brewmonkey
03-15-2005, 00:53
I was watching the show called "Taboo" on one of the National Geographic (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0419_040419_TVfoodtaboo.html) channels the other night and they brought up a dish served in India called "Kuti Pi." Now it sounds benign of not even a bit intriguing with the anglicanized pronuciation. However I quickly changed my mind when the women they were following went to the local market to find the main ingredient for this dish which are animal fetus. Now I did not catch if they have to use a specific one but I do believe she was using goat.
Adults, Babies, and Fetuses
Not all delicacies have deep cultural roots. Some have emerged relatively recently as cultures have merged and hybridized.
In India the children of European and Indian unions were rejected by both parent cultures and formed their own Anglo-Indian community with unique customs and distinctive culinary traditions. One dish that reflects this departure from both parent cultures is kutti pi—an animal fetus.
Kutti pi, reviled by most Indians and Europeans, is considered a delicacy both because it is rare—it is only available if a pregnant animal happens to be killed that day—and because of its medicinal properties. Many Anglo-Indians believe it is healthful for pregnant women and also beneficial for people with tuberculosis or back pain.
Eating a fetus, however, triggers a note of discord for many people. "It's taboo, it violates our sense of order and propriety. Most people eat animals that have been born. Veal horrifies many people because it is eating a baby animal—eating a fetus goes beyond," Counihan said.
The concept of delicacy is very often related to how hard it is to get certain foods and how much they cost. To find truffles requires the cooperation of trained pigs. A nest of the swiftlet bird is an essential ingredient in "bird-nest soup"—getting to these nesting sites is quite an ordeal.
Food is a window into culture, and in many ways our comments on what other people eat says more about us than them, Counihan said.
They also had another show on Taboo Foods that had a dish in the Phillipines in which they eat rotten eggs. They allow the eggs to be fertilized and then grow for about 17 days so that the chicken starts to develop. When it hits that point they remove the eggs so that they will develop no more. When they are ready they sell them from street vendors just like you would buy a hot dog or pretzel in NYC.
So it got me thinking, how many of you have tried the above or something else that might be considered taboo by most cultures standards? Something like scrapple (which I have had) or along those lines.
Adults, Babies, and Fetuses
Not all delicacies have deep cultural roots. Some have emerged relatively recently as cultures have merged and hybridized.
In India the children of European and Indian unions were rejected by both parent cultures and formed their own Anglo-Indian community with unique customs and distinctive culinary traditions. One dish that reflects this departure from both parent cultures is kutti pi—an animal fetus.
Kutti pi, reviled by most Indians and Europeans, is considered a delicacy both because it is rare—it is only available if a pregnant animal happens to be killed that day—and because of its medicinal properties. Many Anglo-Indians believe it is healthful for pregnant women and also beneficial for people with tuberculosis or back pain.
Eating a fetus, however, triggers a note of discord for many people. "It's taboo, it violates our sense of order and propriety. Most people eat animals that have been born. Veal horrifies many people because it is eating a baby animal—eating a fetus goes beyond," Counihan said.
The concept of delicacy is very often related to how hard it is to get certain foods and how much they cost. To find truffles requires the cooperation of trained pigs. A nest of the swiftlet bird is an essential ingredient in "bird-nest soup"—getting to these nesting sites is quite an ordeal.
Food is a window into culture, and in many ways our comments on what other people eat says more about us than them, Counihan said.
They also had another show on Taboo Foods that had a dish in the Phillipines in which they eat rotten eggs. They allow the eggs to be fertilized and then grow for about 17 days so that the chicken starts to develop. When it hits that point they remove the eggs so that they will develop no more. When they are ready they sell them from street vendors just like you would buy a hot dog or pretzel in NYC.
So it got me thinking, how many of you have tried the above or something else that might be considered taboo by most cultures standards? Something like scrapple (which I have had) or along those lines.