Zagreb: L'Erotic Fruit & Spice & a Cat Caffe (Part 1)

I began my recent visit to Croatia in the capital city of Zagreb, and you can check out my five prior articles about this interesting city for some history, background and more. It's an excellent walking city and it was great to revisit the city, to check out some places I previously visited as well as to check out some spots that were new to me. Today, I want to highlight two cool, and very different, spots in Zagreb.

One of my first stops was to L'Erotic Fruit & Spices Shop, at Maruševečka 8, which opened in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic. It's located on a quiet side street, so you probably need to seek it out as you probably wouldn't stumble upon it in your travels. However, it's close to other shops and cafes, so its easy to reach, and its worth your attention.

The shop sells dehydrated fruit and decorative spices, which can be used for a variety of purposes, from cocktails to food recipes. They also sell a number of Croatian gins, as well as rakija and liqueurs. 

They prepare the dehydrated fruits and spices by hand, generally sourcing local whenever possible. There's a great variety of items, plenty that would enhance any cocktail.  

It's a relatively small store but there's plenty of variety, and its displays are eye-catching. 

Croatian Gin is their center piece, many of the brands stating they are made like London Dry Gin. I bought a bottle of the Dubrovnik Republic Dry Gin, which is made with only four botanicals: juniper, Dubrovnik bitter orange, Seafennel, and Immortelle. A few grains of sea salt are also added. It seemed to be one of the most interesting gins they sold. There were plenty of choices though and prices were very reasonable. 

They also sell Rakija and some intriguing Croatian liqueurs, like the Rossi Epulon and Rossi Teranino. both which I purchased. So, even if you dislike gin, you'll find other items at this shop to entice your palate. 

Although I didn't have the time to stop by, they also own L'erotic Gin Bar, at Nikola Tomašića 13, where you can sample many Croatian gins, with charcuterie platters. Maybe I'll be able to check it out the next time I visit Zagreb. I highly recommend you check out L'Erotic Fruit & Spices Shop if you visit Zagreb.

I also checked out the Cat Caffe, located at Kušlanova Ulica 6, which was established in 2017 and was the first cat cafe in Croatia. It's basically a cafe, a place to grab a variety of drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, in the presence of friendly cats. There are about a dizen cats at the cafe, many named after characters from the TV series, Orange is the New Black. There's a small list of rules to follow, such as not bothering the cats while they are sleeping. 

It was a hot day when I visited the cafe, so the cats were mostly sleeping, and as you can see, they can fall asleep where ever they desire, whether on a table or atop the bar. 

You can stay as long as you like, and they even have various board games that you can play. It was a very clean and homey place, and if you're a cat lover, you'd likely enjoy this cafe. A cat cafe is supposed to be opening in Boston in the near future, so we'll see how that develops. The Cat Caffe in Zagreb has been successful for five years, so hopefully the new Boston spot can emulate that success. 

Animal Alcohol: Lamb Wine, Pigeon Blood Wine, Spirit of Goat & More

You might have enjoyed a Bloody Mary cocktail with a slice of bacon or even a chunk of lobster. Or maybe you've sipped a fine Pechuga Mezcal, where some type of meat (such as chicken, turkey, deer, goat, cow, pig, rabbit and even iguana) is used in the distillation process. You might also have seen bacon-infused bourbon or smoked salmon vodka. There is no shortage of people willing to blend meat and alcohol. In Asia, they have been using animal products in alcohol production for hundreds of years.

Some of the first mentions of "Lamb Wine" connected to China and the Tartars appear to be from Jesuit missionaries during the the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This occurred during the 61 year long reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was the longest reigning emperor in Chinese history and considered one of their greatest. The information on Lamb Wine is scant, and sometimes contradictory.

In The general history of China. Containing a geographical, historical, chronological, political and physical description of the empire of China, Chinese-Tartary, Corea, and Thibet by Jean Baptiste Du Halde (a French Jesuit), there is mention that the Chinese refer to "lamb wine" as Kau-yang-tsyew, and it might have originated with the Tartars. It is allegedly a very strong and nutritive drink but there isn't any information on how it is produced.

