why would western people always think it’s the Chinese that eat dogs?
okay, after reading many of the answers posted here in China section, I couldn’t help wonder why people always blame the Chinese for eating dog meat. In reality, the Koreans eat dogs, not the Chinese.
okay, there are some Korean Chinese in the northeastern part of China as one of the 56 ethnical groups, they probably eat dogs because that’s their tradition
I know this is a little hard to understand for some westerners, but it’s like every single Chinese eats dog meat.
So I just want to know why you always blame the Chinese for eating dogs
I will excuse you from the influence of the western education/media, let’s face it, it’s a joke
plus, let the Koreans eat the dog meat, that’s their tradition
Scientia potentia est:
maybe you didn’t understand me well, I do NOT have problems with Koreans eating dog meat.
just so you know, the population of the Korean Chinese in China is 2 million, the population of South Korea is 48.85 million, the population of North Korea is about 23 million, so you tell me who’s eating more dog meat?
dwww: lol, that’s true, in Guangdong province, they sell food that I didn’t even know existed
Such and interesting question, and one that has a lot of weight behind it culturally.
First, I know what you’re saying about Koreans eating dog. After living in China, most Chinese people will tell you…it’s the Koreans, it’s not us! I lived in Shandong province, not far from Korea, but in an area without many ethnic Koreans. Yes, in our town there was a Korean restaurant that served dog.
BUT, I would also point out that there were also several non-Korean restaurants that served dog. In asking my Chinese friends, most had eaten dog. And these were ethnically Han Chinese (not Korean). So, I guess while it may be true that dog was traditionally served in Korea (though I can’t say that I know that to be true for sure) Chinese people do, in fact eat dog.
To add to that, when I talk with Korean friends, yes, some have eaten dog, but they don’t seem to have the same idea about dog being a traditional Korean food. Granted, these are younger Korean students, about college level, so maybe they aren’t as familiar with the types of traditional foods that aren’t as commonly eaten in Korea. That seems fishy to me as well.
Finally, to some westerners it is horrible to imagine eating dog since we tend to see them as lovable members of our family. It’s hard to imagine dogs as livestock. That is a cultural difference in many ways, that can be overcome or at least respected and understood. Perhaps the worst possible reason for people thinking the Chinese (and only Chinese) eat dog is cultural ignorance. Westerners have a difficult time telling East Asian people apart. Often you hear them refer to all Asians as Chinese, or Japanese. (usually one of the two) So, it could have been a Thai, Korean, Lao, Hmong, or Vietnamese person eating dog, or doing whatever, and the ignorant westerner will say to their friends and family something like, "Today I saw a Chinese family wearing kimonos." even though Kimonos are the traditional clothing of Japan so it probably wasn’t a Chinese family. That’s perhaps the biggest problem, unrelated to eating dog, and much harder to overcome than the misconception that Chinese are the only culture to eat dog.
Those are my thoughts. Even so, I ended up eating dog (at a non-Korean restaurant in China) without knowing it was dog, and found it to be delicious. Once I knew it was dog, I had a hard time eating it because I was thinking of my family, pet, but I guess that could mean that some westerners eat dog too!
uhh so i see no reason why not to eat meat from an animal that is not endangered, really what is the diffrence from a cow,chicken or a dog? ur talking as if eating dog is a taboo in asia, generally it is not, it is a taboo in the west, but that doesn’t mean i am disrespecting any other culture, which is something everyone should do (including ur self)
and as for ur question probobly since china has 1.3 billion people and korea is small compared to that, so there are a lot more chinese,
not that i BLAME any one for practicing there tradition
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Such and interesting question, and one that has a lot of weight behind it culturally.
First, I know what you’re saying about Koreans eating dog. After living in China, most Chinese people will tell you…it’s the Koreans, it’s not us! I lived in Shandong province, not far from Korea, but in an area without many ethnic Koreans. Yes, in our town there was a Korean restaurant that served dog.
BUT, I would also point out that there were also several non-Korean restaurants that served dog. In asking my Chinese friends, most had eaten dog. And these were ethnically Han Chinese (not Korean). So, I guess while it may be true that dog was traditionally served in Korea (though I can’t say that I know that to be true for sure) Chinese people do, in fact eat dog.
To add to that, when I talk with Korean friends, yes, some have eaten dog, but they don’t seem to have the same idea about dog being a traditional Korean food. Granted, these are younger Korean students, about college level, so maybe they aren’t as familiar with the types of traditional foods that aren’t as commonly eaten in Korea. That seems fishy to me as well.
