Lucky Pierrot is a Western-style burger chain in Hakodate city, Hokkaido. Although they serve many different kinds of food (pasta, Japanese, curry, etc.) their claim to fame has always been burgers - 16 varieties, from scallop to chicken to beef.And now whale.
This of course is old news. Lucky Pierrot started serving whale burgers back in June, and news headlines across the world proclaimed "Japan puts whale burger on the menu!".
Many people outside of Japan were shocked, and the restaurant chain was inundated with angry emails, telephone calls, and faxes from people who, for various reasons, would rather Japan didn't serve or sell whale meat.
Whale has been hunted and eaten in Japan for centuries, long before any Western nations decided - after hunting many species to the brink of extinction and beyond - to impose an international ban on commercial whaling.
Many Japanese people grew up eating whale. It was served in school lunchrooms for years (and still is in some parts of Japan) and whale bacon and whale sashimi have long been availabe in Japanese restaurants and seafood markets. A whale burger, to most Japanese, is really no big deal.
The whale meat for Lucky Pierrot's burgers comes from research whaling conducted by Japan. Every year, some 650 whales are harvested for research purposes, and the meat - as required by an international whaling treaty - must be sold and used for food.
Since I live in Sapporo, a mere 4 hours from Hakodate by car, I decided to get down to Lucky Pierrot's and try a whale burger for myself.
To me, the taste was like a combination of veal, tuna, chicken, and moose meat - subtle, chewy, and a little gamy. Not what I would call delicious, but not bad either. Perhaps a slice or two of cheese...
After I snapped a few pictures, washed my whale burger down with a vanilla shake, and sat back with a full stomach, I realized something: slap any kind of meat between two pieces of bread, add some lettuce, throw on a little mayo and ketchup, and it all pretty much tastes the same.
Whale burger? No big deal.
DGHilton
2 comments:
If any piece of meat between two bits of bread tastes the same then why don't we all just stick to beef. There are millions of cows all over the world and I'm sure a lot of them even go to waste. Culture is no reason to take endangered whales from the wild when there is more than enough domestic beef.
I'm sorry if I just sound like another westernised hippy tree-hugger but when you look at all the bad things that happen in the world for cultures sake (ie the maltreatment of muslim women or the milking of bear bile for chinese medicine) don't you ever think that maybe we should step away from old outdated practices into a new, somewhat happier world!
The whales used as food in Japan aren't in any way endangered - Minke whales are about as abundant as fish. Plus hunting whales that aren't endangered has a low impact compared to raising cattle...
Any idea how many tonnes of fish the average fish-eating whale consumes in a year? A scientific cull, such those used by Japan and Norway, is probably better for all sea creatures, not worse. Something about balance...
I can't see a connection between Muslim women, bear milking, and whales, but perhaps one exists.
A new and happier world for who - you, me, or the whales?
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