Dog meat hot among Korea and China's trendy young

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http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,1870,129199,00.html

 

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.

 

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.

 

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KOREAN CUISINE: Dog dishes

 

New dishes:

 

Mandoo - Dog meat dumplings

 

Soondae - Dog meat sausages

 

Fast food - Dog meat burgers and dog meat sandwiches

 

Kimchi - A spicy fermented vegetable dish, some now

have dog meat extracts Traditional dishes:

 

Poshintang - A 'body preservation stew' believed to

cure illnesses and increase libido

 

Dooroochiggi - Seasoned dog meat

 

Yakgaejungtang - Dog meat soup with medical herbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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