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Some of Canada's top restaurants put seal meat on menu

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Canadians show stomach to fight Europe's seal ban by putting mammal on the menu

Seal meat has been put on to the menu in some of Canada's top restaurants as part of a patriotic backlash against a European Union ban.


By Philip Sherwell in New York
Published: 7:30AM BST 27 Sep 2009

Aficionados laud the dark lean meat as rich, gamey and healthy, while critics deride it as rubbery, tough and overpowering.

But while the culinary reviews and moral debates on seal may be mixed, Canadian restaurants with the marine mammal on the menu are reporting a sudden surge in its popularity.

A ban by the European Union on Canadian seal products, imposed this summer, has provoked a patriotic backlash among the country's normally placid citizens. Anger at the EU ruling, combined with the curiousity of tourists, has driven soaring demand for dishes such as pan-seared seal filet, seal stroganoff, seal pate and seal burgers.

Benoit Lenglet, a French chef who has been promoting the meat as a delicacy and offers a range of seal appetisers at his Montreal restaurant, has received emailed threats from European animal rights activists wishing him a death as bloody as a clubbed seal.

But Andree Garcia, the owner and chef of Les Iles en Ville, says the EU ban has been "great advertising" - and as a result has moved up seal dishes from occasional specialities to a daily regular.

"Seal has become extremely popular since everybody started talking about it," she said. "We have Canadian diners who want to support the seal industry and we have tourists who had never heard of it before. We get a lot of customers from Europe and they all want to taste seal."

The annual Canadian cull, with its graphic pictures of hunters clubbing baby seals to death on the ice floes off Newfoundland for their fur, blubber and meat, is a flashpoint for animal rights activists. Up to 300,000 seals are killed this way each year - and animal rights activists claim that some are skinned while still conscious.

The European Parliament voted for a ban on the import and sale of commercially caught Canadian seal products, primarily fur, in May, after a long campaign by anti-hunting groups. In July, foreign ministers of the EU's 27 nations decided formally to adopt the ban.

While the Canadian government has reacted by threatening to take the EU to the World Trade Organisation, Canadian citizens have demonstrated their support for the seal hunters at the dinner table.

Rebecca Aldworth, director of The Humane Society International in Canada, is sceptical about the scale of the appetite for seal meat, which she said tasted like a cross between rotting fish and bicycle tyres.

"Seal is served as a novelty item in some restaurants," she said. "It's something that badly-informed tourists might try and there is always a small nationalistic backlash against any criticism from foreign nations.

"But I grew up in Newfoundland fishing community eating seal. It's a very acquired taste that is near impossible to market to a wider market."

Seal meat is a staple in the diet of indigineous Inuit communities and inhabitants of remote fishing villages. In recent years, it has appeared on more restaurant menus but the EU ban that has given the meat its most notable boost.

A few days after that overwhelming vote, Canada's governor general Michaelle Jean, the Queen's representative and ceremonial head of state, made headlines when she took a bite of raw seal heart at a traditional Inuit festival. The nibble was interpreted as a clear shot of defiance across the bows of the EU.

But in Quebec establishments such as Les Iles en Ville and Mr Lenglet's Au Cinquieme Peche, seal is served in a rather more elaborate fashion - seared with cranberry sauce, as tartar or a rare loin.

"Seals have been hunted for centuries," said Mr Lenglet. "It is part of the culture here but little was previously known about seal as a meat. The polemic has certainly increased demand."

He also extolled the virtues of seal as a fresh, healthy and locally sourced - in contrast to the industrial farming of pigs and cows in North America.

Ms Garcia's business partner, Jeanette Painchaud, hails from the Magdelan Islands in the heart of seal hunting territory and she is bemused by the international condemnation of the practice.

"The whole world is against us and we don't get it," she said. "Everybody hunts. We have six million seals around us in the sea and they are eating everything. We are going to have shortages of lobster, cod and mackerel even if we kill the numbers allowed."

She also praised seal as a dish. "It's very dark, almost black, and it's lean, there's no fat there as that all surrounds the meat. If you want a comparison, it's a bit like liver and it's like game."

Those views put her at odds with hundreds of chefs south of the border in the US, who have signed up to a Humane Scoiety boycott of all Canadian seafoods until the cull is ended.

Ms Aldworth said that opinion polls showed that most Canadians oppose the seal cull and support the EU decision. And she said the Canadian government had for long tried to justify the cull by unsuccessfully promoting seal meat as a food. "The cull is all about fur," she said.

