'I pledge not to eat shark's fin.'

[excessuk]

I see no issue with shark farming as long as it's done in an environmental friendly and sustainable way which is not cruel for the animals.

[x9200]

People would still get offended. Compare to the farming of fur animals. Besides, I don't thing encouraging farming alone could do any good. A legislation is needed to ban it in the first place.

[JR8]

JR8, why so aggressive? I don't think the Western culinary culture is all that on clear and spotless to mention foie gras only. The difference is purely pragmatic (if any), cruelty comparable at least with close to zero nutritional significance and I bet majority of the eaters are just like you classified them for the shark fins enthusiasts. Don't get me wrong, I think it is barbaric but perhaps it would be better just to condemn, not to buy/order it and avoid playing on the cultural differences. I like the taste (even if it comes directly from the spices) but I do what SMS mentioned: I will eat it but never order.

Hi X9, thanks for your post.

Oh no, please don't think I'm being aggressive, I'm not. I'm just repelled at a gut-level and desperately trying to see a cogent rationale from the other side of the debate...

Well foie gras is an interesting comparison. For sure it's production involves practices that I'd rank as unkind (force-feeding the geese). Hands up I've had it once and it was very nice. http://parkermeridien.com/eat1.php I'll refrain from further comment as I don't think we're having a 'I have higher morals than you!' competition

I've had whale once too, which was also very nice.

I've eaten cat too which was awfully boney. And Giant Ant-eater... which was a mess as the guy shot it with a .45 which really mushed it up, but we were close to starvation then so we'd eat anything guts 'n'all. Yeah day#2 was 'Anteater guts soup'.... anyhowz.


I suppose my point is that if you could farm sharks, then that might lift all my objections. It is the illicit trade, the live finning, and the side-destruction that it causes that gets me. Plus as I said, it has no taste and no nutrition.

I agree there are [what I'd - maybe - class as immoral] farming processes in Europe. Like veal. Again, I have had it, but given the choice I don't/won't.

An irony is that at any special event in England, a banquet, a wedding... no one in their right mind would serve up a 'controversial' dish (foie gras, veal etc). You'd get way more kudos these days if it was Fairtrade, Organic, free-range, and so on...

[taxico]

sorry, nothing good to add except i find "shark fin" soup delicious. i don't know why. i know it's not a good thing and that it has no taste, etc.

then i was told by the chef there usually isn't much, if any shark fins in there, just crab meat and jelly bits and what not, so that made me feel better.

and my wife, who refuses to touch it at chinese dinners coz she thinks it's wrong to consume it, doesn't mind me having her share... mmm...

i like caviar and foie gras and eggs too (okay, i like food in general), but i guess IF THE EATING STOPS, THE KILLING CAN TOO...



more info on how EATING EGGS KILL YOUNG MALE CHICKS HERE: http://animalconnectionblog.blogspot.sg ... lling.html

[JR8]

Yah, hence broiler-cock

Sturgeon is a good example. I don't get to eat caviar often [at all, last time I got to really chow on it was 20+ years ago when I had a totally minted JAP girlfriend and her parents always had tins of beluga in the fridge].

Sturgeon is farmed though isn't it?

[Wd40]

Why has it become Asian v/s Western. Asia is much more than Japan and China. Asia has both extremes. While India has the largest number of vegetarians, the Japanese and Chinese dont even get the concept of what Vegetarian means. Atleast in the west there is lots of awareness towards vegetarianism and respect for it.

[JR8]

Why has it become Asian v/s Western. Asia is much more than Japan and China. Asia has both extremes. While India has the largest number of vegetarians, the Japanese and Chinese dont even get the concept of what Vegetarian means. Atleast in the west there is lots of awareness towards vegetarianism and respect for it.

Where did it become 'Asia vs Western', apart from in your own post above.

[Wd40]

Just do a quick search on this page for the words "Asian" and "Western" and you will see how many times it has been used. I am just saying Asia is just too big and diverse to put it in one bucket. The west is predominantly Europe and it its erstwhile white majority colonies, so yeah they are all same same so you can categorize it as a whole.

[Brah]

Hey "sensei" (a Japanese word, ironically enough) - do not use "Jap" again - not here, not ever. It's a racial slur of the worst kind, and any ignorance you have about it will not excuse its use on this forum.

japs and their "scientific research" on whales

[JR8]

[squinting here from my little hole]

[JR8]

Look you complete dickhead. We need to raise the tone of the debate, capice?

[JR8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlujizeNNQM
Snoop Dogg ft. Dr. Dre- Smoke Weed Everyday

In the background ...

[ya mon!]

[JR8]

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Happy House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeBMHnJqAvM

[sensei_]

Hey "sensei" (a Japanese word, ironically enough) - do not use "Jap" again - not here, not ever. It's a racial slur of the worst kind, and any ignorance you have about it will not excuse its use on this forum.

japs and their "scientific research" on whales

my apologies if you feel that i was using a racial slur against the japanese. wasnt my intent. i was just too lazy to type out the whole word, just like how we describe australians as aussies or skippies.

[JR8]

My dad calls the Japanese 'Japs' but he served and fought against them in WW2 so what to do....

We've moved on right. It's like calling black people niggers, it reflects on you, rather than them.

Grow up. Don't show your ignorance for all to see.