A General Description of China, Volume 2 by Abbe Grosier mentions that the Tartars make lamb wine, and that Emperor Kangxi used to drink it sometimes. Abbe also describes lamb wine, "It is very strong; but has a disagreeable smell. The same may be said of a kind of spirits procured from the flesh of sheep." It is interesting that there appears to be both a lamb wine and a spirit made from sheep. That distinction is mentioned in other references as well.

A New General Collection of Voyages And Travels Consisting Of The Most Esteemed Relations, Which Have Been Hitherto Published In Any Language: (published in 1747) stated that there is a strong spirit, made with mutton, which Emperor Kangxi enjoyed, though most other people, except for Tartars, felt it had a disagreeable taste. There is also a lamb wine, known as Kau-yang-tsyew, which is made in the Province of Shēn-si. It too is said to be very strong and have a disagreeable smell. None of it is exported outside the country.

In The History of Alcohol in the Far East - China, Japan, Philippines, Islands of the Pacific, by Emerson, Edward Randolph, there is mention of a spirit produced from sheep, and that the method of production is a unknown to Europeans. There is note that the alcohol originated with the Tartars, and a clear difference is delineated between lamb wine and the sheep spirit. Emperor Kangxi allegedly promoted the manufacture of lamb wine as it was one of his favorite drinks, though many other Chinese disliked it.

There is a question as to how the lamb wine is produced, as mentioned in China: Its Costume, Arts, Manufactures, &c, Volumes 3-4 by M. Bretin (1812). The book states, "...wine, which is made in the province of Chen-Si, and which is named Cao-Yang-Tsieou, or Lamb-Wine. It is not very clear how lamb's flesh can be employed in making wine." I'll also note this provides an alternative spelling to the previous term of Kau-yang-tsyew. 

A U.S. newspaper even reported about Lamb Wine though they had little to add, except that it was apparently made with milk. The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), February 18, 1912 published, "..., while another drink is 'kau-yang-tsyew,' or lamb wine. This is made from a young lamb and milk, and is said to be exceedingly intoxicating." The Tartars are also known for an alcoholic beverage called Kumiss, which is basically fermented mare's milk, so the use of milk in the "lamb wine" isn't much of a stretch.

There is an older source which provides more guidance and detail on the production of lamb wine, and which includes the use of milk. In Miscellanies: Stories and Essays, Volume 3 by John Hollingshead (1874), "The Mantchoo Tartars, for example, the conquerors of China, prepare a wine of a very peculiar nature from the flesh of lambs, either by fermenting it, reduced to a kind of paste, with the milk of their domestic animals, or bruising it to a pulpy substance with rice. When properly matured, it is put into jars and then drawn off as occasion requires, and it has the reputation of being very strong and nourishing. Whatever remains after supplying domestic wants is exported into China or Corea under the name of lamb wine. The Chinese term for this liquor is Kan-yang-tsyew, and it is as great a favourite with the emperors as sherry was with George the Fourth." This also shows that this version is merely fermented and not distilled, though there is other evidence of the distilled version.

In Beverages, Past and Present: An Historical Sketch of Their Production, Together with a Study of the Customs Connected with Their Use, Volume 1 by Edward Randolph Emerson (1908) we find that the lamb wine is distilled. "The Chinese are indebted to the Tartars for their kau-yang-tsyew or lamb wine. According to the tales of ancient travellers, the method of making this beverage, which is described as being pleasant to the taste and remarkably wholesome, was to dress a young lamb as for cooking, then by gently pounding the flesh gradually make it into a pulp. It is then placed in milk and allowed to ferment, after which it is carefully distilled. It is a very intoxicating beverage and its use is greatly restricted. At one time it was the favourite drink of the Emperors, but, on the whole, it cannot be said to have had the general indorsement of the people." It seems that based on the number of comments of the strength of the alcohol, it is possible the distilled version may have been the more common. If so, this is almost like a Chinese version of Pechuga Mezcal.

