Rarely considered a culinary dish in North America and often frowned upon, eating dog meat holds a special tradition in the lives of the Vietnamese people.
When most visitors plan a trip to the north of Vietnam, they may hear rumours that people there love to eat dog meat. Believe it! Dog Meat or thit cho is a specialty in the North of Vietnam arisen from famines during the many years of war in the country.
Since the wars, eating dog meat has remained popular and has now become part of the culture. Nevertheless, worried tourists have no reason to concern themselves that they will mistakenly order this dish.
Despite the popular saying Treo dau de, ban thit cho – they say it is goat meat, but they sell dog meat (saying one thing but doing another), dog meat is a specialty, and expensive. The chances of ordering beef in when eating out in a Vietnamese restaurant and receiving dog meat are about as likely as ordering a hamburger but served a juicy rack of lamb in a North American bistro.
Built from bamboo in the Tay stilt house style, thit cho restaurants are clearly marked and easily the most beautiful restaurants around. Should you care to dive in and sample this delicacy, tag along with a group of eager Vietnamese who proudly teach the etiquette of eating dog meat.
Three Varieties to Whet Your Appetite
In general, dog meat comes in three variations. The most popular styles are grilled over an open fire with ginger, spices and oil; boiled and served with mam tom (a shrimp paste with one of the foulest smells ever) or a bean paste and sour rice; or sausage-style made from intestines filled with dog meat and fat, la cuc tan, (a small green shrub), green beans and blood. Everything comes accompanied with noodles (bun), soup, bamboo, la mo (a green leafy vegetable), star fruit and xa (lemon grass).
Feisty Vietnamese men with a lot of time on their hands love to devour the paw and jaw with hearty helpings of rice wine, but that may not be every one’s cup of tea.
You cannot eat dog meat everyday. Eating thit cho on the first three days of the lunar calendar is considered bad luck. Likewise, if a Vietnamese person is experiencing bad luck he is encouraged to eat dog meat, which will change his luck according to giai den tradition.
The old saying when in Rome, do as the Romans do may not apply here, but for anyone wishing to experience something different, a night out at a dog meat restaurant in the North of Vietnam will be an experience not soon forgotten.
Where to Find Dog Meat Restaurants
Thit Cho restaurants can be found anywhere in the country if you seek one out. However, dog meat is extremely popular in the north of the country, especially in provinces such as Thai Nguyen.
The copyright of the article Dog Meat Restaurants in Vietnam in Vietnam Travel is owned by James W. Coates. Permission to republish Dog Meat Restaurants in Vietnam in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Being English, i cannot possibly imagine eating dog. The thought of it
quite makes me feel quite sick. I currently live in Taiwan, we are
considering a move to Vietnam soon. It made me sad to see the picture of
the lady preparing dog meat, i love my dog very much.
Nov 16, 2008 10:02 PM
Guest
:
Yes at first I though 'I'll give it a go', but after a nano-second
reflection I realise I could never, ever eat dog, or cat for that matter. I
love the culture but when we go there, that's one dish I won't be going
near. Makes me sick thinking about it.
Nov 17, 2008 10:05 AM
Guest
:
its discusting u are cruel if u eat dogs, the poor things
Nov 17, 2008 11:32 PM
Guest
:
It is considered a social taboo in western culture, but dog is an animal
like any other. People who keep pigs as pets eat them as well.
Jan 15, 2009 8:26 AM
Guest
:
this is the most discusting thing i have ever seen. not only are these poor
defensless creatures butchered for thier flesh whilst alive they are kept
in terrible conditions and suffer from the beginning to the end of thier
short lifes! surely this can be stopped as it is totally wrong and immoral
i would love 5 minutes with them vietnammese bastards!!!!
leanne
london
Feb 18, 2009 3:54 PM
Guest
:
@ leanne london do you eat chicken? or beef? or pork? if so, would you
kindly tell me the difference? cows are constantly prodded with tazer like
devices and chickens are kept in cages and have their eggs/children stolen
from them on a daily basis. Any way you look at it, the thing's an animal
and it has meat that's edible. personally I love the taste of dog.
-Some vietnamese guy
Feb 20, 2009 10:01 PM
Guest
:
i think this is funny! i hate when people say its creul n evil to do this
to the animal. buht unless ur a vegeterian then dunt bother sayin things
like that.
Mar 22, 2009 4:34 PM
Guest
:
t is considered a social taboo in western culture, but dog is an animal
like any other. People who keep pigs as pets eat them as well.
good answer and besides that pigs have even higher "iq" than
most of the dog races. I would have no problem at all having some dog on my
plate, im from sweden by the way.
