Chinese Exotic Food - True or False? Dog, Donkey, Cat, etc..

[globetrotter]

I don't see these items for sale in my town. Protein is Goat, Beef, Eggs, Chicken, Duck, Dofu and Pork. Lots of noodles, no insects or scorpions or such.

Are those dishes real or fiction? Are the Travel Channl foodie shows just make believe or what?

[momopi]

I don't see these items for sale in my town. Protein is Goat, Beef, Eggs, Chicken, Duck, Dofu and Pork. Lots of noodles, no insects or scorpions or such.

Are those dishes real or fiction? Are the Travel Channl foodie shows just make believe or what?

"Exotic meats" like "Little Tigers" (meow meow) is popular in southern areas like Guangdong, but not a "northern" dish.

If you go to tourist areas in Beijing, like Wangfujing, you'd find a eatery street with many stalls, selling fried scorpions and various critters. I was there in 2007 and saw it in person. But it's not a common treat like chicken feet that you can find in most dim sum places.





http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010 ... 379689.htm

China to jail people for up to 15 days who eat dog
By Zhao Chunzhe (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-01-26 15:36

China has launched its first draft proposal to protect the country's animals from maltreatment including a measure to jail people who eat dog for up to 15 days, the Chongqing Evening News reported today.

The pilot scheme aims to protect the nation's animal from misuse or injury and defines maltreatment as hurting or killing animals in a cruel manner.

The draft has nine chapters covering major regulations including animal medical treatment, transportation and butchers regulations.

It also proposes that people caught eating dog or cat meat will be detained for no more than 15 days with a fine of 5,000 yuan ($732). Any unit or group found violating the rule will be fined between 10,000 yuan ($1,464) to 500,000 yuan ($73,239).

"It won't impact people's lives because only few people eat the meat of dogs and cats," said Chang Jiwen, a principal drafter.

China National Native Produce & Animal By-Products Import & Export Corporation backed the act saying it will encourage its trade volume of down and cashmere, the report said.

[keius]

Yesterday, my father-in-law went chop chop on a pooch and cooked it 3 different ways.
Overheard my wife talking to him over the phone....

I've had dog twice myself. First time, i wasn't aware of it when i was eating it. Second time, i knew on the first bite.
My wife has apparently had cat before. Also had mice too. Apparently these aren't city mice. These are mice that apparently grew up munching in the rice paddies/fields.
Go figure. She's eaten a ton of wierd animals/creatures we wouldn't even consider.

Another thing about dogs. Some people do eat whatever dogs they can catch but it can be dangerous and you don't know if the dogs are healthy/diseased/etc.
Where my wife comes from, they purchase dogs that are raised specifically for food. I believe it's only 1-3 different breeds that are commonly raised for food.
I've actually seen one of these kennels myself. 20 dogs of various ages in a stone fenced area with a hut attached. Area was clean and the pooches looked healthy.
Raised very humanely it appeared to me....(much better conditions that cows in the US) but not sure how they get butchered. I think that depends on the purchaser.....

I'm not going to judge how and what people eat. Different cultures. Different foods. Go to India, butcher a cow, and prepare to be lynched.
Go watch Food Channel's Andrew Zimmerman sometime. Some of the stuff he puts down is downright disgusting.

[Winston]

Momopi,
I thought eating dog was legal in China? WTF?

I've never seen anyone eat dogs in China. I don't know why Westerners assume that all or most Chinese do. That's a myth. Why doesn't anyone debunk that?

I've asked and was told that only 15 or 20 percent of Chinese might eat that kind of stuff.

Why would anyone want to eat that? Do Chinese like being weird? Why the weirder the better? Chinese usually strive to conform, not be weird.

Keius, what did the dog meat taste like? Weren't you grossed out when you found out?