Monday, October 23, 2006
warning.PLEASE do not read this while eating.
PLEASE do not read this while eating.
If we are to believe the latest urban myths circulating through the Internet, eating sashimi (raw fish) causes maggots in the brain while "grilled and barbecued babies" are the "hottest food item" now in Japan, each fetus supposedly available for 10,000 to 12,000 yen (about 4,300 pesos to 5,200 pesos) from hospitals.
These two "scoops" came in through my e-mail the last two weeks, complete with ghastly photographs. I could tell immediately that these were fabricated news, but to be sure, I checked an Internet site, www.snopes.com, which specializes in exposing these urban legends. Sure enough, the website had the two stories, entitled "maggot brain" and "fetal feast," complete with explanations on how these urban legends came to be.
The sashimi maggot yarn builds around an actual photograph of a man who was having a brain operation at Stanford University, following a vehicular accident. The "fetal feast" scam, on the other hand, was described as occurring in Taiwan, and featured the photograph of a man supposedly eating a fetus. It turns out the photograph was that of a Chinese performance artist doing his piece, "Eating People," with what looks like a doll's head grafted on to pieces of animal meat.
The new version forwarded to me had more photographs, including that of a woman in a grocery buying a bottle of "pickled brain." (I could read the Chinese characters, but I am certain it isn't human brain: the bottle was conveniently positioned to hide the other half of the label.) There was another picture showing a butcher slicing some brain, much too large to be human. Finally, there were several photographs of what looked to me like a hospital autopsy of an infant.
Urban legends often reflect social tensions and prejudices. As the Snopes website points out, if the fetus story had been located in Canada, people would have rejected it right away, but set in Taiwan (or now, Japan) it suddenly becomes plausible.
These anti-Japanese urban myths, even if intended to be jokes, will acquire a life of its own, people passing on the stories as facts and cited to "prove" the Japanese are immoral, if not amoral.
I know some readers are probably anxious now and wondering if indeed sashimi might cause brain maggots. I did my research and can say that sashimi isn't any riskier, in relation to food-borne bacteria and parasites, than other raw or lightly cooked seafood, including shrimps, mussels, clams and a wide assortment of fish, from salmon and herring to tuna and tanguinge.
Cultures all over the world have developed ways of marinating raw seafood, using onions, garlic, salt, limes, vinegar or wasabi (horseradish root) to disinfect the food. The risks of poisoning from these foods come not so much from their being raw than in the way they're handled, with bare hands for example, or if exposed to the heat and to insects and other contaminants.
*ill post some of the pics later.
*copyright.
If we are to believe the latest urban myths circulating through the Internet, eating sashimi (raw fish) causes maggots in the brain while "grilled and barbecued babies" are the "hottest food item" now in Japan, each fetus supposedly available for 10,000 to 12,000 yen (about 4,300 pesos to 5,200 pesos) from hospitals.
These two "scoops" came in through my e-mail the last two weeks, complete with ghastly photographs. I could tell immediately that these were fabricated news, but to be sure, I checked an Internet site, www.snopes.com, which specializes in exposing these urban legends. Sure enough, the website had the two stories, entitled "maggot brain" and "fetal feast," complete with explanations on how these urban legends came to be.
The sashimi maggot yarn builds around an actual photograph of a man who was having a brain operation at Stanford University, following a vehicular accident. The "fetal feast" scam, on the other hand, was described as occurring in Taiwan, and featured the photograph of a man supposedly eating a fetus. It turns out the photograph was that of a Chinese performance artist doing his piece, "Eating People," with what looks like a doll's head grafted on to pieces of animal meat.
The new version forwarded to me had more photographs, including that of a woman in a grocery buying a bottle of "pickled brain." (I could read the Chinese characters, but I am certain it isn't human brain: the bottle was conveniently positioned to hide the other half of the label.) There was another picture showing a butcher slicing some brain, much too large to be human. Finally, there were several photographs of what looked to me like a hospital autopsy of an infant.
Urban legends often reflect social tensions and prejudices. As the Snopes website points out, if the fetus story had been located in Canada, people would have rejected it right away, but set in Taiwan (or now, Japan) it suddenly becomes plausible.
These anti-Japanese urban myths, even if intended to be jokes, will acquire a life of its own, people passing on the stories as facts and cited to "prove" the Japanese are immoral, if not amoral.
I know some readers are probably anxious now and wondering if indeed sashimi might cause brain maggots. I did my research and can say that sashimi isn't any riskier, in relation to food-borne bacteria and parasites, than other raw or lightly cooked seafood, including shrimps, mussels, clams and a wide assortment of fish, from salmon and herring to tuna and tanguinge.