But Shawn Mooney, a 17-year-old Montreal student, was certainly impressed after eating seal - in the form of a burger - for the first time at Les Iles en Ville last week. "It was less greasy than a normal burger, tender and very good," he said after finishing his meal.

And he was proud to be taking his own culinary stand in defence of the seal cull. "We hunt other animals and we eat other animals," he said. "I don't see the difference. I'd certainly eat seal again and for sure this is a sign of support for the seal industry."
 

Buckeye

Well-known member
Baby%20Seal.jpg
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
While the "traditional" method of killing seems barbaric, visual images of it are only used to gain an emotional response and support.

Next you'll see PETA spray painting people's leather shoes to make their point.
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
As a person who has eaten it many times and has family and friends that hunt seals - I was born on the east coast and moved to the farm at a young age - I can tell you it is good.

De-horning and de-nuttung without anasthetic - some bleed out and die.

Ever seen a leg hold trap at work?

Ever seen a Halal kill?

Perhaps you should protest those as well?

Funny how a religion can allow one type of killing but if the limp wristed EU types do not approve then it is bad. Too cowardly to protest the Halal kill though - of that you can be sure.

I wonder if they would like to eat some goat I had tonight

Tasted good though.

BC
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Broke Cowboy said:
As a person who has eaten it many times and has family and friends that hunt seals - I was born on the east coast - I can tell you it is good.

Ever seen a leg hold trap at work?

Ever seen a Halal kill?

Funny how a religion can allow one type of killing but if the limp wristed EU types do not approve then it is bad.

I wonder if they would like to eat some goat I had tonight

Tasted good though.

BC


I've never eaten goat meat. Can't even stand the taste of Goat's cheese.

Hopefully the meat doesn't have that same taste, that reminds you of the smell of a live goat.

the cheese I had, did remind me of the smell of a goat.
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
hypocritexposer said:
Broke Cowboy said:
As a person who has eaten it many times and has family and friends that hunt seals - I was born on the east coast - I can tell you it is good.

Ever seen a leg hold trap at work?

Ever seen a Halal kill?

Funny how a religion can allow one type of killing but if the limp wristed EU types do not approve then it is bad.

I wonder if they would like to eat some goat I had tonight

Tasted good though.

BC


I've never eaten goat meat. Can't even stand the taste of Goat's cheese.

Hopefully the meat doesn't have that same taste, that reminds you of the smell of a live goat.

the cheese I had, did remind me of the smell of a goat.

You have never been hungry enough - or had no other option.

Cheers

BC
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Just say the word, we'll send you a care package.


:)

Has anybody been to the Fondue restaurant in Banff that serves exotic game?

I didn't mind the snake. I wonder how they are killed?
 

Kato

Well-known member
Has anyone ever seen news footage of kids in northern Inuit communities frying their brains sniffing gasoline because their families traditional livelihoods have been taken away by lobby groups who give no thought to the side effects of having a nice fuzzy feeling about saving a baby seal? Kids who think they have no futures, who give up before they reach their teens?

How humane is that? :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

hillsdown

Well-known member
Do I agree with the clubbing of the seals maybe not but I am a softy and my heart breaks when I have to cull a calf or a cow, but I still love beef..

The day a European dictates to me what I can and cannot do is the day I die, just ask my hubby how well that goes for him when he tells me what to do..

You keep up with the EU propaganda and you won't even be able to tag your own gosh darn calf, let alone castrate it without a vet and government official watching. :mad:

Buckeye we now know where your donations go to.. :roll:

Also at least the dam meat is being used and not tossed aside just for the hide alone,, how many aholes out there hunt dear ,moose and elk etc just for the fricken rack.. :evil:

Hypo you do not not like the meat, then do not order it or better yet do not patronage the restaurants.
 

Buckeye

Well-known member
hillsdown said:
Buckeye we now know where your donations go to.. :roll:
I believe I've been taken wrong. I think that picture is hilarious. Seriously. If you're implying that I would donate to PETA... let me just say, "HELL NO!"
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Hypo you do not not like the meat, then do not order it or better yet do not patronage the restaurants.

I didn't say I didn't like the meat. I've never tasted it. Goat or Seal.

I was commenting that I do not like Goat's cheese.

I've been told that the more expensive cheese does not smell like a live goat, but the stuff I had did.

