Dogmatisms

There's a lot of good food writing out there, but Taste has really emerged as my favorite site for such a thing.  Here's a really informative piece on eating dog meat, and the fraught issues of cultural relativism and outright racism that have always been involved:

"Throughout Asia, the practice of eating dog has been a locus point regarding generational differences, class mobility, and the seriousness of Western scrutiny. During the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, earlier this year, various news outlets and social media posts put a spotlight on the practice. Alex Paik, managing director of AP Communications, a company that promotes Korean culture, was firm in his response to my queries: 'The vast majority of Koreans are grossed out at the thought of eating dog,' he said. Since the Korean War, he told me, the perception of Koreans as enthusiastic dog eaters has haunted them. The truth is, those who embrace the practice have always been a minority: Most Koreans, he wrote, are firmly in the 'dogs are pets' camp. 'Usually we hear about some older folk who believe in it having special, revitalizing properties.'”

Yes and no.  I have adult students who eat dog, albeit not all that often.  They're quick to tell me that dog-meat dogs are not pets.  That is, you can eat dog and own a pet dog with no logical contradiction -- the one you're eating isn't really a pet, but no different than a chicken, pig, or cow before slaughter.

And for what it's worth, I tried it once when I lived in Seoul.  It tasted like a particularly stringy yet greasy cut of beef.  Also, it's not cheap.