In India, they have their own versions of a Pechuga Mezcal-like drink, where they distill alcohol using the meat of various animals. In a source I already mentioned above, Miscellanies: Stories and Essays, Volume 3 by John Hollingshead (1874), there is mention of these spirits. "Of a similar description, perhaps, is the spirit made at Surat, denominated spirit of mutton, spirit of deer, spirit of goat, which derives its name from the practice of throwing into the still a joint of mutton, a haunch of venison, or a quarter of a goat." Surat is a large port city in India. It appears they use at least three different meats to make their spirits, placing them into a still like Mexicans would do to produce Pechuga.

Another source, A Book of Bombay by James Douglas (1883), adds some information about these spirits. "In 'addition to these, Grose tells us of three drinks which now burst upon the bibulous world of Bombay with astonishing effect. The three viands which now divided public attention were the spirit of Deer, the spirit of Mutton, and the spirit of Goat, to such marvellous ingenuity are men driven to invent new names for liquors to quench their thirst. These drinks were in great vogue, and the way they got their names was this: - A haunch of venison, a joint of mutton, or a quarter of goat was thrown into the vat when the arrack was being distilled, and while correcting its fiery nature, imparted a new flavour which was considered mighty fine. The blend of each at these spirits was different; every man had his favourite, some the one, some the other, the deer no doubt from its wild gout, outrunning the other animal spirits in the chase." It mentions the same three animals, though this time includes the nature of the spirit, arrack, a common alcohol in India and which can be made from a variety of ingredients.

Returning to China, the Uighur people of the Xinjiang region have their own wine-making tradition which may extend back to at least the 7th century, if not earlier. They produced a wine known as Museles, to which they add a variety of ingredients, from saffron and cloves, to pigeon blood, pigeon meat or lamb. The museles would also be aged for a couple months in ceramic vats. The Express Tribune, June 4, 2015 mentioned that the wine is, "Deep red, its unusual ingredients give it a pungent, musty nose and a sweet-sour, spiced taste, akin to a vermouth." The Uighur view museles more as a medicine than an alcohol. The Uighur still produce museles in their villages, and it is likely some still add animal meat or blood to their wine, though it isn't commercially available.

What are your thoughts on the addition of meat to wine or spirits?

No Rant: Only Llamas

The last few days have seen some terrible tragedies and atrocities, from Paris to Beirut, where so many innocents have been murdered. So, today isn't appropriate for a Rant. Today, you'll find only Llama photos, which I hope will bring a little bit of joy into your life.

(These llama pics were all taken at the Alma Negra Winery in Argentina.)

SENA14: Chefs For Seals

There are few images that tug at your heart like a snow white, newborn harp seal. Unless you have ice in your veins, you feel moved by the vulnerability of that simple creature, of the expressiveness in its eyes. You probably want to cuddle it, holding it close to your chest, part of some innate desire to protect the young and innocent. Fortunately, it is illegal to hunt those precious baby seals.

Unfortunately, it is usually legal to hunt those seals when they are only two to four weeks old, once the seal has molted its white fur.

While at the Seafood Expo North America, I met with an exhibitor at the New England Food Show, though the topic involved fisheries and marine creatures. It also touched on issues of sustainability, global trade, government subsidies, NGOs and more. It serves as an object lesson for other seafood issues too.  

The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) was trying to garner support against the Canadian Seal Hunt, as well as promoting their Chefs For Seals program and the free Protect Seals App. I was pleased that they were very specific in the type of seal hunts that they opposed, and they even offered a potential solution to help the fishermen involved in the trade. I also feel that this issue presents an excellent opportunity for a collaboration between the fishermen and conservation groups, one would could end up satisfying both parties. It is such collaborations which seem to be showing great potential in the seafood industry.

