? It was the same camp of protesters who blocked the legal efforts to legalize (and therefore regulate and inspect) the industry who’s protesting now. The animal abuse can be easily curbed by legal control, which isn’t that hard to set up either.
Which brings us back to the issue of eating dog itself. To the actual practice of eating dogs, the opposition (foreign or domestic) has not yet provided a valid reason. The usual arguments are animal cruelty (off-topic and ironic as noted above), companion animal (as mentioned previously in this thread, not true), and not necessary to eat (one can argue that to any food in existence). When the “bad image” is being created by something that is illogical, it shouldn’t be just accepted as status quo.
You must have me mistaken for the sheep being led into the oven. As far as I am concerned the issue is the cruelty and you saying it’s not doesn’t change it. You can try to lump me in with others but I won’t fit. MY ISSUE IS WITH THE CRUELTY.
Eat dogs. Eat em all. But don’t tell me what I object to and what I don’t.
I can’t stop you and I won’t. You want to kill some animal slowly and tell me how beneficial it is to your health, great. Try to remember the types of people who come up with this crap. And the sadistic bastards who talk about the release of certain glandular chemicals and blah, blah, blah… You’re not fooling anyone.
Let’s say one day a dog bit his master. Instead of just roasting him up and eating him he decided to get a measure of vengeance. That night he had amazing sex and came to the conclusion that it was some glandular secretion permeating the meat of the terrified animal. He didn’t realize that psychologists have a name for people like him. He was aroused by the act itself and not any secretion. Word spread. We all know the level of Korean skepticism. You can fill in the rest. Maybe it wasn’t in Korea. Maybe it started in China. But who else would come up with this? Who would be the first to try it?
They’re just animals, right? However, this kind of callousness sometimes doesn’t limit itself to individual species.
Like I said, do what you want. The problem is you want to eat dog and have everybody be down with it. Sorry, too many people like dogs and not for their savory, yummy, yummy goodness.
My point was that since legalization of dog meat as livestock (as in, include it as a livestock in Korean law) is easy to do and will solve the problem of cruelty, and since the original topic of the discussion was dog consumption (”Don’t eat my friend”), it’s off-topic to talk about cruelty. Basically, the problem you raise up has a solution already and has been tried (but has been blocked by people opposed to eating dogs).
Not so sure how you can link bestiality into matters of cuisine. Using the same logic, I can argue against eating cows or pigs (albeit as disturbingly).
And once again, I think it’s a real problem when people are opposed to an idea without any valid logical reasons. To simply say “well, that’s how the majority feels” is fallacy (appealing to the majority) and should not be accepted as a status quo.
Bestiality? Holy crap! No, the word is sadism.
I realize idiots take it too far. They are the same people trying to save the planet while driving their air-conditioned BMW’s. They tell Jorge to quit strip burning his forest while we continue to treat our forests like they are undiminishable.
But if you think passing a law is going to stop that backwoods proprietor from butchering his dog the old fashioned way your being myopic.
I can see how my comment might have gotten misconstrued. The “measure of vengengeance” would have been a slow and painful death. The sex would have been with his wife, a girlfriend or, I don’t know, a traveling gypsy lady? Sorry! Boy, bestiality would have been a strange genesis for poshintang.
I think orankay is going to give us a sliver of latitude on the topic, particularly when the article referenced isn’t in English. I believe we’ve gone farther afield in previous threads.
Lol you know, that could possibly be the most hilarious internet misread on my part ever.
But are you talking about restaurants practicing animal abuse or just people doing it? Former can be definitely taken care of by including dog into livestock in the animal welfare law that already exists.
Latter is now illegal: (http://au.news.yahoo.com/070709/3/13×8k.html)
My father runs a restaurant in the States and I have an idea what is involved in code inspection and investigation. It’s pretty difficult there where you don’t have the convoluted alleys, restaurants stacked one upon another and the hidden Ma and Pa joints in the boonies. I can’t even imagine how difficult it must be here.
Bribe money might also carry some weight. I’m sure the inspectors wouldn’t mind overlooking a violation or two. Who knows? Maybe the chief inspector is looking for an assist in the bedroom. You think everyone will immediately agree to laws like that?
I think it would be a great compromise between the two camps. The industry’s already under heavy fire especially for the cruelty involved in slaughtering, and I think they would be glad to find a way to keep their business and evade public scorns.
