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Canine Cusine

Posted on August 26, 2007

It’s a well known fact that people in Vietnam eat dog. In fact, despite the practice being essentially at the level of taboo in the West, other Asian cultures (particularly Korea and China) also enjoy dog meat as part of their traditional and modern cuisine. Needless to say, this fact was on my and Gregor’s minds the first time we sat down at a Hanoi street stall to tuck in to a bowl of noodles with a meat we were told was beef. Judging by the jokes and uneasy comments we’ve heard from fellow travelers, I think this enters the concerns of many newcomers to the east. After the umpteenth time scrutinizing the Vietnamese words on the side of a food cart trying to make out any permutation of the words “thit cho” (”dog meat”) before I would eat there, I decided I couldn’t live this way…

I try to be open-minded and non-judgmental and I don’t think it’s wrong per se that other cultures eat dog. I can’t help but be dismayed by it, as I feel that it’s worse to eat an animal that is so close to humans - and so humanlike itself as a dog. Also I’m just a dyed-in-the-wool dog lover. But, how can I judge one animal over another? After all, I eat cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, lambs, etc on a regular basis. And pigs in particular are supposed to be as smart and lovable as dogs - not to mention cute. But dogs are somehow different and I know that ingesting canine would disturb me deeply, so I wanted to avoid it at all costs. Clearly, research was in order.

Thankfully some quick googling and a visit to wikipedia uncovered some information that set my mind at ease:

Worry/Myth: Dog meat is cheap and ubiquitous, so street vendors will substitute it for beef when dealing with ignorant westerners. Beware the mystery meat!
Reality: Dog meat is really expensive and exclusive. Special restaurants exist just to serve it and it’s highly unlikely that a poor street vendor or even well-off restaurant owner would substitute much cheaper beef with pricey dog. As the article I read says, “The chances of ordering beef in a Vietnamese restaurant and receiving dog meat are about as likely as ordering a hamburger but served a juicy rack of lamb in a North American bistro.”
Furthermore: Dog meat has a distinctively strong smell and taste that distinguish it instantly from beef.
Conclusion: Relax, you aren’t getting served dog meat in your Pho, Bun, or Spring Rolls. You can also quit fretting about the mystery meat in the potstickers back home.

Ahhh, ok. So now I don’t have to worry about ME eating dog. But why do other people eat (western) man’s best friend? What is the allure? In Vietnam, only men eat dog and only during the last 15 days of the month. The Vietnamese are a bit coy about why this is so, but reading between the lines shows that it’s about male virility. Men feel they are ingesting the strength and aggression of the animal by consuming it. There are also some vague references to eating dog to reverse a run of bad luck - perhaps in the bedroom? Is dog Vietnam’s viagra?

For the curious and non-squeamish, there is more information about the logistics of the dog meat industry in the articles linked below. You will also find an interesting discussion about why animal rights activists want to legalize the production of dog meat in Korea. Be forewarned, there are also some pretty graphic photos.

I will never understand how people can eat creatures such as dogs, but it’s good to know the why and the how. Especially when you are subsisting on street food in Vietnam!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1735647.stm
http://vietnam-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/dog_meat_restaurants_in_vietnam

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