Their opposition is not to all seal hunts in Canada. They differentiate between two basic seal hunts, one by the indigenous Inuit and the other by more commercial fishermen. The HSUS does not want to stop the Inuit hunts, and believe they have the right to perform this ancient, cultural practice. However, they do want to stop the commercial hunt, that which is usually engaged in around Newfoundland.

In 2013, nearly 90,000 seals were killed by these commercial fishermen but not a single pound of seal meat found it way to market. Instead, the seals were killed only for their skins, and the rest of their bodies were discarded. This was discovered through information from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). HSUS is fervently opposed to this terribly wasteful practice, and they also do not believe that the economic benefits of the hunt are necessary. 

The DFO regulates the Canadian seal hunt, setting quotas, studying seal population, monitoring the hunt and more. Only 6000 seal licenses have been issued, though only about 850 of those people actually hunt. Each license costs only about $5, so it is not a large investment.  In recent years, the actual kills often have not reached the quota amounts, and it seems that the number of seals killed has decreased over the last five years, from 217,800 in 2008 down to 88,894 in 2013. Most of the hunting is done in late March and early April, so it should be starting soon, if it hasn't started already.

A significant reason for the decrease in seal kills is because the European Union banned the imports of seal products from Canada. In addition, there is only one local pelt buyer, NuTan Furs, and they would only purchase a smaller amount of pelts. Pelt prices have been decreasing. For example, in 2006, pelts were selling for about $97 but in 2013, the price had dropped to about $30. And many pelts are sitting unsold in a warehouse.

The average seal hunter earns less than 5% of their income from sealing, deriving 95% from commercial fishing. So for most of these sealers, it is not an economic necessity for them to hunt seals. And that portion of their income is continuing to decrease each year as markets for seal products dry up. That has led the government to provide subsidies to the industry, to help prop it up. Should they really be supporting what seems to be a dying industry? You would think the money would be better spent in another manner, while still protecting these fishermen.

HSUS believes that the solution is for the Canadian government to buyout the seal licenses, similar to what was once done with whaling licenses. A buyout would very likely be much cheaper than continuing to provide subsidies each year. There is no indication that the seal market is going to improve and it is much more likely that it will continue to decrease, earning sealers even less money per pelt. It seems like a logical response to this problem, however the government is unlikely to take the initiative. Instead, the sealers need to unite and push for a buyout. And I am sure conservation groups would fully support the sealers in this regard. Working together, the fishermen and the conservation groups could reach a satisfactory conclusion for all.

To place pressure on the Canadian government, Chefs For Seals, a boycott campaign has been launched. It is claimed that over 6500 restaurants and grocery stores, as well as over 800,000 individuals are currently participating in this boycott. HSUS has also recently launched the free Protect Seals App, which provides you a searchable list of the restaurants and grocery stores which have joined the boycott.

Each participant chooses their level of boycott, from all Canadian seafood to just seafood from Newfoundland, the center of the seal hunt. Some of the participants include Chefs such as Mario Batali, Cat Cora, and Scott Conant as well as stores from Whole Foods Market to Trader Joe's. Anthony Bourdain initially came out against the boycott though it appears his opposition was based on a failure to understand the actual HSUS position. For example, Bourdain failed to realize the HSUS did not oppose Iniuit seal hunting.

In my view, maybe more outreach from conservation groups to the sealers is needed, with the hopeful goal of trying to work together to resolve the matter, such as getting the fishermen to push for a buyout. Such a buyout may be the best solution. 

A Cat Café in Boston?

I have sometimes jokingly complained that Boston discriminates against cats. There are a number of dog parks in the city, and dogs are welcomed on the patios of numerous restaurants. The Bring Fido site claims there are 70 Boston restaurants that allow dogs onto their patios. However, you won't find a single cat park or any restaurant telling patrons that they can bring their cats to their patios. Dogs seem to get all the love and attention, and that doesn't seem fair.

