June 21, 2016

"The annual Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival... will open this week coinciding with the summer solstice...."

"According to traditional Chinese medicine, some foods... have warm energy... Both dog meat and lychees are seen as warming.... In parts of China, dog meat is typically consumed in the winter because it is seen as warming and restorative. But in the southern Chinese city of Yulin, some say eating dog meat and drinking lychee liquor on the summer solstice is an old tradition... [T]he concept of 'yire gongre,' or using heat to attack heat, is also prevalent."

21 comments:

J. Farmer said...

Oh boy, time for my inbox to start feeling up with change.org petitions asking me to sign something or another saying that these must be stopped. I think it's one of the pet causes for Bravo's "housewife" celebutantes. I am a dog lover, but my riposte to my friends who are aghast at whole idea: are you a vegan? If not, shut up.

Fernandinande said...

Amy Qin forgot to mention that the superstitious assholes torture the dogs before eating them.

Gahrie said...

I have no problem with Chinese eating dog meat. i would have no problem with them having farms where they raised dogs for meat...different strokes for different folks. many Indian people think we are just as barbaric because we eat cows.

That being said, I also have no problems with laws against raising dogs for food here in the US.....

Ann Althouse said...

I think the key is the humane treatment of animals raised for meat.

Individuals can choose to go vegetarian and individuals can choose which animals to eat. But individuals can also try to persuade others to favor the particular animals they like. If they do, I think the strongest argument is about the animal's own sense of itself -- and not some human's love for a particular animal such as dogs or horses.

Bob Boyd said...

Lychee and Daugmiet
Attorneys at Law

Gahrie said...

I think the key is the humane treatment of animals raised for meat.

That is a very Western idea...

If they do, I think the strongest argument is about the animal's own sense of itself

Most animals have no sense of itself...which is why they react the way they do to mirrors. One of the left's big fallacies is to assign human characteristics to the other animals.

-- and not some human's love for a particular animal such as dogs or horses.

Exactly...I always remember during the whole dolphin safe tuna fight thinking...why aren't you defending the tuna? Because they don't appear to be smiling?

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

So, are there degrees of warm energy?

"Waiter! You call this prime dog meat? It has nearly the cool energy of rabbit! Take it back!"

Ann Althouse said...

"Most animals have no sense of itself...which is why they react the way they do to mirrors."

You sound like you were listening to Rush Limbaugh yesterday. "CNN Anchorbabe Really Wants to Know: What Was That Alligator Thinking?"

""You mean he didn't know it was little boy? He just thought it was an animal?"  Yeah, like an alligator knows what a human being is.  An the alligator doesn't even know that it is an alligator.  An alligator has never seen itself.  It doesn't know what it is!  They don't have mirrors.  Alligators can't lick themselves like dogs can.  They don't know what they... (interruption)  I know. (interruption) Well, okay, they see other. (interruption) Yeah, yeah, yeah, they may... They see other alligators.  I take it back.  They know what another alligator is. But that's instinct, too."

Ann Althouse said...

"Alligators can't lick themselves like dogs can."

Sheds some light on the propriety of eating dogs

Lauderdale Vet said...

Thanks for reminding me! IT'S LYCHEE SEASON!

There's a farm down south of Miami that I drive to every year to buy Brewster lychees. Nearby that farm are some Amish who grow limes and also sell sticky buns roadside. That's part of my thing: buy some lychees, pick up sticky Amish buns.

I wish my yard had room left for a lychee tree.

Nom.

n.n said...

Clump of cells with a bark.

Bob Boyd said...

Maybe dogs are licking themselves because they're tasty.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

"Happiness is a Warm Puppy."

Bob Boyd said...

Who wants to eat an animal that doesn't keep itself clean?

Etienne said...

My sisters daughter, who is an art teacher, has just gone to China for three weeks to learn about local art. She is a pottery type person, so have pottery will travel.

I told her to ask about the cemetery my uncle is buried in. I suspect it has been paved over (he was in the French Colonial Army, and got whacked in 1932).

Larry J said...

My wife is a Filipina. She had dogs as pets growing up. When the dog got old, it ended up in a pot. They couldn't afford to waste that much meat. She thinks Americans are crazy for the amount of vet bills they pay for their pets. She tells me that short-haired dog tastes better than long-haired dog but doesn't know why. She also says that dog adobo is delicious. I'll take her word for it.

Smilin' Jack said...

In parts of China, dog meat is typically consumed in the winter because it is seen as warming and restorative. But in the southern Chinese city of Yulin, some say eating dog meat and drinking lychee liquor on the summer solstice is an old tradition... [T]he concept of 'yire gongre,' or using heat to attack heat, is also prevalent."

When I read this kind of thing it makes me doubt all those studies showing Asians have higher IQs than whites. But then I read about the popularity of pig wrestling at Midwest state fairs and my faith in science is restored.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J. Farmer said...

@Ann Althouse:

"If they do, I think the strongest argument is about the animal's own sense of itself -- and not some human's love for a particular animal such as dogs or horses."

Oh, I agree completely. I just think most people have a visceral, knee jerk reaction to the idea of consuming dog or cat meat but see no problem whatsoever consuming cows, pigs, and chickens. It's understandable since dogs and cats are domesticated animals that people keep in their homes and create emotional bonds with. But people create emotional bonds with cows, pigs, and chickens too. What rational argument is to be made that justifies pig eating while abhorring dog eating?

buwaya said...

"She also says that dog adobo is delicious. I'll take her word for it."

Its a provincial specialty, often cooked as "pulutan", food to have with alcohol, much like Spanish tapas, but which can include soups and stews.

Cooking it as adobo would be typical I think. I have had dog, grilled on skewers, also typical pulutan.

Susan said...

Great book on our mixed up relationships with animals: Some We Love Some We Hate Some We Eat. Our culture is repulsed by eating dogs because we view them as pets. Other cultures are repulsed because they see them as vermin. Others see them as a delicious meal.