Dog meat consumption in Vietnam

Last updated

Dog meat for sale in a market in Hanoi, Vietnam Dog meat for sale in a market in Hanoi, Vietnam (6827793370).jpg
Dog meat for sale in a market in Hanoi, Vietnam

Dog meat consumption can be found in Vietnam, similar to other Asian countries such as Laos, and China.[ citation needed ]

Contents

According to the Four Paws February 2020 report on the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asian countries, roughly 5 million dogs are killed for their meat each year in Vietnam. [1] Although the report indicated that Vietnam is the second biggest consumer of dog meat, [2] this practice is only common among a minority of the population. [1]

Debate over dog meat consumption in Vietnam has become more frequent. This increased debate has been impacted by animal activists in and out of the country where dogs are traditionally worshiped according to folk customs and religions, and according to Buddhist belief and Islamic beliefs where dogs are strictly prohibited from being harmed.

Part of the dispute may be illustrated as a clash of values due to both the custom of dog worship and moreover globalization. Dog meat consumption is regarded as a taboo in the West, as pork replaced the consumption of dog meat in the form of heavily processed meat used to make its name sake "hot dogs" [3] and hamburger meat and such belief is deeply associated with human-animal relations because dogs are often treated as family members by humans. [4]

Early history

There are relatively few records about the early domestication of dogs in Vietnam. Evidence of dog domestication has been found at the Neolithic settlement of An Son that may be traced back to 2100 BC. [5] The site is located close to the northern border of Long An province in the southern part of the country. It is suggested that the early inhabitants maintained domestic dogs and pigs at the site. In northern Vietnam, a few domestic dog remains were found at the Man Bac site. [5] Similar to pig domestication, butcher marks were observed on the abundance of dog remains at the site, indicating that dogs were a source of food for the inhabitants. More dog remains than pig remains were found at the site. There was no evidence of special treatment of dogs such as burial that would indicate human-dog emotional ties. [5]

Cultural beliefs

Spiritual worship

Cultural beliefs about dogs are usually connected to the role that dogs play in the household and the emotional connections between dogs and humans.[ citation needed ] Cultural beliefs also shape the tradition of consuming dog meat.

Dogs are generally used as household guardians, but they are treated with little respect. [6] The early nineteenth-century poem "The Quarrel of the Six Beasts" gives a glimpse of the dog's household position through its food. In the poem, the animals are arguing about which animal is most useful by comparing their jobs and the food they eat. The dog in the story claims that it sometimes gets "crumbs of rice and dregs of soup" from the master, but often eats low-quality food such as "rotten taro and wormy yam." [7] In fact, in Intage Vietnam's report about pet care, 9% of the population fed their dogs with leftovers in 2019. [8]

The guard role of dogs transitioned into the worshiping of them. Vietnamese folk culture holds that placing stone dogs in front of temples and houses will drive away ghosts and devils. For example, in Hanoi, dogs were worshiped at the Puppy Temple by Truc Bach lake that may date back to 1010. [9] [ better source needed ]

The worship of dogs has also been popular among ethnic minorities. The Tay people would counterbalance the bad feng shui in a house by placing a stone dog in the front yard. It is believed that dog sculptures process blessings. The stone dogs are also connected to the sacred creature nghê , a lion dog. The Dao people believe that they are the descendants of the dog god, Panhu. This makes dog meat forbidden in their culture. [7]

For other Vietnamese populations, the sacred power of dogs makes dog meat a special dish on particular occasions. Eating dog meat after a bad event is said to dispel bad luck and contribute to longevity. [10] The dish became a custom in funerals, death anniversaries, and weddings. Dogs were also sacrificed in rituals in the north in order to worship ancestors or to induce rain. Beyond special occasions, dog meat is usually consumed at the end of a lunar month or lunar year. Eating it at the wrong time is believed to instead bring misfortune. [11] This might be associated with the Vietnamese folktale that a dog with white fur and a blood red nose is the embodiment of a demon. The demon is said to return to its original shape during the full moon, which is in the middle of a lunar month. [12]