There might be a positive change in the near future, with the potential opening of the first Cat Café in Boston.

At a cat café, you can get food and drink while watching and interacting with a number of cats owned by the café. Think of it kind of as an adult petting zoo. You can't bring your own cats to the café, but you can pet and play with those that are there. Though Japan is well known for its cat cafés, the first one actually opened in Taiwan in 1998. Cat cafes didn't open in Japan until 2004, the first one located in Osaka. Today, there may be as many as 100 cat cafés in Tokyo alone, some that specialize in certain types of cats, from black cats to fat cats.

Customers generally pay an hourly fee to remain at the café, with extra costs for any food and drink. Though you might have concerns with hygiene, the Japanese, who are are fastidious about cleanliness, have little issue with these cafés. Generally, everyone entering the café must first wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer. The café also have numerous air fresheners, conceal the litter boxes and frequently use vacuums to pick up cat hair. Japanese law also has strict cleanliness requirements for these establishments. Boston should pay attentiion!

Cat cafés are popular in Japan because many apartments forbid pets, and others are too busy to take care of a pet. These cafés are also a way to provide some comfort for those who are stressed or lonely. Beside cat cafés, you will also find rabbit cafés, and there might now be even a few other types of pet cafés. The cats are protected from abuse by the patrons, with strict rules on not bothering or tormenting the cats, especially if they are sleeping.

The idea of cat cafés has begun to spread out of Asia and the first one that opened in Europe was Cafe Neko in Vienna, Austria. There is now a cat café in Germany, Cafe Katzentempel, and another in the UK, Totnes Cat Café, Another cat café, Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, is planned to open in London in the near future and others in Europe are also in the planning stages. And Boston might be the site of a future cat café.

Miaou Boston (also on Facebook and Twitter) hopes to be the first cat café in Boston, planning to keep shelter cats in their establishment. Their biggest initial hurdle is dealing with the state's health code which essentially prohibits animals from being on the premises of a food establishment. Fortunately, you can apply for a variance from the local board of health in the city where you are seeking to locate your café. Once Miaou overcomes that hurdle, they plan on creating a Kickstarter to finance the café. With all of these necessary steps, any such cat café probably wouldn't be open until sometime in 2014 at least. Maybe they could plan to open on February 22, which in Japan is Neko no Hi ("Cat Day"), a holiday established in 1987 by the Japan Pet Food Association.

If Boston denies their application for a variance, they could always then try another city, such as Cambridge or Somerville, to see if they can get a variance. They might actually have more luck in one of those communities rather than Boston proper. The primary concern would appear to be one of hygiene and if such concerns are properly addressed, I don't believe then it should be a sufficient barrier to deny such a variance. If a country such as Japan, which is far more obsessed with cleanliness than the U.S., can allow cat cafés, then why not us? Other countries are allowing cat cafés too, so why should the U.S. be the only holdout?

Dogs are already permitted at numerous local restaurants, albeit on patios, but that still is a potential hygiene issue and few seemed bothered by it. And I don't see many patios that also have hand sanitizers. Having cats in a café is a step beyond dogs on a patio, but it shouldn't be insurmountable. You just need to take added precautions to maintain cleanliness. And with cats being smaller than most dogs, the hygiene issues may actually be lesser.

You should also consider how many people own cats and invite people over to their homes for dinner. Do the guests often worry about hygiene issues with the food because the home owner possesses cats? I don't think that concern arises too often. I don't know anyone who has ever mentioned refusing to dine at someone's house because they own cats.

Obviously, strict regulations concerning hygiene should be required for the operation of a cat café, but there is no concern that cannot be addressed. With the great popularity of cats, this is an idea whose time has come so rather than fight it, why not think of ways to make it happen. Dog lovers already have plenty of places for themselves, so it is time to give cat lovers a place of their own. Throw your support behind the establishment of a cat café.

Rant: Stop Eating Pangolin!

Shark fins get all the attention.