Finally, to some westerners it is horrible to imagine eating dog since we tend to see them as lovable members of our family. It’s hard to imagine dogs as livestock. That is a cultural difference in many ways, that can be overcome or at least respected and understood. Perhaps the worst possible reason for people thinking the Chinese (and only Chinese) eat dog is cultural ignorance. Westerners have a difficult time telling East Asian people apart. Often you hear them refer to all Asians as Chinese, or Japanese. (usually one of the two) So, it could have been a Thai, Korean, Lao, Hmong, or Vietnamese person eating dog, or doing whatever, and the ignorant westerner will say to their friends and family something like, "Today I saw a Chinese family wearing kimonos." even though Kimonos are the traditional clothing of Japan so it probably wasn’t a Chinese family. That’s perhaps the biggest problem, unrelated to eating dog, and much harder to overcome than the misconception that Chinese are the only culture to eat dog.
Those are my thoughts. Even so, I ended up eating dog (at a non-Korean restaurant in China) without knowing it was dog, and found it to be delicious. Once I knew it was dog, I had a hard time eating it because I was thinking of my family, pet, but I guess that could mean that some westerners eat dog too!
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The answer is, its because there are so many of them, whenever we hear something about an Asian we assume that there are Chinese. The same goes for westeners, we assume first that there from the USA and then the UK
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Why is it wrong to eat dogs? They’re just as important as cows. If we can eat cows, why can’t we eat dogs? I swear, half of PETA are more "save the fluffy, cute animals!" than "save all animals from animal cruelty!"
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It’s not only some Northern Chinese people who eat dogs, but also some Southern Chinese.
When I was working in Beijing, my colleagues and I went out for a meal and they ordered a dog dish. I tried a little bit of the soup, but not the meat. Could not bring myself to eat it.
But for people who do enjoy the meat, more power to them, as long as the animals were killed in a humane manner. Unfortunately this detail is often overlooked by most Chinese. They just put the dogs in a sack and beat it to death. Some say it’s to tenderize the meat, but I think it’s just a quick and dirty way to kill it without risking a bite.
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I love dog meat. And I happened to be a Chinese too. Does that mean I represent all Chinese? (That all Chinese eat dog meat because of me?)
I just simply don’t understand what so special about dogs and cats. Every animal can be food (except our own kind).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv5j9DIfrm8&feature=related
Some human love their pets so much that they even sleep with them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK8tX-VXq5k&feature=related
Where some human left their parents in Old Age Home sleeping under the same roof with other strangers (other old folks).
Personally, I like pigs and bull more than dogs & cats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l26KP3NMkbo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJsDo8uOOmg&NR=1
I cant understand those who are against slaughtering dogs & cats for food are keeping their mouth shut when served with pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck, goose, etc….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmAJlwLnQI
???????
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lFQmP-EMFs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zck8FK-W2A&feature=related
Westerners don’t know the difference among east Asians, they think we’re all the same, also they don’t bother to know what’s the difference.
Some Chinese eat dog meats too, but rare, I ate some dog meat when I was child, and no, I didn’t like it, the texture of dog meat is too rusty , I even had nose bleed.
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some chinese do eat dog meat… mainly in the north-eastern China, where alot korean chinese lives.
also in guangdong province, where they eat everything/.
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Why are you so offended?
Dog meat is not as popular as other kinds of meat but still eaten in many parts of China, by Han and other ethnic groups. Just take a stroll at the Qingping market in Guangzhou and you will see dog meat commonly sold. Not many Koreans around!
Nothing wrong with consuming dog meat. What is objectionable -with dogs or other animal used for their flesh and other by-products, in China AND elsewhere- is how animals are raised, transported, and slaughtered.
Edit: actually, dog meat isn’t that bad. You should see what Icelanders eat! Never mind, you should see what Americans eat…you wouldn’t believe it!
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Here’s a photo I took at a dog meat market in Yunnan:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomcarter/178865881/
As you can see, eating Dog is not limited to the North or South. It’s just as popular in West China.
That said, I haven’t met too many Chinese people who eat dog on a regular basis. Most have tried it, but it’s not a common meal.
I think Korea or the Philippines eat dog much more than Chinese. But as we know, China often takes the blame for the rest of Asia because most westerns are naive about the differences.
Sincerely,
Tom Carter
author, CHINA: Portrait of a People
http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm
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Okay, firstly, i’m Korean-Chinese , but i don’t eat dog meat. I may be born in Singapore, okay, but i’ve never thought that there’s anything wrong to be eating dog meat. It’s called tradition. It doesn’t matter whether the Koreans are eating more of it or whatnot. What matters is that they stay true to their heritage. Which is very comforting for me.
This whole prejudice stems from the media. Again.
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Im from China I’ve never tried dog meat and I do not know of any of my family or friends having tried dog meat. Though I haven’t tried myself, I don’t see any problem with people eating dog meat if it’s what they like to. It’s not something popular here. We usually eat fish, cow, pigs, chicken, ducks, and on rarer occasion we eat sheep, turkey. Okay but I don’t think we should divert others’ attention to "Korean eating dog meat".
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The same reason why most Asians think Americans are the result of inbreeding….
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