Masculinity

Dog meat is linked to Vietnamese masculinity by its perceived medicinal ability to improve sexual performance. The linkage is also seen in the spaces where dog meat is consumed. Day to day consumption of dog meat in Hoi An, in central Vietnam, usually occurs in local liquor shops, or quán nhậu. Some of the shops have upgraded to "garden" restaurants. While the quán nhậu are exclusive to male customers, the "garden" restaurants also attract a majority of male customers. Their masculine spaces are where men recharge and boost their masculinity and display and perform it with the female staff who provide sexual services. [11]

A Hoi An street dog Hoi An Street Dog.jpg
A Hoi An street dog

This connection can also be analyzed in the framework of Confucianism. The Chinese philosophy has profound influence in defining the proper gender roles in Vietnam, in which males go out and socialize at dog meat restaurants while women are considered inferior and remain at home. Additionally, dog-consuming practices can be seen in many East Asian nations which have been influenced by Confucianism. Dog meat was also called "Confucius meat" because Confucius enjoyed eating it. [11] Beyond Vietnam, in South Korea, people tried to escape from the social pressure of Confucian morals by consuming dog meat. [13]

Political affiliation

According to Confucian values, an ideal man should be educated, knowledgeable and politically involved. This is how dog eating, a popular practice in Confucian society, converged with political engagement. The dog meat tradition persisted as a way of participation or rejection of the dominant political ideology. Through interviews with the Vietnamese it was explained that as many of the new middle class benefited from contact with the ruling elite and the government, they were "obligated to express loyalty and commitment" toward the northern regime through accepting a new culinary practice from the north and rejecting the local moral standards. This is closely related to the Confucian ideas of obedience and loyalty in the social hierarchy. [11] Vietnam is primarily a Daoist culture where the worship of symbolic beings such as dogs and ancestors is still a common practice today. Dog worship is among one of the oldest Vietnamese folk traditions where dogs were praised as being the most loyal protectors. The saying "feed a man for 3 years and hell forget you in 3 seconds while of you feed a dog for 3 days he'll remember you forever is an old adage representing how dogs were considered a defenders of a family home.

This transformative culinary practice is not always welcomed without doubts. While Vietnamese enjoy dog meat dishes, they are acutely aware of the problems associated with violence, crime, drunkenness, and illicit sex which make the practices immoral and shameful among the Vietnamese community. Furthermore, showing loyalty by incorporating the dining practice of the northern regime does not indicate that the middle class fully supported the regime. [11]

Increased appetite for wild meat

After recovering from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the Vietnamese economy returned to rapid growth by 2004, with the continued influx of foreign direct investment.[ citation needed ]

An example of a sign for dog meat in Hanoi Dog meat anyone%3F.jpg
An example of a sign for dog meat in Hanoi

The appetite for dog and exotic meat increased together with the expansion of general meat consumption. This trend corresponded with the rising popularity of dog meat restaurants in Hoi An. First, the number of dog meat restaurants increased. In 1999, only a couple of places served dog meat, but by 2004 there were "dozens of eating venues throughout the town." Second, the visibility of those restaurants increased. In 1999, it was mentioned that dog meat restaurants were "in [a] maze of alleys" or "outside the town." In addition, instead of writing "Thịt Chó" on the signs, a more obscure expression "Thịt Cầy" (lit. 'civet meat') was used. In 2004, more restaurants were visible with the name "Thịt Chó". [11]

There is an interconnection between dog meat consumption and wild meat consumption, both viewed as exotic. The increase in demand for wild meat is also tied to market development and the bonds of business partnerships. [14] While rich people may show their high social status by serving expensive types of wild meat, others serve expensive wild meat to guests as a way of showing respect for business cooperation. This form of "diplomacy" then leads to the likelihood of success in the partnership. In this way, wild meat consumption constitutes a social norm connected to business culture and partnerships. [14]

A similar type of social protocol of showing respect is seen in South Korean dog meat consumption, in which one tries to impress and show respect for a prestigious guest by offering the meat of one's own pet dog. [13]

Expanding pet market

A dog as a companion Man and dog at bike.jpg
A dog as a companion

Counter to the argument that capitalist development led to an increase in demand for dog meat, it is shown that capitalism also brought in the demand for dogs not as a source of food but as a source of companionship.