You've probably read plenty of articles calling for bans on shark fin soup, a famous Chinese soup, with a history extending back centuries to at least the Ming Dynasty, if not older. Millions of sharks have been slaughtered for only their fins, the rest of their bodies tossed back into the sea. The outrage has been loud and prevalent, and there is nothing wrong with that. Except that some of that outrage should be directed toward protecting other endangered species, like pangolin.

Pangolin. You probably have never heard of them before. And you probably didn't know that they were endangered. I know that I wasn't aware of that fact until recently. They just haven't received sufficient publicity, haven't been brought before enough of the public. It is time that they had the spotlight shined on their plight.

They have no teeth but have a long, sticky tongue. They primarily dine on ants and termites. When threatened, they usually choose to roll up into a ball, protected by their overlapping scales. And they are endangered because too many people are illegally catching them to dine on their meat and to use their scales in medicine.

Also known as scaly anteaters, there are eight species of Pangolin, four in Africa and four in Asia. They are cute creatures and pose no threat to man. They actually help with pest control, and it is estimated that a single pangolin might be able to consume around 70 million insects in a single year. As many pangolin live hidden underground, scientists don't know much about their behavior. And with their dwindling numbers, it is even harder to learn about them.

Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), trade in the Asian species is illegal and trade in the African species is severely restricted. Despite its illegality, there is a large blackmarket trade in these creatures, with the primary markets being in China and Vietnam. They enjoy the taste of its meat, but also use its other body parts for medicinal purposes. Their scales are though to cure everything from cancer to asthma, though there is absolutely no scientific evidence that they possess any efficacy.

From 2011 to August 2013, it is estimated that 91,390 and 182,780 pangolin were illegally slaughtered. Last week, seven people were arrested in India for smuggling 70 kilograms of pangolin scales, an amount that could have come from nearly 300 pangolin. In April, French authorities seized 50 kilograms of pangolin scales that were headed to Vietnam. This is a serious issue but not enough people people in the U.S. are aware of this issue.

Now that you know about pangolin, then I hope you will lend some of your outrage to their plight. For more information, you can check out a couple organizations dedicated to helping these scaly anteaters, including Save Pangolins and Project Pangolin,

The Llamas of Alma Negra

Wandering the grounds of Alma Negra are at least six llamas, which often spend time in the Mayan ball court next to the winery. Each day, these llamas follow a regular route through the vineyard grounds. They are very intelligent and efficient animals, though be careful as they can spit. These llamas are being trained to eventually carry grapes.

Llamas (Lama glama) are a South American member of the camel family, though also placed into a category known as lamoids, which include the alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña. Llamas are the largest of all lamoids.  Lamoids lack humps, and are typically long necked herbivores with large, pointed ears.

Throughout history, the llama has been used primarily as a pack, not a riding, animal. Like camels, llamas have a high thirst tolerance and they also possess a powerful stamina, making them an ideal pack animals. An average llama can carry about 100 pounds, and their generally docile nature made them an excellent pack animal.

Llamas have also been shorn for their wool, which may not be as insulating as alpaca but is still a good choice.

To the Incas, llamas were sacred animals who belonged to the mountain gods. There were special government Llama-Michis ("llama herders") who bred and managed llamas, and it was forbidden to hunt llamas.

On the first day of every lunar month, the Incas would lead 100 white llamas into their main square, where they would be sacrified. Sometimes they would be killed outright, while others might be tied out and allowed to starve. The hungry llamas would cry out, which was thought to deliver a message to the gods.

The Incas also used llamas in divinatory practices, and scrutinizing the lungs of a sacrificed llama was supposed to be very effective. The priests would inflate the lungs, blowing through the trachea, and then read the shape and course of the veins. 

Like many different cultures, the Incas had a myth of a great flood that once nearly destroyed the world. The tale mentions that two goodly shepherds were worried as their llamas seemed out of sorts, and the llamas shared their gried with the shepherds. The llamas knew that the flood was coming and that their only possible deliverance was to hide high in the Andes. The two shepherds did the same, taking their families with them. When the flood came, it devastated the world yet the two shepherds and the llamas survived. The llamas still remember the flood, which is why they choose to live only high in the moutains.  

