RUMORS OR TRUTH?
DOG MEAT CONSUMPTION IN SOUTH KOREA
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Probably many people all around the world heard about one of the most famous stereotypes of Korea that Koreans consume dog meats. And perhaps many of them have not hear anything special related to dog meat topics in China, Philippines, Vietnam even though eating the dog meat in those countries is fairly normal behavior. Then here is the question why only Korea is so well-known about dog meat?
The Mayor of Seoul in 2001, at the time when the FIFA World Cup was to be started in Seoul, announced in public that there will not be a taboo on selling the dog meat anymore. This action, as I think, was the main reason how the dog meat consuming stereotype in Korea appeared in the global view.
There are few famous Korean cuisine with dog meat like "Bositang" and "Gaegogi" which contain dog stew and considered as good for health dishes. One interesting thing is that there is a special season for eating dogs, usually at hottest days of summer when it helps to balance internal body temperature well and for more internal organs benefits.
Actually eating dog meat in South Korea is as common as in China. In fact approximately half of Korean population have eaten dog meat at least once and only 2% eats it regularly meanwhile in China there are a dog meat festival. The Chinese dog meet cuisine is even more abundant.
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| Korean cuisine |
The cuisines of different countries are so diverse.
All around the world there are many countries where people still consume dog meat, cat meat and many other types which many people might find disgusting but let's see it from the other side, for instance, when you were born your parents fit you with common resources from your country and of course you don't really think about what you eat as long as your community consider that normal. Thus geographical position plays a big role in what kind of animal meat or even insects people consume. In some countries eating snails/snakes/rats/sparrows/monkeys/sharks/alive octopus/horses/dogs and so on is common while in some it is considered as repugnant. Likewise the dog meat in Korea is ordinary however not that much extreme as whole world think.
Here is some more examples of particular kind of Korean cuisine:
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| Alive octopus |
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| Silkwarm pupae |
References: "Food and Korean identity in global context" Boudewijn Walraven
I agree that South Korea hasn't done anything wrong. Just I think in some degree they were overprotective about dog meat. But its personal choice))
ReplyDeleteHi, Marianna, Your blog, "Rumors or Truth? Dog Meat Consumption in South Korea" is interesting to me. I think that your topic is about your question "why only Korea is so well-known about dog meat." I highly recommend that your blogging is beyond our discussion inside the classroom. This is because most students consider this question on their blogs. It is not creative with the lack of their own interpretations. I wonder how your experience of Korean food as a foreigner is changed. Maybe you can ask questions to Koreans and foreigners in terms of special experience of Korean food. If you want to make attractive blogging, please write differently and creatively. Also, I would like to suggest "please use carefully subjective terms "ordinary" or "normal." These terms should be used by different contexts. But I think these terms are not relevant to your sentences according to contexts. It is often difficult to make a distinction on the normaility and strangeness(crazyness). Whenever you use terms or voca, please check the meanings of these terms according to contexts. I look forward to reading your next blog. AI Yoon Dol Youm
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