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61 MorE INfo j Dog soup is denoted by different names — bosintang (보신탕), boyangtang (보양탕), sacheoltang (사철탕) and yeongyangtang (영양탕) — and it’s more readily available in the hottest parts of the year, in the “dog days” of summer. It’s cheap and easily accessible, but if you do choose to enjoy some dog meat, remember that it isn’t legally recognized as food in Korea, and as such it’s not as carefully monitored for sanitation. Eat at your own risk. to beat the poor animal just before slaughter to release adrenaline and other hormones into the muscle, thereby increasing the flavor and “invigorating power” for con- sumers. Even though this practice is reportedly not pop- ular anymore, you may still wonder how I can claim to love dogs and yet willingly (and enjoyably) consume part of one. Animal lover, not animal love The answer is twofold. First, I don’t really love dogs. I like and enjoy dogs’ company. I think they’re cute and useful. I think the dog-owning culture has the potential to be a healthy and formative aspect of human culture. But I don’t really love dogs because I know what real love is — the willingness to both live and die for another — and I won’t do that for a dog. Love for dogs as in love for pizza, and love for the sun. Furthermore, dogs are animals like any other, and if you’re going to eat animals you should consider dogs as a possible food source. They most certainly hold a cherished place in many human hearts, including my own, but this is a cultural phenomenon, not a universal one. I’m not a person who would argue that a practice is justified simply because of its cultural roots — some cultural roots need to be dug up and burnt to a fine crisp, then sent on an express trajectory to the farthest reach- es of outer space — however, in this case I think some leniency is warranted. So, eat some dog soup if you want, because when in Korea … well, you know. Dogs intended for the boiling pot have no other destiny but the boiling pot — they’re born and raised for this purpose, just like cows and chickens, just like other livestock. Thus, my sensibilities against animal cruelty are not offended by dog meat.