Should you be cautious about eating exotic food when traveling?

FOR a long time now, travelers have been grappling with the idea of eating exotic foods when traveling.

Should it be condoned? Should it be condemned? Where does one draw the line?

This internal battle may stem from a need to explore the depths of a culture that is different to ours, a need to enrich our travels by stepping out of our comfort zones, or simply a fear to offend.

Sometimes in Asia, eating a local delicacy means eating something you’ve never eaten before. In Bangkok, crickets and roaches are fried to a crisp; in Beijing, seahorses and lizards can be found on the streets; and in the Philippines, fertilized duck embryo is highly sought after.

When fronted with exotic foods, some travelers favor the “just do it” mentality, with some citing that the point of travel is to put yourself in another’s shoes. But for others who have strict dietary requirements – particularly vegans, vegetarians and those who abide by halal guidelines – it’s not as easy to get by without being regarded as difficult, snobbish or disrespectful of another’s culture.

If not bizarre, the food you’re eating could be endangered, as depicted in the case of bluefin tuna and green sea turtles. But it comes as a relief for conscious travelers that there is increasing global awareness on endangered species, and subsequently, more local authorities clamping down on the consumption of rare species like pangolin meat.

The most incriminatory eating culture that has surfaced out of Asia is the consumption of dog meat, especially highlighted in Yulin, Guangxi in China, where an annual dog festival takes place in June. No other eating festival in Asia has been met with stronger backlash, particularly from the Western world.

Actor and comedian Ricky Gervais is among a slew of personalities who has made clear their condemnation of the festival, particularly on social media. He said in a statement, “Please never attend anything like this and if you suspect such a disgusting event may be taking place somewhere, then please report it immediately”.

Reports of cruelty surrounding the festival have also infuriated animal rights activists, with some claiming that the animals are stolen, beaten and skinned alive besides being kept in unsanitary conditions.

Advocates defend the festival by saying that eating dog meat is traditional in the summer to commemorate the summer solstice. The meat is also said to stimulate body heat and bring about good luck.

Cultural attitudes towards dogs may China vary from that of those in other parts of Asia and in the Western world. In fact, advocates have sized up the dog festival with the prevalence of cruelty in the general meat trade, including chickens.

In Asia, there’s also the practice of eating live seafood. The South Korean delicacy of raw octopus – tentacles and all – has been condemned by some parties because of animal suffering when the animal is alive. Despite locals and tourists commonly slurping up raw octopus, the animal is said to “definitely feel pain” when eaten alive.

The concept of ikizukuri in Japan too has been met with harsh criticism. The Japanese culinary technique is the act of preparing sashimi from a live fish, whose body is cut up while its mouth is still gaping and its spine still quivering.

While scientists have said that the fish doesn’t feel the pain, the experience for a diner can be unsettling to say the least. Multiple petitions have been drawn up to ban the technique, which is currently outlawed in Australia and Germany.

But perhaps it’s down to how a culture or restaurant is “exoticized” and “packaged”. What’s largely known as the best restaurant in the world, Noma, introduced a dish of live scurrying ants atop a still-twitching prawn described as “so recently dead that its brain has yet to telegraph this information to the rest of its body”.

Despite the live status of the crustacean, the restaurant is still highly revered by foodies and travelers the world over. Its waiting list can sometimes stretch to the tens of thousands, making it one of the most highly sought-after restaurants in the world.

Ethical issues can spark in almost any circumstance when eating a meal overseas, and accordingly, one’s perception of exotic food is dependent on an individual’s upbringing and exposure.

But what’s most important is the principles travelers need to be equipped with – once you determine a strong moral ground for what you’re putting in your mouth, it becomes far easier to make a stand should the situation arise.

Ultimately, to answer the burning question of this article, yes, it’s okay to be cautious. As much as it is to say no.

The post Should you be cautious about eating exotic food when traveling? appeared first on Travel Wire Asia.

Source: travelwireasia.com