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16|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKYAMAGATATHERE’SASAYINGINTHESOUTHWESTOFCHINA:“WEWILLEATANYTHINGWITHLEGS,EXCEPTATABLE.ANDANYTHINGWITHWINGS,EXCEPTAPLANE.”IT’SNOTAPHILOSOPHYTHATKATYANDIALWAYSSUBSCRIBETO.WE’RENOTTOTALKILLJOYS:ONOURTRAVELSWE’VEEATENCAMEL,WOOD-WORMSANDGUINEAPIGAMONGMANYOTHERSTRANGETHINGS.BUTATOTHERTIMESWE’VETURNDOWNTARANTULAS,RATSANDCHICKENEMBRYOS;THEYALLJUSTLOOKEDORSOUNDEDALITTLETOODISGUSTINGFORUSTOMANAGE.INSCOTLANDTHENATIONALDISHISHAGGIS,THETRADITIONALRECIPEFORWHICHISASHEEP’SHEART,LIVERANDLUNGS,MIXEDWITHOATMEALANDBOILEDINITSOWNSTOMACH.ITTASTESBETTERTHANITSOUNDS–SODOESANOTHERFAVOURITE,BLACKPUDDING,WHICHISLITTLEMORETHANFRIEDPIG’SBLOOD.IT’SNOTFOREVERYONEBUTFOLKATHOMEDON’TTHINKTHERE’SMUCHWRONGWITHIT,OTHERTHANTHEOBSCENELEVELSOFSODIUMANDSATURATEDFAT.BUTETHICSDOPLAYAPARTINWHATWEDOANDDON’TEAT.FOREXAMPLE,WECOULDNEVEREATDOG:KATY’SFAMILYOWNSFIVE.DOGKNOWFEARANDTHEYKNOWPAINANDTHEYKNOWLOSS–EVENIFITTASTEDDELICIOUS,WEWOULDN’TFEELCOMFORTABLEEATINGIT.THESAMEGOESFORSHARKANDWHALE.THEFORMERISMYFAVOURITEANIMALANDIGOTOGREATLENGTHSANDEXPENSE(ANDMAYBEALITTLEPERSONALRISK)TOSPENDASMUCHTIMEINTHEWATERWITHTHEMASICAN.KATY,MEANWHILE,ISALOVEROFTHECONSIDERABLYMORE-DOCILEGIANTSOFTHEOCEAN.SHE’SSPENTTIMEINSIXOFTHEWORLD’SCONTINENTSTRYINGTOCATCHAGLIMPSEOFTHEIRHULKINGFRAMES.OVERALL,SHE’SBEENPRETTYSUCCESSFULTOO.INSHORT,FORUNCERTAINREASONSTHATPROBABLYGOBACKLONGINTOOURCHILDHOODS,WELOVETHESEANIMALSANDWEWOULDN’TEATTHEM.BUTWHEREDOYOUDRAWTHELINE?IKNOWPEOPLEWHOABSOLUTELYADOREHORSESANDDEVOTETHEIRLIVESTOTHEM.OBVIOUSLYTHEY’DNEVERCONSIDEREATINGTHEM.BUTIHAVE–ANDILIKEDIT.THEYEATITREGULARLYUPINAOMORIPREFECTUREINJAPANTOOANDNOONETHINKSTWICE.PIGSARESAIDTOBEEXTREMELYINTELLIGENTANIMALS,BUTTHEIREATENINGREATQUANTITIESACROSSTHEWORLD.KATYWOULDHAPPILYGETINAFIST-FIGHTTOPROTECTABACONSANDWICH.THEWHOLEDO-WE-DON’T-WEDILEMMAISDIFFICULTTOSOLVE,BUTBEFORECOMINGTOJAPAN,KATYANDIMADEUPOURMINDSTHATIFTHEYWEREPUTINFRONTOFUS,WE’DPOLITELYDECLINEWHALEAND/ORSHARKMEAT.ANDTHENWEARRIVEDATTHEBEAUTIFULLYMANICUREDKONNYAKUBANSHORESTAURANTINKAMINOYAMA,YAMAGATA,ANDHADBOTHSERVEDTOUSINTHEVERYSAMEMEAL...EXCEPTTHEYWEREN’T.LIKEVIRTUALLYEVERYTHINGELSEINFRONTOFUS,THEDISHESWERENOTASTHEYSEEMED;ITWASALLMADEWITHTHEWEIRDMIRACLEFOODKNOWNASKONNYAKU(ORDEVIL’STONGUEORELEPHANTYAM).WE’RESTILLNOTFULLYSUREHOWITALLWORKS,BUTITSEEMSTHATKONNYAKUISAFAT-FREE,GLUTEN-FREE,CALORIE-FREE,AND–YES–GUILTFREESUBSTITUTEFORJUSTABOUTEVERYTHING.ALONGWITHTHEFAKEWHALEANDSHARK,WEHADKONNYAKUTEMPURA,KONNYAKUBEANS,KONNYAKUCLAM,KONNYAKUYAKITORI–ITWENTONANDON.ITWASREALLYGOODTOO.INTHEENDWELEFTTHERESTAURANTSOBAMBOOZLEDTHAT,LIKEDESCARTESONONEOFHISDARKERDAYS,WEWEREN’TCERTAINABOUTANYTHINGANYMORE,OTHERTHANWESHOULDN’TFEELGUILTY.DAY16SEPTEMBER30THKAMINOYAMA,YAMAGATAAWHALEOFAPROBLEM
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