In the book chapter "An Appetite for Dogs: Consuming and Loving Them in Vietnam" Anthony Podberscek, a scientist for animal behavior and human-animal interaction in Australia, claims that capitalist development also brought about changes in dog-eating traditions. [15]

The first commercial pet shop opened in Ho Chi Minh City in 2006, and within 8 years, pet shops expanded in number and availability in different cities. [16] Furthermore, luxurious grooming services have been offered to pet owners in cities.

Vietnamese pet retailers often run a cash-based business which makes analysis of the industry harder. Although little scholarly analysis has focused on the potential influence of the expanding pet care industry on dog consumption, there is enough evidence to indicate that the pet care market is on the rise. [16]

This change might be brought on by the increasingly important concept of companion animals. An interview conducted with a clinic owner in Vietnam shows pet owners' increased willingness to spend more money on their pets. [17]

Capitalist development is giving people more economic capacity and may also lead to an increase in their interaction with pets, strengthening human-animal relations. Statistics provided by Podberscek suggest that some part of the population in the south are supportive toward a ban on the consumption of dog meat. [15] The practice of refusing to eat dog meat as a pet owner is also frequently observed.

War dog, Vietnam, c. 1970 War Dog, Vietnam, circa 1970.jpg
War dog, Vietnam, c. 1970

Vietnamese pet owners together with activists from other nations are advocating for banning the sale and trade of dog meat. As of 2023, the Soi Dog Foundation is collecting 1.5 million signatures to submit a petition to ban dog meat to the Communist Party of Vietnam. In the petition, China's progress on forbidding the trade of cat, dog and wildlife meat is mentioned. Besides emotional appeals, public health concerns over diseases and the nation's image as a civilized and modern nation are highlighted. [18]

In French Indochina, the slaughtering and eating of dogs was banned in the late 19th century. However, dog meat began to be consumed again after the French left. [10] In France the practice of banning dog meat consumption had also began around the 1930s before it spread across France and colonial domains.

Legislation provides pet owners some protection over pet theft. In July 2016, a law was amended to enable prosecutions against thieves whose crimes cause social disorder. [1] The amendment meant that the theft of even a single dog could result in a jail sentence. Previously, criminals had stolen dogs from homes with near immunity as the dogs were considered to have too little financial value to prosecute over.

More recently, in 2018, a statement was issued by the director of the Hanoi Department of Animal Health stating that raising public awareness of the risks of dog meat consumption needed to be strengthened to discourage the practice, and that the dog meat trade would be eliminated from the city's central 21 districts by 2021. In 2019, the Food Safety Management Board in Ho Chi Minh City urged people to stop consuming dog meat. However, there was no law issued to ban the dog meat trade. [1]

Controversy and debate

The consumption of dog meat and exotic meat has been condemned by the West as being "backward" and archaic. [19] Animal rights have become an increasingly important parameter in assessing a nation's development and progress. NGOs such as Four Paws have promoted that globalized developments such as transnational tourism have created pressure for a shift in the tradition of Vietnam. [1] It is also expected that Western influence will eventually cause dog meat to be taboo in Vietnam. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddhist cuisine</span> East Asian cuisine informed by Buddhism

Buddhist cuisine is an Asian cuisine that is followed by monks and many believers from areas historically influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. It is vegetarian or vegan, and it is based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (non-violence). Vegetarianism is common in other Dharmic faiths such as Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, as well as East Asian religions like Taoism. While monks, nuns and a minority of believers are vegetarian year-round, many believers follow the Buddhist vegetarian diet for celebrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meat</span> Animal flesh eaten as food

Meat is animal tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals, including chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and cattle, starting around 11,000 years ago. Since then, selective breeding has enabled farmers to produce meat with the qualities desired by producers and consumers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Vietnam

Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages originated from Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes : sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflects one or more elements, which are also based around a five-pronged philosophy. Vietnamese recipes use ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking has often been characterised as using fresh ingredients, not using much dairy or oil, having interesting textures, and making use of herbs and vegetables. The cuisine is also low in sugar and is almost always naturally gluten-free, as many of the dishes are rice-based instead of wheat-based, made with rice noodles, rice papers and rice flour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balut (food)</span> Bird embryo steamed and eaten from the shell

Balut is a fertilized developing egg embryo that is boiled or steamed and eaten from the shell. It is commonly sold as street food most notably in the Philippines, and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse meat</span> Consumable meat from horses

Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in the Americas and in Eurasia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existence, wild horses were hunted as a source of protein.