I wouldn't have a problem going to a restaurant that served seal/goat and trying it out.
 

hillsdown

Well-known member
hypocritexposer said:
Hypo you do not not like the meat, then do not order it or better yet do not patronage the restaurants.

I didn't say I didn't like the meat. I've never tasted it. Goat or Seal.

I was commenting that I do not like Goat's cheese.

I've been told that the more expensive cheese does not smell like a live goat, but the stuff I had did.

I wouldn't have a problem going to a restaurant that served seal/goat and trying it out.

Well I have tried the really expensive goats cheese and to me it still tastes "goaty"..But as Bez said I guess I wasn't hungry enough and hope I never am.
I don't think I would order seal but then again I have eaten veal and lamb .
I have also tried baby gator but that did not bother me as I have never kissed a reptile well at least not a 4 legged one.

There are worse things in life to worry about, like how about we get our fine men and women home safe asap and get our economy back on track. :)

To me this is just taking away from the real issues at hand, and PITA propoganda where it is very strong in Europe.
 

nonothing

Well-known member
Buckeye said:
hillsdown said:
Buckeye we now know where your donations go to.. :roll:
I believe I've been taken wrong. I think that picture is hilarious. Seriously. If you're implying that I would donate to PETA... let me just say, "HELL NO!"

What do you find so hilarious about that picture?......You just talk out of two sides of your mouth....and you being a supporter of PETA,you should rethink the message that you PETA folks push....It is down right sick the things your group of losers comes up with,just to make their point...
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
nonothing said:
Buckeye said:
hillsdown said:
Buckeye we now know where your donations go to.. :roll:
I believe I've been taken wrong. I think that picture is hilarious. Seriously. If you're implying that I would donate to PETA... let me just say, "HELL NO!"

What do you find so hilarious about that picture?......You just talk out of two sides of your mouth....and you being a supporter of PETA,you should rethink the message that you PETA folks push....It is down right sick the things your group of losers comes up with,just to make their point...

ah, nonothing, I think Buckeye said he is not a supporter of Peta.

I even remember Buckeye mentioning eating "mystery meat" in china.

PETA supporters might wear pleather or actual leather, but I'm pretty sure they don't eat "mystery meat"
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
nonothing said:
Buckeye said:
hillsdown said:
Buckeye we now know where your donations go to.. :roll:
I believe I've been taken wrong. I think that picture is hilarious. Seriously. If you're implying that I would donate to PETA... let me just say, "HELL NO!"

What do you find so hilarious about that picture?......You just talk out of two sides of your mouth....and you being a supporter of PETA,you should rethink the message that you PETA folks push....It is down right sick the things your group of losers comes up with,just to make their point...

Nonothing is right on target. Buckeye is a big PETA supporter.....he's even a PITA on top of that. And he's evil. He should be shunned, or banned, or both.
 

Buckeye

Well-known member
nonothing said:
Buckeye said:
hillsdown said:
Buckeye we now know where your donations go to.. :roll:
I believe I've been taken wrong. I think that picture is hilarious. Seriously. If you're implying that I would donate to PETA... let me just say, "HELL NO!"
What do you find so hilarious about that picture?......You just talk out of two sides of your mouth....and you being a supporter of PETA,you should rethink the message that you PETA folks push....It is down right sick the things your group of losers comes up with,just to make their point...
Ok, you just turned a simple misunderstanding into something totally ridiculous. The ridiculous part of it is YOU.

WTF are you talking about? Seriously... W.T.F.?

Please pull your head out of your anal cavity long enough to explain to me and everyone else here:

What TWO things have I posted that qualify as talking "out of two sides" of my mouth? List them, please. If it makes it easier, you can number them as you go. After you've listed something after the #1, the next number is 2. List something after that, too. Then, tell me and everyone else here how those two items indicate I'm talking "out of two sides" of my mouth. Take your time... I've got all of 57 posts prior to this one.

What proof do you have that I am a "supporter of PETA"? My group of losers? My group? Where did I ever say I was a supporter of PETA? Where? This should be easy... you obviously didn't have to think about it long before you declared it, so the proof must be handy.

Come on, tell us all about it. Back up that tough guy post with some facts.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Buckeye

Photobucket

coincidence, I think not.

Obviously a ruse to infiltrate.

Illuminati for sure, probably even has a membership card.


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What do you find so hilarious about that picture?......You just talk out of two sides of your mouth....and you being a supporter of PETA,you should rethink the message that you PETA folks push....It is down right sick the things your group of losers comes up with,just to make their point...


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