The dogs in Korean cuisine

Dog meat is a traditional Korean dish, the first mention of which date from the period of the three States (57 BC – 668 ad). Previously, there was a great variety of recipes, but today chefs only cook soups or dishes of boiled and roasted meat.

In this issue you will see pictures of the soup of the dogs (bosentan) in one of the restaurants of Seoul. Traditionally, Koreans eat it on the hottest summer days. It is believed that eating dog meat gives strength, energy and improves health.

(Caution! The material presented in the series may seem unpleasant or intimidating.)

At the end of 90-ies in the Republic there were about 6,5 thousand suppliers of dog meat. They sold a daily average of 25 tons of dog meat that year was approximately 8.4 thousand tons. (Photo: ChungSung-Jun/GettyImages)

In reality, the consumption of South Korea is much larger and reaches about 100 thousand tons. All in all, the country more than 20 thousand points of sale of dog meat, including unregistered providers.

The dog takes the fourth place in South Korea for use in food after pork, beef and chicken

Animal rights activists often find meat-eating dogs are unacceptable. Proponents of eating dishes from sobachatiny don't understand why it is considered permissible to eat the cows and pigs, but weird to eat dogs.

Not the first year in South Korea, there are heated debates about whether it is possible to combine Western ethics with the traditions of Korean cuisine.

In 2005, the government of the Republic of Korea has prepared a draft law. He does not invalidate tradition of use in food sobachatiny, but prohibits the use of cruel methods of slaughter dogs. According to the weekly "Coogan Joseon", in particular, will not be able to kill the dog on people, not to cause anyone discomfort. You cannot resort to such methods of slaughter as strangulation. However, what methods are allowed, the edition is not specified.

As punishment for breaking the law on the protection of animals will be provided for imprisonment in labor camps for up to six months and a fine of about USD 2 thousand. Until now, violators are fined only $ 200. In addition, the government intends to toughen health standards for points of sale sobachatiny to prevent the sale of meat for the sick, homeless, or used for medical experiments animals. For this purpose, all trading in dog meat businesses will be required to undergo testing 4 times a year.

Soup of the dog (pointman (보신탕; 補身湯) or cajungal (개장국)) — soup the national food of Korea, which includes dog meat as its primary component. It is argued that this soup increases courage.

Method of preparation of the following: dog meat boiled with vegetables such as green onions, Perilla leaves, and dandelions, and spices such as Tongan, kochujang and Perilla seed powder.

The dish is one of the most common Korean foods made from dog meat, has a long history in Korean culture, but in recent years criticized both inside and outside Korea due to concerns about animal rights.