Different countries, different animals, different food - wonderful variety!
Frogs in Belgium, guinea pigs in Peru, antelope in South Africa: What we eat depends mainly on our origin, culture and religion. Instinctive “Yuck” outcries when faced with unfamiliar foods are not only unnecessary; they also demonstrate cultural narrow-mindedness.
What we eat depends on where we live and how we live. It is not a sign of civilization that we do not eat guinea pigs in Germany, it's a coincidence. For thousands of years deer have been jumping through our woods and pigs have been wallowing on our farms. Therefore, we are familiar with game and pork, like it, and store it in consumer-friendly pieces in the freezer.
In Peru, however, guinea pigs live, and therefore they are also eaten; an estimated 65 million a year. The seas around the Japanese islands are inhabited by jellyfish. The Atlantic Ocean north of Lofoten is full of spider crabs. In Indonesia there are snakes, kangaroos in Australia. In China, where, according to a saying, everything between heaven and earth can be eaten, turtles and frogs are bred, as are sheep and chicken here, or oysters and snails in France.
The global menu is proof. Somewhere in the world every animal is eaten. This is no different with fruits and vegetables. Or have you ever eaten green cabbage in Greece?
Source: Spiegel Online / Health 09/2012
