Comments on: If You Can't Beat Them, Eat Them?

By: Luanne

Luanne — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:27:36 +0000

I hear you, Quan. I once watched a Survivor in which an Asian competitor was shamed for eating an entire chicken, even the mysterious parts. Our Native American friends never wasted any part of the buffalo and also thanked the beast for the sacrifice of its life. You go get yourself some camel hump and enjoy. Let me know if it tastes like tofu.

By: Quan

Quan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:18:43 +0000

I would SOOOO OMNOMNOM that stuff. But hey, I'm Chinese. I eat everything with legs except for the table, everything with wings except for the airplane, and everything that swims except for the submarine. Quan's last blog post..Real Men of Genius - Mr. Internet Crusader for Human Rights

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:09:49 +0000

Fascinating post Luanne but don't think I'll rushing out to try camel meat anytime soon. Hey, I went to New Zealand's annual wildfood festival a couple of years ago and spent all my time watching and not eating -- not an adventurous foodie. Liz's last blog post..Healthbolt Giveaway: Win a Copy of The 2009 CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter.

By: Mike Sowden

Mike Sowden — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:50:01 +0000

Camel hump, parsnips and Yorkshire puddings? No, I think I’ll go straight to the dessert, thanks. 😉

By: Luanne Bradley

Luanne Bradley — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:48:08 +0000

Mike, I take it you won’t be dining on camel with your Yorkshire pudding this year? I’m with you about the mound of hump.
Luanne

By: Mike Sowden

Mike Sowden — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:29:37 +0000

Fascinating. Thanks, Luanne!

I think I’d like to try camel meat. I recently tried ostrich meat and was pleasantly surprised. It’s interesting seeing such modern changes in meat-eating practices – something to be applauded, I reckon, since it fosters biodiversity. And I agree with Sarah’s point: the moral responsibility is to ensure that the animals involved are not treating as anything less than living, feeling creatures while they’re being reared.

The whole topic of “strategic food for the environment” is, I feel, on a par with seasonal eating, albeit globally. It’s animal husbandry on a planetary scale. If there is a huge excess of one animal and another animal is endangered and if we’re still continuing our meat-eating practices – and if the overabundance of the first type of animal is wreaking environmental havoc…? It makes good pragmatic sense to me.

An example of this is the case of the Brushtail Possum in New Zealand:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Brushtail_Possum

Oh, and….the mental image of a plate of raw camel hump is one that will stay with me. 😉

By: Shonna

Shonna — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:11:01 +0000

Unbelievable! What won’t we try to eat?! I love the quote “it’s an excellent health food” – really?

By: Sara Ost

Sara Ost — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:18:30 +0000

Nice job, Luanne. I’m with you, Sarah. Has anyone tried camel? Would anyone?

By: Susan Chaityn Lebovits

Susan Chaityn Lebovits — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:27:06 +0000

Very interesting post!

By: Sarah Irani

Sarah Irani — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:14:53 +0000

Well hey, if you think about it, meat is meat. We only consider cows edible because of cultural upbringing. A devout Hindu in India would consider eating beef as appalling as we would consider eating a grilled cat. So why not camel too? So long as the animals are treated ethically and given healthy food and home throughout their life — I believe that’s the gravest issue in a carnivore’s diet.