My parents also have ran restaurants in U.S., and considering that inspection requires examination of the food stocking, it would be pretty tough to hide the whole dog cage and beating issue. Plus, the law would give the animal rights group legal mandate for their purpose, which would bleed into societal consciousness as well as make the law more powerful.
In addition, having been in the community of restaurant owners, I know (as you know) that bribery can only go so far in health inspection; some things they just can’t risk to cover up. With animal cruelty behind the specific proposed legislation here, the ‘unbribable’ category would fit in here.
I just don’t trust that all the dog meat being sold is fit for human consumption because there are no regulations on butchering these animals. There has also been at least one documented case in the Korean press of people being arrested for selling to restaurants the carcasses of thousands of dogs used in medical research.
Precisely the reason why the industry should be regulated by the government. Curb the animal abuse, establish safety, and create a compromise between the anti-dog meat camp and pro-dog meat camp. Three birds with one stone.
SomeguyinKorea, I know this is way off-topic, but your comment reminded me of an old, old issue. Is animal cruelty justified when it involves direct human benefit? (like medical research, for example) (Disclaimer: Not trying to relate this to eating dogs… just happens that some of my friends are hardcore PETA members and we always get into this argument…)
#68.
Let me answer that for you: using animals for medical research can be done humanely, just as butchering livestock for food generally is.
When the issue of dogmeat comes up, I am fond of citing this research study from Purdue University:
“There are a variety of environmental conditions which can cause stress in animals. Some of these include extremes in temperature, humidity, light, sound, and confinement. Other stressors are excitement, fatigue, pain, hunger, thirst. Movement to unfamiliar surroundings can also cause stress in animals. Stress before slaughter can cause undesirable effects on the end quality of meat such as pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat and dark firm dry (DFD) meat.
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat.....tress.html
The article explains the chemical processes that damage meat, resulting from two kinds of stress - pre-slaughter mistreatment and poor diet/living conditions. The whole notion that beating a dog to death enhances the quality of the meat is, like fan death, part of modern Korean mythology. Moreover, any animal meat is only as good as that animal’s diet. I would guess that livestock dogs are fed rendered animal parts that are probably high in toxins. The further up the food chain, the higher the pesticide residue in the meat.
Man’s best friend might be tasty, but it’s probably not healthy and not even good quality meat.
Speaking of which, how’s your crusade to get people to stop referring to the Mercury as the “kimchi palace” going?
“using animals for medical research can be done humanely, just as butchering livestock for food generally is.”
I don’t know if things have changed any, but last time I watched a video on what goes on in a slaughter factory, I thought I was going to vomit the the whole day.
# 71,
I see someone’s been trolling the web, looking for information on yours truly. That was on what? Page 22 of google search after you hit “repeat the search with the omitted results included”? I’m not going to even venture to ask why you even bothered.
Dogbertt, those apts. are in a building that used to be a slum, basically. Now they’re asking over $700,000 a unit–crazy. K-town has really taken off.
“Visiting and eating in Ktown is cool. Living there, not cool. Though I gotta say, smoking is still allowed everywhere which is pretty cool.
http://la.curbed.com/archives/.....mercur.php
My sentiments exactly
~~~~Don’t beat the dog before you eat the dog~~~~~~
“I have never eaten a pet. I have eaten an animal that was bred to be eaten. “,/i>
Did you see the dog before it was slaughtered? Most dogmeat comes from farms, but larger household or guard dogs that are no longer wanted may be sold to a butcher or a restaurant. I used to walk by a dogmeat restaurant every weekend on the way to a friend’s house, and I would see live dogs in cages outside the restaurant. The dogs were not always the light brown livestock variety. Chinese dogmeat restaurants will cook anything that barks. Down the road from my apartment was a “fresh kill” dogmeat restaurant that butchered on demand. The cage outside was full of dogs of every breed. We even saw a collie and a German shepherd.
“Chinese dogmeat restaurants will cook anything that barks.”
Just saw a new story on street food in China. They were being exposed for making mandu dough out of cardboard softened with chemicals. The Chinese vendor called it the 60/40 formula. 60% flour (or whatever they make mandu dough out of) and 40% cardboard. Anything to save a few coins in production costs.
I won’t be eating any street food on my first visit to China needless to say. Surprisingly the Chinese food vendor said he doesn’t eat his own food either…nice.
“60% flour (or whatever they make mandu dough out of) and 40% cardboard.”
Mmm… reminds me of the public high school cafeteria french fries…