Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utflis.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!utai!utflis!chai From: chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: eating live things Message-ID: <191@utflis.UUCP> Date: Sun, 30-Jun-85 01:09:19 EDT Article-I.D.: utflis.191 Posted: Sun Jun 30 01:09:19 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 30-Jun-85 03:33:09 EDT References: <213@sdcarl.UUCP> Reply-To: chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai) Organization: FLIS, University of Toronto Lines: 33 Summary: In article <213@sdcarl.UUCP> rusty@sdcarl.UUCP (Rusty Wright) writes: > .... about other ``interesting'' eating >practices involving live animals. I don't know of any. ... > .... I have heard of something where monkeys have >their skull sliced open and their brains are eaten with chopsticks. >I'm not sure if they're supposed to be alive while eaten. >-- > rusty c. wright Yes, "Live Monkey's Brains" is supposed to be a very nutritious gourmet dish in the era of emperors and dynasties. (We Chinese belive that whichever part of an animal you eat will be beneficial to the corresponding part of your body; e.g. chicken feet good for your legs, calf liver good for your liver etc., but don't ask me what good ox tails do!) There is a special table for this; the live monkey is tied up with only the head showing through a hole at the center of the table. (It should be a very healthy monkey so it won't die in the process) The waiter performs the "surgery" before the guests' eyes and the brains are eaten directly from the skull. I think I'd faint if I am presented with this inhumane dish! I don't think it is widely eaten nowadays, but there is another dish that is still regarded as a delicacy: "Deep Fried Live Fish". It is prepared like this: a live fish is caught from the lake/pool beside the restaurent. It entrails are cleaned immediately and quickly so that the fish is still alive. The head is wrapped in moist cloth and the cook holds the fish by the head. The rest of the body is dunked into hot oil, and so is flash cooked. Even when the fish is served , it is still gasping for air. I've seen it done on TV. I doubt if I can eat the poor thing, 'though the flesh is supposed to be very tasty. -- Henry Chai Faculty of Library and Information Science, U of Toronto {watmath,ihnp4,allegra}!utzoo!utflis!chai