Declan Murphy wrote:
> Paul Blay wrote:
>> "Declan Murphy" <declan_murphy@hotmail.com> wrote ...
>>> B wrote:
>>>> Yes, it is an important distinction that they are mamamals,
>>>> not fish. Whales are highly intelligent and socialable mammals.
>>> Other than all whale & dolphin species, what other mammals should by
>>> this definition also be off limits for human consumption?
>> Probably pigs, goats and dogs for a start*.
>>
>> * One of the three of which I've eaten.
> 
> I've eaten meat from each of those. Horses and kangaroos (think "faces
> in the mob") are intelligent and sociable and I've eaten those also.
> Damn fine eating too. I'm unclear as to what this definition of
> intelligent and sociable mammal is in terms of what is acceptable
> cuisine.
> 
> And wouldn't the highly "intelligent and sociable" mammal definition
> justify human cannabilism in many cases?

I used to eat basashi until someone explained what it was and I 
gradually stopped.  I was pretty indifferent to it before knowing what 
it was.  I've eaten some cooked horse dish in Belgium, too.  There's 
enough delicious food in Kyushu that's made from standard edible things 
that you can get away with ignoring the horse and still eat quite well.

Kangaroo ... yes; as steaks.  Monkey in shao lampo in southwestern China 
... at least until we figured out which animal the poetic kanji was 
describing (ever noticed that real Chinese restaurant menus never tell 
you exactly what you're eating and give you a poem instead?).  Have also 
had dog in stew and in something mixed with vegetables that they 
supercharged with a year's supply of monosodium glutamate and poured 
over rice (which enabled me to learn the term "pichu" in a matter of 
minutes through repeated bottle emptying).  And, of course, I have never 
been to a banquet in Southern China where I didn't get to watch them 
kill a snake and be offered a glass of the snake blood and liver in 
kaoliang.

The one that almost turned me inside out was lambs eyes.  It was 
probably knowing what I was eating that made it almost impossible.  But, 
I wanted the contract we were celebrating badly enough to keep them down.

CL