Food bubbling in controversy

Everyone loves good food. Discussions are had on the flavours and aromas a cuisine offers. Then there are some that disturb us with sheer revulsion and make us question the habits of some tribes.

These gastronomical offerings are debated the world over; either too inhumane to be eaten or too disgusting to be put inside our mouths.

We look at some of the most controversial foods from around the world.  

 

 

Ortolan Bunting

Ortolan Bunting, is essentially a tiny bird native to Europe and some of western Asia, and is considered a rare delicacy in France. Hunting of the Ortolan exceeds 50,000 a year, which just so happens to be ten times the Ortolan population of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

The bird is captured alive, blinded and/or kept in a darkened cage to disrupt their feeding habits, then force-fed oats and millet to make it swell up to ridiculous proportions. After this measure of cruelty, the bird is then drowned in brandy and subsequently roasted. Then comes the eating.

The consumption of an Ortolan is nearly ritualistic in nature, as the diner is required to place a napkin over their faces (so as to keep in the luxurious aroma of the cooked bird). They would then place the entire bird inside their mouth, with only the beak or part of the head (unless the head has been removed prior to serving) protruding, which is then removed with a bite.

 

Foie Gras

Foie gras (meaning “fat liver” in French), or goose/duck liver is famous for the controversy it has caused due to the practice of gavage, or force-feeding, which involves sticking a long tube down the throat of a goose or duck and unleashing an unstoppable torrent of feed into the animal, making it Xbox huge.

The purpose of this is to enlarge the liver, making it fatty. The end result of this cruel method is foie gras; a culinary delight served the world over.

The controversy behind foie gras production has led to many an attempt to outright ban the product. Some US states have already outlawed foie gras, with many others expected to follow suit. European law has it so that foie gras can no longer be produced in countries in which it is not a long-established tradition (i.e. anywhere outside France, which accounts for 78.5% of the world’s foie gras production). However, it can still be sold and consumed in many countries.

 

Izukuri

This is the process via which sashimi is prepared from a living animal. The chef will take the fish to be served out from its fish tank and then filet and gut it in such a manner so as to prepare sashimi from it, but without killing the fish itself. The fish – still alive – is then usually served on a plate as decoration to the sashimi made from its own flesh.

Ikizukuri isn’t just limited to the flesh of fish; shrimp, octopus and squid can also be on the ikizukuri-related menu. Generally, octopus and squid are wrapped whole and alive around a pair of chopsticks and then eaten in one go.

Naturally, ikizukuri is a rather controversial method of food preparation, both inside Japan and in other countries. However, some Japanese – like some French when it comes to foie gras – will argue that it’s part of the cultural heritage of the country and thus should be accepted as such.

 

Gorilla

Gorillas have been pushed to the brink of extinction due to their popularity as bush meat.

In cities such as Pointe Noire in the Republic of the Congo, smoked gorilla meat is sold openly (but illegally) at markets.

It’s believed that more than 400 gorillas are killed for bush meat every year, despite the fact that the species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

The species’ low productive rates mean that even low levels of hunting have a devastating effect on populations.

 

Drunken shrimp

Unethical purely for the fact that this meal involves eating live animals. Yes, everything (being the shrimp) on your plate will still be alive and squirming as it enters your mouth.

Drunken shrimp is in no way referring to the Western practice of marinating shrimp in alcohol prior to cooking, but rather the method by which still-living shrimp are stunned in strong liquor before being eaten, thus they are “drunken shrimp”.

The shrimp are simply placed into a bowl that contains the liquor – normally baijiu – to render them “drunken” (or just plain drowned) and therefore easier to eat, as they are less snappy and prone to moving around.

 

Veal

The slaughtering of baby cows is debated for the obvious, but also for the way they are raised before being killed.

According to an eye-opening story by the New York Times, veal sales dropped drastically in the 1980s after photos were released showing veal calves tied to crates so small they could barely move. The impact of society’s reaction to these photos was so extreme that the average American’s yearly veal consumption plummeted from 4 pounds in the 1950s and 1960s to about half a pound in 2007.

Today, the American Veal Association has set a plan to eliminate the use of crates by 2017. They’re already banned in Arizona, Colorado, California, Maine and Michigan; and the European Union put an end to the use of crates back in 2007.

 

Shark fin

This majestic creature of the sea is a delicacy in China. The shark fin soup is served for special occasions like weddings. It has almost zero flavour but is valued for its chewy texture. Traditional Chinese medicine believes shark fin boosts libido, improves skin, increases energy levels, prevents heart disease and lowers cholesterol.

Animal activists want the specialty food banned because of a practice known as “live finning” or “shark finning” in which fishermen chop off a shark’s fin and throw the shark back in the water, bloody and injured.

Although shark finning is banned in some countries, including the US, it still occurs in many fisheries worldwide and is a major factor in the decline of shark populations.