So during a (really!) casual conversation, it seems my Chinese co-worker is of the opinion that people in Japan eat babies :dubious:, information she apparently “got mailed” in China. Last week we explained to her the word “bullshit”, which is good 'cause I used it then and told her that me and $10 said she was wrong.
I told her that if you were in China they may eat babies in Japan, but in North America, China’s the place they do all that. About then is when she said she hated me, but I still want to know what’s in the jar.
First off; brains can be found in many other animals apart from humans, and those animal brains do appear on varous menus around the world; absent any evidence suggesting that the brains-in-jars are actually of human origin, why jump to that conclusion?
I have seen brains for sale as part of the Heinz line of baby food in England and New Zealand so I would be astounded if it wasn’t also available somewhere canned as adult food. For that matter you can buy brains at any butcher’s shop in the US.
AFAIK you can no longer get stewed brains baby food in England due to BSE fears, but simply seeing jars of brains on supermarket shelves is perfectly normal in the western world. China must be one freaky country if brains are never, ever sold.
The illustration on those jars is quite plainly of a human brain, which is what makes them look so odd. But of course that may be an advertisng gimmick: ie brains are brain food. After all Cracker Jacks don’t really contain pulverised kids in sailor suits.
Blake, where do you shop where brains are on supermarket shelves? I know I could get fresh brain if I really wanted to, by asking a butcher, but I’ve never seen brains in cans or jars.
I remember seeing canned brains on the shelf in the deep south about 20 years ago. My grandfather swore that eggs and scrambled brains were the best breakfast a person could have, and then my grandmother would offer to cook him an egg and whack him on the head with a rolling pin. But I digress.
I’m not - in fact I’m sure that it’s either faked somehow, or is a legitimate product described to be something it’s not. I just figured that “If these aren’t human baby brains in a jar, what are they?” might turn some people off. (Which is actually my real question, but must have been lost in my two re-edits.)
The local Safeway doesn’t stock brains at all (I asked my brother who works there), and while I’m sure I could get some at a butcher’s shop if I wanted, like Antigen I’d actually be really surprised to see brains-in-a-jar; I estimate local demand to be immesurably close to nil (Not that I wouldn’t get any… but not to eat - only for the novelty value :D)
Back to my co-worker - immature of me perhaps, but she’s kind of the credulous type and I’d like to be able to dissuade her of something silly.
And by the way, take a look at the rest of that “Cannibalism” site you linked to. You’ll get a pretty good idea of the rationality of the people involved.
I’m vaguely confused. The website your co-worker linked to doesn’t appear to mention any occurences of baby-eating in Japan. It does, however, repeatedly claim that the practice is widespread in China; evidently the scandal is being hushed up by the Chinese government and their co-conspirators, Wal-Mart.
I’m looking at that picture of the guy sectioning the so-called “baby brains” into “gourmet steaks” on the website, and man, that must have been one big baby.
For what it’s worth, the first character on the label does mean “brain.” I’m not entirely sure about the second; I don’t recognize the phrase as being Japanese.
At my favorite greasy spoon cafe (which is populated mostly by senior citizens, but also drag queens from the gay bar next door and indie teenagers), they serve calf brain omlettes. I’ve never actually seen anyone order one, but they’re right there on the menu.
Well now I found the pictures she showed me again with a Google Image search, and assumed that’s where she got them, but closer inspection shows that she got them from this board, where it appears someone has photoshopped the word “Japan” over a copy of that email where the person didn’t have the right character set installed.
His “art” was entitled “Eating People”, so perhaps he just doesn’t care to make the distinction.
China Guy: That’s awesome - I’ll use that next time.
As I said, in both NZ and England it was, until 15 years ago at least, a normal part of the Heinz range of baby foods. Along with the stewed apricots and and mashed banana you could pruchase tiny jars of “strained brains”. It wasn’t considered in any way odd or a special product line, just one of the many revolting gooey products sold for young children on every supermarket shelf.
No doubt the line has been removed from sale in England due to the BSE scare but I suspect it is still available in NZ.
Has he checked the baby food?
A quick Google search suggests that as of 1999 Heinz strained brians were still commercially available a sbaby food, at least somewhere in the world.
Armour canned brains are in most grocery stores here in Tennessee, plus they are available fresh. I’ve never eaten them but I’ve cooked them for my father-in-law.
I’ve eaten goats’ brains, apparently popular in some Persian cuisine.
And everyone knows monkey brains are a popular Cantonese cuisine. (Lots of bonus points and my undying friendship to people who can identify that quote!)
(Which is actually my real question, but must have been lost in my two re-edits.)
