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April 15, 2006

Comments

chaxiubao

Love the colorful pictures.

any chance I could get in if I pretend I'm a horse from China by pulling a long face?

but that'll probably mean I'll be one of the dead horses...

anyway, horse sashimi is good. It's a nice treat for the Japanese. For chinese, we prefer donkey's meat more...

Jamie

Wow....Horse sashimi! Never imagined that...
That was the hardest part of the market for me. I used to own horses when I was younger...they are still my favorite animal (and dolphins), seeing half a horse hanging from a hook kind of took my breath away. I knew that people eat horses...but for some reason I didn't think (or want to believe) in France...silly me!
The market was incredible...Amy, you did a fabulous job of describing it! I had this romantic vision in my head that it would be like one HUGE walking market where all the farmers bring their best products...never expected what we got! Incredible.... Nice pics! ;)

Ms. Glaze

I hope you're joking about the horsemeat sashimi. Horsemeat Shabu Shabu I can understand or perhaps seared and sliced thinly over rice, but sashimi? I have never seen it on the menu in Japan but I've heard it exits in some specialty places.

Don't get me started on Donkey meat....hee, hah, hee, hah, hee, hah.....

Ms. Glaze

Okay, maybe I'm wrong about the horsemeat sashimi, but that french meat packer was certainly right about the import of American horses for meat.

This article is REALLY disturbing...http://www.marynash.org/libraryandarchive/publications2004/HearstNewspapers04302004.htm

chaxiubao

I am amazed to see you gals taken aback by the horse sashimi. Trust me, it's very common in Japan. the reason you didn't see it coming in their menu often is because it is rather seasonal and limited, so they tend to written it on the wooden plate on the wall whenever it is available, instead of print it on the menu. We have about a dozen Japanese restaurants serving this in Hong Kong too, though the supply is very limited.

Sometime I really don't know who's more outlandish when it comes to the choice of food. We Chinese can go very far end for it (and eat it in a matter-of-fact fashion); the world never cast this fact a shadow of doubt. But in Japan, the southern part of it to be specific, people actually eat *and say highly of it* sashimi made of whale's heart. A heart sashimi! Imagine you're practice your culinary skill in Japan and one day your head chef ask you to carve the heart in front of the guest and watch them eat it! Spooky!!!!

Ms. Glaze

Yeah, I don't think I could do that!

In America Horse has never been on the menu. We look at horses as beautiful intelligent animals that partner with humans the same way dogs do. They become part of our families not part of our dinner.

Did you read the article above on Horsemeat and America? It really explains mentality towards it.

I also don't think whales should be on the menu. They're practically exinct as are many other items that are found on Japanese and Chinese menus. This bothers me. What do you think about it?

chaxiubao

The way I think. Well, it's a very profound question...I'd certainly write up a post just for it, you know.

1st of all, lets look at it this way: culinary history of US vs that of China; we are talking roughly 300 years vs 4000 years, right? With the passage of time, the food chain expand, with what used to be eccentric cease to be. On to our dining development in these thousands of year, we don't have the burden of any environmentalist, animal right outcries, and etc., of which, gifted us an extremely eclectic taste in food (yeah, I know, eating horse and whale is by no means eclectic).

Noted that, the above phenomenon is not oriental but universal. Henry V, a well-known gourmet at his time, is famous for his passion on rarity: he eats, among other lovely creatures, peacock and dolphin.

Third, as strange as it sounds to you, just becoz' people in Japan eat horsemeat, doesn't mean they have no feeling to horse in any way. Racing is huge in Japan. Winning jockey and horses are regarded as national heroes. The thing is, people in asia, europe, and africa managed to find ways to depart our attachment for the animal under the dining table. Ms. Glaze, as a good chef, you may someday do some 'staging' around the globe further down your career. I think this is an inevitability you need to aware, right?

Ms. Glaze

I think that we agree that we come from different cultural perspectives and we're going to agree and disagree on certain points. I do understand the horsemeat issue, but I'm a rider and was raised riding and owning horses so I have a certain fondness for the animal. I can't see eating my pet horse.

I also have an issue with race horses that are sold to Japan only to be slaughtered for food. Especially our national heros. If you read the link I posted earlier, I think you'll understsand the American cultural perspective.

Just because I am a chef doesn't mean that I feel everything is appropriate for the dinner table. I don't eat veal for instance because I think it is inhumane or foies gras. I do draw the line on certain issues. I also buy, demand, and pay the extra price for biologique products wherever I go.

With all the knowledge that we have today can we really justify eating endagered species (whales, tiger penis, etc). What our forefather's did was a long time before the 18th century man came along and decimated whole populations of species. I would like those animals to be around for my children. Also there are so many more people in the world today so we must be conscious.

I don't need to further my career by carving a whales heart nor do I see myself comprimising my values for the sake of spectacle. But, that's me and my philosophy. When I do open a restaurant it will be based on local organic produce and meats raised naturally and killed humanely.

Bisous,
Ms. Glaze


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