Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a messageMy Books
One of Cooking Light's 2010
Favorite Cookbooks!
Asian Dumplings
(Ten Speed Press, 2009)
Reviews & Press Release
Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
(Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Reviews & Press Release
Recent PostsMarine Fights Vietnam's Dog-Meat Tradition: LA Times article2010 Cookbook Picks and Food Book FindsBrussels Sprouts with Cracklings and Fish Sauce RecipeThanksgiving Leftovers with Asian Flair: Turkey Pho, Banh Mi, Bun, and More!Videos Fight the Faux Pho PhenomenaNuts for Chestnuts: Buying, Storing, and Peeling ThemAlternative Thanksgiving: Butterflied Roast Chicken with Curry LeafHow to Butterfly a Chicken Alternative Thanksgiving Vietnamese StyleElectric vs. Manual Spice Grinders: Buying and Using TipsRecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesHandy InfoAsian IngredientsAsian MarketsBasic Vietnamese KitchenBook Reviews + moreCooking Tips and ToolsEssentials: Fish SauceEssentials: NoodlesEssentials: Pho Noodle SoupEssentials: RiceEssentials: Rice PaperGardeningHow to Find Asian Markets & IngredientsMama SaysTet New Year CelebrationTravelAwards + Praise
James Beard Foundation
Award Finalist
2007 Best Asian Cookbook
IACP Awards Finalist
2010 Best Single Subject Cookbook
2007 Best First Book
2007 Best Int'l Cookbook
National Public Radio
Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009
Cooking Light Magazine
Oct. 2009 "Editors' Dozen" Top Picks
2010 Editors' Favorite Cookbooks
CHOW.com
Winter 2009 Gift Guide
« 2010 Cookbook Picks and Food Book Finds |Main
December 13, 2010Marine Fights Vietnam's Dog-Meat Tradition: LA Times articleThis is a touchy subject but it is part of Asian foodways. I was recently interviewed for a Los Angeles Times article on US Marine Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lucius's effort to change Vietnamese mindset on the eating of dog meat.
While serving as an attache at the U.S. embassy in Hanoi, Lucius locked eyes with a dog that was destined to be slaughtered. The event precipitated his becoming a vegan and launching a Kairos Coalition, an educational nonprofit that aims to end animal cruelty.
Los Angeles Times journalist Steve Chawkins and I talked about Vietnamese foodways and the eating of dog meat. Chawkins's provocative article was published today.
Take a read of his article. I've also found several others for your consideration.
Marine Fights Vietnam's Dog-Meat Tradition (Steve Chawkins, Los Angeles Times, 12/13/10)China Banning Dog Meat? (Robyn Eckhardt, Zester Daily, 2/19/10)The Dog Meat Mafia (4-part series on Southeast Asia's dog meat trade) (Patrick Winn, Global Post, 11/29/09) I've Got Dog Breadth and My Puppy Might Know (Mark Lowerson, Sticky Rice, 2005)What's Wrong with Eating Dogs? (William Saletan, Slate, 2002)I've never eaten dog meat but understand that it has a special taste that some people love. Certain breeds are bred for food while many others are kept as pets. As Vietnam's economy improves, you see more people with pet dogs. Nevertheless, the practice of eating dog meat endures.
Dog is treated as a specialty food in parts of Asia. It's an exotic meat, a delicacy so to speak. Not all Asian people eat dog. Sadly, there have been awful stereotypes of Asian people as dog meat eaters. It is not everyday food. There are many other things to eat!
In Vietnam, dog is mostly a northern thing. A head-to-tail rigor is applied to the carcass and little is wasted. The flesh can be skewered and grilled or simmered into stewy dishes. The entrails are made into sausages.
Robust galangal, lemongrass, shrimp sauce (mam tom), and turmeric are the common seasonings in Vietnamese dog preparations. In Vietnamese, dog meat is called "thit cho" and "thit cay." There are restaurants that specialize in it so you'll likely see it on signage in Vietnam.
There are also a number of Vietnamese mock dog dishes that employ pork as a substitute. Cookbooks published in Vietnam typically list recipes for dog meat in addition to those featuring pork, beef, rabbit, and goat -- just to name the four-legged animals.