Cultures all over the world have developed ways of marinating raw seafood, using onions, garlic, salt, limes, vinegar or wasabi (horseradish root) to disinfect the food. The risks of poisoning from these foods come not so much from their being raw than in the way they're handled, with bare hands for example, or if exposed to the heat and to insects and other contaminants.
*ill post some of the pics later.
*copyright.
i look upon the moon and stars at 10/23/2006 07:25:00 PM
0 stars were shining bright even without the moon
0 stars were shining bright even without the moon
Thursday, October 12, 2006
bored
i'm cooking kamja jeon later.i'll post some pictures and stuff.
i look upon the moon and stars at 10/12/2006 10:34:00 AM
0 stars were shining bright even without the moon
0 stars were shining bright even without the moon
pepero's day
on November 11, may koreans will celebrate pepero's day.
What is a “pepero”? It is cookie stick covered in half with chocolate syrup. Remember the “Jack n’ Jill” pretzel sticks in the Philippines? You get the idea!
November 11 is known as Pepero Day in Korea! It’s a marketing idea concocted by the makers of the popular snack. On this day, people buy boxes of Pepero to give to their loved ones, teachers, classmates, officemates, boyfriends, girlfriends and pets. The date was chosen because “November” is represented by the number 11 in Korean calendar so when you write down the date, it’s gonna be 11.11… all sticks just like Pepero.
As of 2006 it was sold in 6 different flavors:
Strawberry-flavored
Almond Chocolate
Chocolate
Pepero 'soft'
"Woman in White" and "Man in Black" are slightly more "classy" brands of Pepero, and both have chocolate cookie bits scattered throughout the chocolate dip.
Pepero is the Korean equivalent of the more well-known Japanese chocolate-covered cookie sticks, Pocky. Many Koreans claim that Pepero, which first came out in 1983, was not a copy of Pocky, which was first sold in 1966.(manufactured by lotte in korea)
pepero day is not official.but many peoplr celebrates it. it's like valentine's day or sweetnest day.
there is a copyright in Korea of posting pictures of pepero.so i'll just post this.
Boxes of pepero. diff. sizes and shapes.
ture.
it's a pepero stand in korea.
they look like the same.(pepero and pocky)
Th e reason why i made this entry is because i really love korea. other than that, i really love pepero. but pepero and pocky are both delicious.
it's just that pepero is made in korea and i like it more.and pocky is made in japan.but i like them both.
if you haven't tried any of the both,try pepero on nov.11.be one of us in celebrating pepero's day.
and try pocky too. but not on nov.11:)
hope you enjoy your snack.:)
What is a “pepero”? It is cookie stick covered in half with chocolate syrup. Remember the “Jack n’ Jill” pretzel sticks in the Philippines? You get the idea!
November 11 is known as Pepero Day in Korea! It’s a marketing idea concocted by the makers of the popular snack. On this day, people buy boxes of Pepero to give to their loved ones, teachers, classmates, officemates, boyfriends, girlfriends and pets. The date was chosen because “November” is represented by the number 11 in Korean calendar so when you write down the date, it’s gonna be 11.11… all sticks just like Pepero.
As of 2006 it was sold in 6 different flavors:
Strawberry-flavored
Almond Chocolate
Chocolate
Pepero 'soft'
"Woman in White" and "Man in Black" are slightly more "classy" brands of Pepero, and both have chocolate cookie bits scattered throughout the chocolate dip.
Pepero is the Korean equivalent of the more well-known Japanese chocolate-covered cookie sticks, Pocky. Many Koreans claim that Pepero, which first came out in 1983, was not a copy of Pocky, which was first sold in 1966.(manufactured by lotte in korea)
pepero day is not official.but many peoplr celebrates it. it's like valentine's day or sweetnest day.
there is a copyright in Korea of posting pictures of pepero.so i'll just post this.
Boxes of pepero. diff. sizes and shapes.
ture.
it's a pepero stand in korea.
they look like the same.(pepero and pocky)
Th e reason why i made this entry is because i really love korea. other than that, i really love pepero. but pepero and pocky are both delicious.
it's just that pepero is made in korea and i like it more.and pocky is made in japan.but i like them both.
if you haven't tried any of the both,try pepero on nov.11.be one of us in celebrating pepero's day.
and try pocky too. but not on nov.11:)
hope you enjoy your snack.:)
i look upon the moon and stars at 10/12/2006 09:52:00 AM
0 stars were shining bright even without the moon
0 stars were shining bright even without the moon