When Pizarro invaded Peru, attacking the Incas, he took the top Inca, Atahualpa, captive. The Incas were willing to pay a great ransom for his release, and delivered much gold to Pizarro. But, Pizarro had Atahualpa killed anyways, and his queen learned of this treachery as a second load of gold for the ransom was on route. Allegedly, this second load consisted of 11,000 llamas, each bearing 100 pounds of gold. The Incas stopped the delivery, burying the gold to hide it from the conquistadors.  And it was never found.

The Incas worshipped many gods, including Urcuchillay, a multicolored llama who guarded and protected animals, and was especially worshipped by herders. The constellation we know as Lyra, resembled a llama to the Incas so they decided that was the location of Urcuchillay. 

Llama has sometimes been used as food and you can find llama meat locally at Savenor's. I have eaten llama and it resembles beef, and is quite tasty. It also seems that llama meat has more protein, and less fat and cholesterol than beef. A good pairing would be a llama steak with a Malbec from Argentina.

And who doesn't love llamas?

Rant: Brookline Fails With Veal Ban

Silly, short-sighted, narrow minded, politically correct run amok, self-righteous Brookline.  Yes, I am a bit peeved at their latest action. 

At a recent Brookline Town Meeting, they passed a resolution, by a 163-4 vote, banning veal. The resolution urges "...grocers, restaurants, caterers, organizations, and other purveyors of food immediately cease the sale or public serving of veal to the public within the Town of Brookline,..."  IT was an overwhelming vote but how many considered both sides of the issue? Fortunately, this resolution has no legal effect and fails in other ways as well. 

It is even amusing that it won't have much impact in Brookline, as they understood and noted in the resolution by stating that "...few proprietors in Brookline sell or serve veal and hence there would be scant economic implications for local businesses;"   So why waste all that the time and energy to pass this resolution?  The intent seems to be more for "...raising awareness about the issue and encouraging  responsible consumption practices among Brookline residents,.."  But I believe they have failed in that regard, as well as ignoring far greater meat issues which will ultimately have a more important impact on their lives as well as the environment.

Though some news articles claim that the resolution banned only "crated veal," the resolution did not differentiate and simply dealt with veal in general, which would thus also include humanely raised veal.  Why should humanely released veal, such as that produced by Strauss and Azaluna, be banned as well?  By grouping all veal together, humanely raised and not, the resolution leads to greater ignorance rather than greater awareness.  Not all veal is the same and it should not all be treated similarly.  In effect, the resolution creates a stereotype about veal, and that is wrong.  The voters would not accept stereotypes in other areas so why accept it here?

As for "crated veal," efforts are already in place to eliminate it. The American Veal Association announced plans to phase out the practice no later than by 2017. Because of this, each year, more and more farmers end the practice. In Massachusetts, House Bill 815 was filed in 2009 and aims to ban various matters such as battery cages for egg-laying hens, gestation crates for pregnant sows and veal crates. If passed, it would take effect in 2015. 

Rather than acting unilaterally, Brookline's veal resolution should have instead voiced their support for House Bill 815.  That would have better raised public awareness of the issues, especially where such awareness could lead to legal action and accomplish real results. Instead, Brookline passed a resolution which has no legal authority, and ignores the greater issues.  Plus, the Brookline resolution deals only with veal, while House Bill 815, deals with a much broader scope of animal cruelty, including chickens and pigs. Why didn't the Brookline resolution also address cruelty to other animals and not just veal calves?      

What is the true scope of the veal issue?  In reality, it is a much smaller problem than others and it was short-sighted to address only veal in this resolution.  First, consider that in 2007, less than 5% of calves were raised in a group environment but only two years later, this number has increased to 35%.  So, the veal industry has already taken note and has significantly improved their practices.  These figures will continue to improve and the Brookline resolution is really not going to have any impact. 