Chawkins' article points out that dogs are sometimes tortured before being harvested. The theory is that such an animal is good for the male libido. That's ridiculous. It is cruel to treat an animal with such disrespect, especially when it will grace your table. Seriously.
What are your thoughts on Asia's dog-meat eating tradition? With regard to Lucius's campaign to alter Vietnamese foodways, do you think that is it cultural imperialism? Cultural relativism? An animal rights/cruelty issue?
Thanks for weighing in. I realize that this may be an uncomfortable subject to ponder.
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
My father vowed never to return to Vietnam because the Viet Cong slaughtered his dog for dinner almost 40 years ago.
I have 3 dogs of my own and I find it repulsive that anyone would want to eat dogs. But I can see how someone would be intrigued by the taste of dogs' flesh. There are people who are adventurist eaters. Why else would someone eat monkey brains, horse meat, human flesh...? Conservative eaters have defined what is "proper" and "appropriate" to eat. These same people would problem die from shock and horror if they were to walk the streets of Thailand and Cambodia and see the bugs and insects that sold in the stalls.
Posted by:Thuy |December 13, 2010 at 12:01 PMWhen we were wandering around in Hanoi earlier this year, I asked my spouse "What's that smell - is it roast lamb?" Turned out to be a street of dog-meat restaurants. We didn't eat any (still full of breakfast pho) but I can still remember how good it smelled.
Posted by:Eve |December 13, 2010 at 12:04 PMI've never eaten dog, well I think I have never eaten dog. There was once or twice in China I was not sure what it was.
I've eaten horse and it was the best meat I had ever eaten.
But who are we to lecture other cultures on what they can and can not eat. Who are we Victorian era Christian Missionaries.
I am moving to China in a few weeks and your post has reminded me that I had better watch what I eat in restaurants there - that I had better learn how the Chinese call their dog meat...
The thought of eating dog, turtle, snake, horse, rabbit makes me sick. I have nothing against those who like them - but personally I cannot stomach the thought of eating those animals. I love a good steak so I'm far from vegetarian, but I like to pay for my meat and know that it has been farmed ethically, treated well etc. I'm also trying not to eat animals that have been slaughtered too young.
Best to eat lesser but better. There is enough meat to go around, no need to seek out the exotic in my opinion.
Posted by:Beaulotus |December 13, 2010 at 01:23 PMI have to admit, the thought of eating any sort of predator (dogs, sharks, etc) turns me off. But if there's going to be a true sea change in Vietnam where animals are protected, langurs, various monkey species, tigers, rhinos, endangered lizards, plus species that exist only in Vietnam -- these seems to me to be far more needing of legal protections.
Posted by:Mary |December 13, 2010 at 01:49 PMLucius's focus (as a vegan) is not just on dogs, but on all meat. The LA Times piece is focused on dogs, and American donors to Lucius's campaign are focusing on dogs... but I think Lucius's actual outreach program in Vietnam is more about discouraging meat consumption in general, or, in his words, conveying "important social messages about animal welfare, environmental sustainability, empathy & tolerance."
I'm interested in why the dog aspect of this story is most interesting to Americans. What is the difference between raising dogs for meat and raising pigs for meat? Is the concern that pets might be kidnapped and eaten?
Posted by:Erica |December 13, 2010 at 02:12 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Your Information
(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)
Name is required to post a comment
Please enter a valid email address
Invalid URL
Be Connected
Get news via RSS or email 
Get updates in Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Receive newsletterSearch VWK 
Share Shots#flickr_badge_source_txt {padding:0; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}#flickr_badge_icon {display:block !important; margin:0 !important; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;}#flickr_icon_td {padding:0 5px 0 0 !important;}.flickr_badge_image {text-align:center !important;}.flickr_badge_image img {border: 0px solid black !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper {width:150px;}#flickr_www {display:block; text-align:center; padding:0 10px 0 10px !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#3993ff !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:hover,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:active,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited {text-decoration:none !important; background:inherit !important;color:#3993ff;}#flickr_badge_wrapper {background-color:#ffffff;border: solid 1px #000000}#flickr_badge_source {padding:0 !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#666666 !important;}www.flickr.com
More in Viet World Kitchen pool. Add yours!popular recipes
Viet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2010 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2010/12/marine-fights-vietnams-dog-meat-tradition-la-times-article.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
No comments:
Post a Comment