Dolphins, horses, and Japanese food

[Pseudo_Croat]

I saw this as a comment to a YouTube video just a few minutes ago. Is it true, and if it is, should we even care?

*The Japanese eat dolphins (endangered species) for sushi & sashimi.

*They bleed dolphins for slow & excruciatingly PAINFUL death (lasting up to 10 min.) because when the body is in pain, it releases adrenaline, which makes the meat more tasty.

*They love to eat raw horse meat, so they do the same thing to millions of horses. (Many of the horses are stolen pets from Europe & US)

Japanese method: more PAIN = more adrenaline = more TASTY

- Pseudo_Croat

[Morrigan]

Well, the Japanese DO eat horses. I know that the 19(89?) Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand was sold at auction to Japan. (In some way. I don't feel like dreging up the story right now.)

I'm not sure about the raw horsemeat, though.

Morrigan

[PallasAthena]

My dad lived in Japan for a few months year before last. He was invited to an elegant dinner at a restaurant and one of the dishes was raw horsemeat. He took a "No Thank You" bite, but that's all he could stomach. Apparently it was quite the delicacy and his hosts were not upset about having a little extra for themselves.

That said, I find it highly unlikely that they steal European pets to eat. Why do that when they can just buy from a farm? It doesn't make sense.

I would also like to point out that I am sure there are things that I eat that someone from another culture might find barbaric. Hot dogs spring to mind.

[Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Morrigan

I'm not sure about the raw horsemeat, though.

I had raw horsemeat sashimi at the Sapporo Lion last year. A bit tough. Worth trying just for the novelty, but nothing I'd want to try again.

[KathyB]

*The Japanese eat dolphins (endangered species) for sushi & sashimi.

*They bleed dolphins for slow & excruciatingly PAINFUL death (lasting up to 10 min.) because when the body is in pain, it releases adrenaline, which makes the meat more tasty.

This appears to be a distortion of an acutal issue--the way in which dolphins are killed for the japanese market. Dolphins are herded into a small cove, where they are killed with knives. It is not exactly swift and bloodless. [url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2129954.ece[/urL].

The hunts are notoriously brutal, and blue tarpaulin sheets block the main viewing spots overlooking the cove where the killings take place, to prevent photographs being taken. Beyond the cove, small boats surround a pod of migrating dolphins, lower metal poles into the sea and bang them to frighten the animals and disrupt their sonar. Once the panicking, thrashing dolphins are herded into the narrow cove, the fishermen attack them with knives, turning the sea red before dragging them to a harbourside warehouse for slaughter.

This is the website of a group that is protesting the dolphin killing. Unfortunately, the web site is ratehr disorganized, so it is difficult to get a coherent description of their issues. Save Japan Dolphins Coalition. They believe that there is some sort of connection between the slaughter and captive dolphin programs: "the international aquarium industry subsidizes these massacres by paying upwards of US$45,000 for prime live specimens for aquariums."

Horsemeat is "Basashi" or "sakura " (cherry--from the cherry-red color of the meat.) According to Horse to remain on Japanese plates despite US ban most hosremeat consumed in Japan does NOT come fromt eh US or Europe.

"Japanese imports of horse meat are unaffected by the US vote because first of all Japan does not import that much from the United States," agriculture ministry official Hidetoshi Akinaga said.

"Japan's main trade partners for horse meat are Canada, Brazil and Argentina," he said.

The three countries together account for 82 percent of Japan's imports of horse meat, which is seen as a lean alternative to beef and also used in pet food.

[Izzy Quigley]

(Many of the horses are stolen pets from Europe & US)

How would that even be practical?

Maybe I'm missing something, but how would it be possible to steal pet horses from Europe and the US and get them to Japan without being caught? Even if you stole them from coastal areas and smuggled them out with ships, it seems like the risk of being noticed between the stable and the docks would be too great. You can't exactly hide a half-ton animal under your coat.

Izzy "who threw that horse at me?!" Quigley

[Horse Chestnut]

On the contrary; rather than horses disappearing, this article states that the country is seeing a glut of unwanted and abandoned horses due to bans on the slaughter and import for slaughter of American equines.

As for the "painful death improves taste", I have heard this mentioned as a practice in some Chinese cuisine, but I have never heard it brought up in regards to Japanese cooking. Gratuitous torture for the sake of some else's pleasure certainly isn't unknown in this sad world.

[charlie23]

Japanese method: more PAIN = more adrenaline = more TASTY

As a hunter I've always been told that the exact opposite is true: the release of adrenaline and other compounds caused by fear or pain actually make the meat tougher and "gamey". That's one of the reasons why you strive for a clean kill, and/or "hang" the meat.

[Ceiling Fan]

Originally Posted by charlie23

As a hunter I've always been told that the exact opposite is true: the release of adrenaline and other compounds caused by fear or pain actually make the meat tougher and "gamey". That's one of the reasons why you strive for a clean kill, and/or "hang" the meat.

That's what I've heard too. That would also be a reason why avoid causing stress to animals (pigs, cows etc.) before they're being butchered. There is a long and complicated explanation to this - it is caused by a chemical reaction (lactic acids, if I'm correct) in the muscles and it weakens the quality (and probably the taste) of the meat.

ETA: With Google I found some articles about stress affecting the quality of meat; here's one of 'em:
http://www.grandin.com/meat/meat.html

[Tenko]

Originally Posted by charlie23

As a hunter I've always been told that the exact opposite is true: the release of adrenaline and other compounds caused by fear or pain actually make the meat tougher and "gamey". That's one of the reasons why you strive for a clean kill, and/or "hang" the meat.

I was just about to bring that up. I had always heard that the best meat comes from animals raised well and killed cleanly. My father said that one of his family members would get a chicken, raise it like a dear pet, and then, while petting it, break its neck when it was finally time to slaughter it for supper.

Maybe some cultures value gamey meat?

Originally Posted by KathyB

This appears to be a distortion of an acutal issue--the way in which dolphins are killed for the japanese market.

This has been discussed.

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=3206

Originally Posted by Horse Chestnut

As for the "painful death improves taste", I have heard this mentioned as a practice in some Chinese cuisine, but I have never heard it brought up in regards to Japanese cooking. Gratuitous torture for the sake of some else's pleasure certainly isn't unknown in this sad world.

This is practised in both Chinese and Japanese cooking...and the food of other cultures also.

I'm Chinese, but I don't necessarily condone this. However, I think that (as KB mentions above) there have been distortions...I suspect these methods arose from a need to demonstrate freshness, and I know they're not commonly used. If you follow the link I provided, you'll see where I stand on judging this "sad" world.