Pho Bar – Rio Rancho, New Mexico
“In food, as in death, we feel the essential brotherhood of man” – Vietnamese Proverb Western sensitivities cause even those among us who consider ourselves gustatorily open-minded to utter an “ick” or two at what is culinarily acceptable–even considered delicious–in other cultures. Some of us would recoil in disgust at the notion of eating grilled dog, roasted cat, grain-fed mice, beating cobra heart, soft-boiled fetal duck or silk caterpillars, but these are dishes an official Vietnam culture site considers “something special” when skilfully cooked. What the watered down American palate often considers disgusting may, in fact, have deep cultural underpinnings, some of the aforementioned “delicacies” even gracing the tables of royalty. Oftentimes things Americans consider inedible creepy crawlies are eaten for the sake of survival. The diversity of our planet is such that what is delicious, disgusting, edible or delicious often has powerful cultural, socioeconomic and religious connotations, all of which evoke visceral reactions. Among Hindus who regard cows as sacred creatures, the ubiquitous American hamburger can be very offensive. Many Hindus are very careful to avoid the meat aisle where the “dead animals” are kept. Until rather recently, many Chinese nationals wouldn’t dream of consuming cheese, the thought of…