Some people do not eat various specific foods and beverages in conformity with various religious, cultural, legal or other societal prohibitions. Many of these prohibitions constitute taboos. Many food taboos and other prohibitions forbid the meat of a particular animal, including mammals, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, molluscs, crustaceans and insects, which may relate to a disgust response being more often associated with meats than plant-based foods. Some prohibitions are specific to a particular part or excretion of an animal, while others forgo the consumption of plants or fungi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork</span> Restrictions on the consumption of pork for religious reasons

Pork is a food taboo among several religions, including Jews, Muslims, and some Christian denominations. Swine were prohibited in ancient Syria and Phoenicia, and the pig and its flesh represented a taboo observed, Strabo noted, at Comana in Pontus. A lost poem of Hermesianax, reported centuries later by the traveller Pausanias, reported an etiological myth of Attis destroyed by a supernatural boar to account for the fact that "in consequence of these events the Galatians who inhabit Pessinous do not touch pork". In Abrahamic religions, eating pig flesh is clearly forbidden by Jewish (kashrut), Islamic (halal) and Christian Adventist dietary laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog meat</span> Meat from dogs used as food

Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world.

<i>Bosintang</i> Korean dog meat dish

Bosintang or tan'gogikuk is a Korean soup that uses dog meat as its primary ingredient. The meat is boiled with vegetables such as green onions, perilla leaves, and dandelions, and flavorants such as doenjang, gochujang, and perilla seed powder. It is seasoned with agastache rugosa before eating. The soup has been claimed to provide increased virility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat meat</span> Meat from domestic cats for human consumption

Cat meat is meat prepared from domestic cats for human consumption. Some countries serve cat meat as a regular food, whereas others have only consumed some cat meat in desperation during wartime, famine or poverty.

The Nureongi, also known as the Korean Yellow Spitz, is a common, spitz-type dogs with yellowish coloring endemic to the Korean peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Japanese cuisine</span>

This article traces the history of cuisine in Japan. Foods and food preparation by the early Japanese Neolithic settlements can be pieced together from archaeological studies, and reveals paramount importance of rice and seafood since early times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnism</span> Ideology that supports the use and consumption of animal products

Carnism is a concept used in discussions of humanity's relation to other animals, defined as a prevailing ideology in which people support the use and consumption of animal products, especially meat. Carnism is presented as a dominant belief system supported by a variety of defense mechanisms and mostly unchallenged assumptions. The term carnism was coined by social psychologist and author Melanie Joy in 2001 and popularized by her book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog meat consumption in South Korea</span>

The dog meat industry is currently heavily restricted and soon to be illegal in South Korea. On January 9, 2024, the National Assembly of South Korea unanimously passed a law banning the production and sale of dog meat, to take effect in three years. The three-year window allows for farmers to find other sources of income. According to a 2020 survey of South Koreans, 83.8% of respondents reported to never having consumed dog meat before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog Meat Festival</span> Annual food festival originating in Yulin, China

The Dog Meat Festival, also known as the Yulin Dog Meat Festival or Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, is an annual festival held in Yulin, Guangxi, China, during the summer solstice from 21 June to 30 June in which festival observers consume dog meat accompanied by lychees or other plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rat meat</span> Meat from rats used as food

Rat meat is the meat of various species of rat: medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. It is a food that, while taboo in some cultures, is a dietary staple in others. Taboos include fears of disease or religious prohibition, but in many places, the high number of rats has led to their incorporation into the local diets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monkey meat</span> Type of bushmeat derived from monkeys

Monkey meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from monkeys, a kind of bushmeat. Human consumption of monkey meat has been historically recorded in numerous parts of the world, including multiple Asian and African nations. Monkey meat consumption has been reported in parts of Europe and the Americas as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rat-on-a-stick</span> Dish of roasted rat on a skewer

Rat-on-a-stick, also referred to as rat kebab, is a dish or snack consisting of a roasted rat served on a stick or skewer. The dish is consumed in Thailand and Vietnam. Prior to roasting, the rat is typically skinned and washed, after which it is gutted to remove its internal organs and then roasted.

