[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

They are more useful if you don't eat them. And probably more difficult to prepare, less meat on them and such.
I think horses have often been eaten when they couldn't be used for work anymore. Probably because they have more easily accessible meat.

Also, as has been said in this thread I think, we rarely eat carnivores. I guess their meat doesn't taste as good. Unless you're constantly near starvation, in which case you'd learn to eat anything.

horses, until recently, were considered a delicacy in Japan. there used to be a rather thriving, however relatively secret trade in horses from the farms that collect mares urine and milk that had foals. there were feed lots close to Sea-Tac (the Seattle airport) that held these young geldings to be shipped to Japan for the meat trade. there was a rather secretly conducted investigation and it was stopped. I recall seeing several butchers that advertised horse meat when I was in Paris.

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I really thought the whole dog and cat eating thing was a myth. I distinctly remember learning in school that meat-eaters (Carnivores) taste horrible, which is why humans hunt(ed) Herbivores.

I suppose, however, if one is hungry enough, they'll eat just about anything they can hold down.

Edit: Just saw Cyberman's post.

even though *technically* fish and fowl are omnivores, the effect for the most part doesn't come through to the flavor of the flesh. one big exception is sea gulls. I've never eaten a gull, but had gull eggs... gag! it was like eating rotten fish! the only other experience I've had with eating a flesh eater was having a salmon eating bear. totally nasty and very different from a berry eating bear.

Originally Posted by Mortis

I hate to burst the bubble about us not eating carnivores, pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. I can personally attest to the fact that pigs eat anything.

As far as religious beliefs go, in Islam (Halal meaning "Lawful or Legal") and Judaism (Kosher meaning "Fit to eat" loose translations) , the reason pigs are not Kosher or Halal is because they are considered dirty but also because they have canine teeth. Any animal with canines are considered Haram/ not Kosher. Incidentally, the dietary rules for both Islam and Judaism are very similar, in fact Muslims in Canada and the States go to Kosher restaurants if they can't find a Halal restaurant.

I personally believe that pigs were dangerous to eat when these rules were made, but I have been wrong before.

I wasn't trying to start a religious discussion, but rather I was wondering what others views were about why we don't eat certain animals, I have tried many things and would try almost anything.

I thought there was something about their feet as well? aren't all shellfish also considered unclean?