Progress Report 7.2
Amyongh Hasseyo,
Right,
I promised it and here it is - your very own dogmeat factfile. Enjoy.
WOOF! The practice of eating dogmeat is most commonly associated with Korea, but if you think it's just a Korean thing, you'd be barking up the wrong tree. The Chinese also eat dogs (and much else besides) and the practice is thought to originate from there.
WOOF! If you're planning on walking into a butcher's shop in Korea and buying a joint of beagle, you'll be chasing your tail. This is because dogmeat is only sold in specialist dogbutchers, and dogbutchers are an increasingly rare sight on the Korean highstreet. In fact, you could say that they're going to the dogs....
WOOF! Dogmeat is only sold in dog restaurants and since Seoul hosted the Olympics back in 1988 (or whenever it was), these restaurants have not been allowed to have any signs in roman script. This was so visitors to the city who hadn't done their research could be spared from theatrical outrage. Any restauranteur advertising their dog products in roman script these days will quickly find themselves in the doghouse!
WOOF! Dog is rarely cooked at home in Korea because of its strong odour. (A student of mine recalled the distaste she felt whenever her dad would cook up a batch.) A skilled dog chef uses just the right amount of perilla (a herb of the mint family) to mask the natural smell of cooking dog.
WOOF! The taste of dog is said to be similar to beef but stringier. It apparently tastes much better than it looks, so you might say that its bark is worse than its bite...
WOOF! The Korean name for dogmeat soup (bosingtang) literally means 'stamina soup'. Koreans believe that eating dogmeat soup improves their stamina and virility and helps them get through the hot Korean summer. A student of mine recently even had a bowl on his mother's advice to help him get over a sore throat. So you know what to have next time you're feeling a bit 'woof'...!
WOOF! Dog soup is also considered good for a hangover. How's that for hair of the dog!
WOOF! Though dog soup is the most popular way of eating dog, it's not the only way. Dog can be barbecued, boiled and can even be made into burgers. There is at least one restaurant in Seoul that has dogburgers on the menu (Renoir Restaurant, 143-5 Songpa-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Tel: +82 2 421 6345), though it is not clear whether or not they also offer labrador McNuggets.
WOOF! To make bosintang yourself, boil 100g of dogmeat in a thin soy paste, add spring onion, leek, garlic and taro stalk and boil it again to make a broth. Serve with kimchi, fresh peppers, cucumber and a glass of soju. (Soju is the traditional and ubiquitous Korean spirit, made from fermented from sweet potatoes. It goes well with most Korean food and can also be used to strip roadmarkings.)
WOOF! Younger Koreans are generally against eating dogmeat and see it as old-fashioned and cruel. Even though it would seem that dog has had its day, you should still have no problem finding a dog restaurant without too much trouble. They are especially popular on dog days - three days in summer determined by the lunar calendar when it is considered especially good to eat dog.
WOOF! If you're thinking of eating your own dog, think again. Only one breed of dog is considered to be worth eating (the nu-rung-i or yellow dog), though there are rumours of other large breeds of dog being stolen for meat out in the countryside.
WOOF! Dog-tired of your usually brand of toiletries? Well you'll be glad to know that there is a range of cosmetics made from dog! Oil extracted from dogmeat is added to a cream and emulsion to leave you with puppy-soft skin and a long glossy coat.
Right,
I promised it and here it is - your very own dogmeat factfile. Enjoy.
WOOF! The practice of eating dogmeat is most commonly associated with Korea, but if you think it's just a Korean thing, you'd be barking up the wrong tree. The Chinese also eat dogs (and much else besides) and the practice is thought to originate from there.
WOOF! If you're planning on walking into a butcher's shop in Korea and buying a joint of beagle, you'll be chasing your tail. This is because dogmeat is only sold in specialist dogbutchers, and dogbutchers are an increasingly rare sight on the Korean highstreet. In fact, you could say that they're going to the dogs....
WOOF! Dogmeat is only sold in dog restaurants and since Seoul hosted the Olympics back in 1988 (or whenever it was), these restaurants have not been allowed to have any signs in roman script. This was so visitors to the city who hadn't done their research could be spared from theatrical outrage. Any restauranteur advertising their dog products in roman script these days will quickly find themselves in the doghouse!
WOOF! Dog is rarely cooked at home in Korea because of its strong odour. (A student of mine recalled the distaste she felt whenever her dad would cook up a batch.) A skilled dog chef uses just the right amount of perilla (a herb of the mint family) to mask the natural smell of cooking dog.
WOOF! The taste of dog is said to be similar to beef but stringier. It apparently tastes much better than it looks, so you might say that its bark is worse than its bite...
WOOF! The Korean name for dogmeat soup (bosingtang) literally means 'stamina soup'. Koreans believe that eating dogmeat soup improves their stamina and virility and helps them get through the hot Korean summer. A student of mine recently even had a bowl on his mother's advice to help him get over a sore throat. So you know what to have next time you're feeling a bit 'woof'...!
WOOF! Dog soup is also considered good for a hangover. How's that for hair of the dog!
WOOF! Though dog soup is the most popular way of eating dog, it's not the only way. Dog can be barbecued, boiled and can even be made into burgers. There is at least one restaurant in Seoul that has dogburgers on the menu (Renoir Restaurant, 143-5 Songpa-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Tel: +82 2 421 6345), though it is not clear whether or not they also offer labrador McNuggets.
WOOF! To make bosintang yourself, boil 100g of dogmeat in a thin soy paste, add spring onion, leek, garlic and taro stalk and boil it again to make a broth. Serve with kimchi, fresh peppers, cucumber and a glass of soju. (Soju is the traditional and ubiquitous Korean spirit, made from fermented from sweet potatoes. It goes well with most Korean food and can also be used to strip roadmarkings.)
WOOF! Younger Koreans are generally against eating dogmeat and see it as old-fashioned and cruel. Even though it would seem that dog has had its day, you should still have no problem finding a dog restaurant without too much trouble. They are especially popular on dog days - three days in summer determined by the lunar calendar when it is considered especially good to eat dog.
WOOF! If you're thinking of eating your own dog, think again. Only one breed of dog is considered to be worth eating (the nu-rung-i or yellow dog), though there are rumours of other large breeds of dog being stolen for meat out in the countryside.
WOOF! Dog-tired of your usually brand of toiletries? Well you'll be glad to know that there is a range of cosmetics made from dog! Oil extracted from dogmeat is added to a cream and emulsion to leave you with puppy-soft skin and a long glossy coat.
(The full range of Sys-Max dog cosmetics.)
WOOF! The practice of eating dog started when an emperor of the Shang Dynasty awoke one morning to find that his dog had chewed up his favourite pair of slippers. He had his chef boil the dog into a thin, tasty soup as a punishment.
WOOF! When ordering dog soup in a restaurant, it is traditional to point to it on the menu and then tell the waiter to 'FETCH!!'.
That's all for now. I'm planning on having dog on either the next dog day (20th July) or the one after (29th July). I also look forward to a rigorous ethical debate on the matter. Perhaps you might like to 'paws' for thought and reflect on your own feelings on dogmeat...
Anyonghi hasseyo,
S
posted by Stephen Beckett at 2:40 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home