Saturday, February 10, 2018

Where man's best friend also tastes good: the market for dog meat in Korea

The winter Olympics in Korea is bringing out stories about the restaurants there that have dog meat on the menu, and about how foreigners might not be charmed:

The Daily Mail headlines it this way (with lots of pictures):
The trade in dog meat South Korea doesn't want Olympics tourists to see is exposed at market where they are slaughtered, chopped up and served in bubbling red broth for just $8 a bowl
Here are their sub-headlines
  • "Dogs and even puppies are sold openly for food in Moran market, Seongnam, outside of Seoul, South Korea, Dailymail.com reveals - showing claims it would be closed last May are false 
  • The dogs are kept in freezing, dark cages until they are slaughtered, their fur burned off and their carcasses are put on display
  • Up to 80,000 dogs are sold and slaughtered at the market a each year to be made into an $8 soup, which folklore claims boosts eaters' sex drive 
  • But ahead of the Olympic Winter Games coming to PyeongChang on Friday, officials issued guidelines for when it comes to eating dog meat, urging citizens not to consume the animals during the Olympics 
  • Two-month-old puppies fare little better, being sold for just $9.20 or £6.50 out of metal crates and cardboard boxes, with some saying they can be eaten too "



USA Today puts it this way:
Winter Olympics shines spotlight on dog meat trade in South Korea

"Eating dog meat is common and legal in Korea, as well as many parts of Asia, and is mainly eaten by older people. Dotted around the country are thousands of restaurants serving “gaegogi” dishes that, according to folklore, have strengthening and medicinal properties."

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