Second, each year, less than one million calves are slaughtered for veal, and even less are crated veal.  Approximately ten billion animals are slaughtered in the U.S. each year. Ten Billion!  So the amount of veal calves is only about .01% of the total, a relatively tiny amount. If you are truly concerned about cruelty and CAFOs, Confined Animal Feeding Operations, then your primary concern should be for chickens and pigs.  That is a much vaster problem, far outweighing the veal issue. 

For example, almost nine billion chickens, kept confined and crowded in tiny cages, are slaughtered each year.  That is about 90% of the total animals slaughtered in our country each year, which makes that a major problem, far unlike the veal issue. It is very easy to support a ban on veal, to state you won't eat it any longer, but how many in Brookline would have supported a ban on chicken?  I bet a resolution banning chicken in Brookline would never have passed, and the vote would have been overwhelmingly against.      

So Brookline passes an easy resolution without teeth, attempting to seem enlightened and caring. Yet the resolution fails on several grounds, leading only to greater ignorance as well as neglecting far greater problems.  It was a waste of time and effort which would could have been used in so many more beneficial and proactive ways. 

People should be concerned about the food they eat, but they should also examine all sides of an issue.  Relying only on slogans and sound bites accomplishes nothing.  You must carefully consider the evidence, asking questions, accepting nothing at face value.  Be an informed consumer, not a puppet.

Addendum (11/29/10): I must apologize and correct an error in my original post. A Brookline Library Trustee and Town Meeting Member provided me a link to some additional information about the resolution. In the fourth paragraph of my post, I stated that the passed resolution deal with veal in general but that is incorrect. Though the original petition did deal with veal in general, that petition was later amended so that the final resolution dealt only with "crated veal."  So my criticisms in that fourth paragraph are not applicable.

Rant: Eating Cats & Dogs

Could you eat a dish containing cat or dog meat?

In some countries around the world, from Peru to Korea, you might find such items on the menu. It seems more of a psychological issue as to whether you might enjoy dining on a dog or cat. In the U.S., we often see them as beloved pets, and thus are very reluctant to consider them as an appetizer or entree. I might have some difficulty eating cat as I do own two and it would seem very strange to me.

Dogs and cats have long been popular food items in China. You'll find plenty of dog, known as "fragrant meat," restaurants in Beijing while cats are most popular in southern China. Cats are generally not as popular as dogs in much of China, as some Chinese are superstitious, believing that eaten cats might return to seek vengeance. Dogs are considered to offer many health benefits. Yet that may all change very soon, if a new law does get passed.

The National People's Congress, China's Parliament, will start its annual session on March 5. They decide which laws to pass and have previously been considered somewhat of a rubber stamp. But public opinion is starting to make inroads on their decisions. One of the proposed new laws they will consider this session would prohibit the "illegal consumption or sale" of cat or dog meat. The penalties would be a fine up to about $730 or up to 15 days in jail, with much larger fines for businesses.

Some Chinese activists and legal experts devised this proposed law, and it has met with much vocal opposition. It is unknown whether the law will actually be passed or not, and discussions concerning the law could continue for years. If it is passed, it would change an ancient tradition, and would economically affect numerous people, from restaurant owners to those vendors that raise cats and dogs.

Do you feel this law should be passed? Is there really a difference between eating dog and eating pork? If we outlaw dog and cat meat, should we outlaw other meats as well? Or all meat? Should ancient traditions be respected? Who is harmed by allowing the eating of dog and cat?

My own opinion is that no such law should be passed in China, or elsewhere. I don't feel there is a real difference between pork and dog, except a psychological issue that may exist with some people. I might have difficulty eating cat, but would not want it banned. If there are issues with raising the dogs and cats, issues similar to pork factory farms in the U.S., then work on those issues rather than ban the meat.

What are your thoughts?