Pet ownership in South Korea has increased in recent years. Dogs are the most common household animal, owned by 75.3% of pet-owning South Korean households, followed by cats, then goldfish. South Korean pet culture is constantly developing, and the companion animal industry in South Korea is worth an estimated 3.4 trillion won as of 2020.

The history of meat consumption in Japan is relatively short. Meat products, referring to non-maritime animals, were historically not developed as part of Japanese cuisine due to the influence of Buddhist vegetarianism, political idealism, and scarcity. As a result, Japan has the shortest history of eating meat compared to other Asian countries. Meat consumption patterns vary regionally in Japan, which are often attributed to historical development and background.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Dog and Cat Meat Trade in Southeast Asia: A Threat to Animals and People" (PDF). Four Paws. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-04-23.
  2. ↑ VnExpress. "Vietnam kills at least 5 million dogs a year, mostly in brutal ways - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  3. ↑ "Today I Discovered Hot Dog Meat Used to Contain Actual Dog". 7 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "Eat, Prey, Love: Vietnam's dogs double as family members and dinner". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  5. 1 2 3 Piper, P. J., et al. "Early evidence for pig and dog husbandry from the Neolithic site of An Son, Southern Vietnam." International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 24.1 (2014): 68-78.
  6. ↑ Tú, Đào Thanh. "Idiomatic Expressions Containing the Word 'dog' in English and Vietnamese."
  7. 1 2 Peters, Erica J. Appetites and Aspirations in Vietnam: Food and drink in the long nineteenth century. Rowman Altamira, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Pet Care in Vietnam 2019" (PDF). Intage Vietnam. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-11.
  9. ↑ "The dog in Vietnam's folk culture". THE VOICE OF VIETNAM. 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  10. 1 2 "Dog meat in Vietnam through local eyes: a dish or a culture?". Lodyhelp (in Vietnamese). 2019-03-09. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Avieli, Nir (2011). "Dog Meat Politics in a Vietnamese Town" . Ethnology. 50 (1): 59–78. ISSN   0014-1828. JSTOR   41756650 . Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Ngo, Toan (2020-10-02). "8 Vietnamese Urban Legends That'll Send Shivers Up Your Spine". TheSmartLocal Vietnam - Travel, Lifestyle, Culture & Language Guide. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  13. 1 2 Dugnoille, Julien. "To eat or not to eat companion dogs: symbolic value of dog meat and human-dog companionship in contemporary South Korea." Food, Culture & Society 21.2 (2018): 214-232.
  14. 1 2 Shairp, Rachel, et al. "Understanding urban demand for wild meat in Vietnam: implications for conservation actions." PLOS ONE 11.1 (2016): e0134787.
  15. 1 2 Podberscek, Anthony L. "An Appetite for Dogs: Consuming and Loving Them in Vietnam." Companion Animals in Everyday Life. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2016. 111-127.
  16. 1 2 Capriotti, Wayne (2018-03-05). "Pet care retail services in Vietnam are maturing and beginning to bloom in 2018". Vietnam Advisors. Archived from the original on 2021-04-11. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  17. ↑ Rosen, Elisabeth “To Eat Dog, or Not to Eat Dog. What Vietnam’s popular imitation-canine dish says about how food taboos change” The Altalantic, 2014 https://www-theatlantic-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/international/archive/2014/12/to-eat-dog-or-not-to-eat-dog/384107/
  18. ↑ "Soi Dog Foundation: Saving Dogs in Vietnam". Soi Dog Foundation. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  19. ↑ Oh, Minjoo, and Jeffrey Jackson. "Animal rights vs. cultural rights: Exploring the dog meat debate in South Korea from a world polity perspective." Journal of intercultural studies 32.1 (2011): 31-56.
  20. ↑ Rosen, Elisabeth. "To Eat Dog, or Not to Eat Dog. What Vietnam’s popular imitation-canine dish says about how food taboos change" The Atlantic, 2014. https://www-theatlantic-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/international/archive/2014/12/to-eat-dog-or-not-to-eat-dog/384107/
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.