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