# If these aren't brains in a jar, what are they? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049 "2006-05-17T00:25:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/1 "2006-05-17T00:25:30Z")
So during a (really!) casual conversation, it seems my [Chinese co-worker](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=371132) 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. After a quickly [Snopes’d](http://snopes.com/horrors/cannibal/cannibal.asp) link, she came up with someplace with these (SFW, really!) pictures: [person picking up jar](http://www.trosch.org/lif/cannibalism-2002a-1.jpg), and [stack of mysterious brainy-things in a jar](http://www.trosch.org/lif/cannibalism-2002a-2.jpg). (If you really want to see it, the page is [here](http://www.trosch.org/lif/cannibalism.html) (definately NSFW, and fairly hysterical), and includes a [Chinese ‘performance artist’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Yu) that the Snopes link debunks.) 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. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/2 "2006-05-17T00:46:26Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/3 "2006-05-17T01:07:20Z")
What Magentout said. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/4 "2006-05-17T02:11:58Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > After all Cracker Jacks don’t really contain pulverised kids in sailor suits. But how can we be _sure_? **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. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/5 "2006-05-17T02:17:30Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/6 "2006-05-17T02:21:55Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > 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’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. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/7 "2006-05-17T02:34:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/8 "2006-05-17T03:07:23Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > 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. 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](http://www.trosch.org/lif/baby-eat.html). 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. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/9 "2006-05-17T03:18:20Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > [stack of mysterious brainy-things in a jar](http://www.trosch.org/lif/cannibalism-2002a-2.jpg). 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. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/10 "2006-05-17T03:40:10Z")
[Sheep brains in Casablanca](http://johnvey.com/photos/9/28/) [Stewed Pigs`S Brain With Tian Ma](http://www.richman.co.id/resep.php?id=90&pg=0&PHPSESSID=932294252f042f8b414d25ca45384f4c) ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/11 "2006-05-17T03:42:23Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/12 "2006-05-17T03:45:39Z")
brains are widely available in china and quite popular in hotpot. no evidence that either japanese or chinese eat human brain. equivalent of bullshit in chinese is goupi (pronounced like 'i ave to ‘go pee’)or dogfarts. i’ve got smart well educated chinese colleagues that believe in the japanese bonsai kitty too ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/13 "2006-05-17T04:48:26Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > I’m vaguely confused. The website your co-worker linked to doesn’t appear to mention any occurences of baby-eating in Japan. 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](http://pop.pcpop.com/default.aspx?MainUrl=http://pop.pcpop.com/050526/1591710-1.html&referrer=), 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. > [@Terrifel](#): > > 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. 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. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/14 "2006-05-17T05:58:54Z")
brains are widely available in china and quite popular in hotpot. no evidence that either japanese or chinese eat human brain. equivalent of bullshit in chinese is goupi (pronounced like 'i ave to ‘go pee’)or dogfarts. i’ve got smart well educated chinese colleagues that believe in the japanese bonsai kitty too ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/15 "2006-05-17T06:32:53Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > **Blake** , where do you shop where brains are on supermarket shelves? 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. > [@Nanoda](#): > > The local Safeway doesn’t stock brains at all (I asked my brother who works there)… 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. [The animals were fed a commercial homogenate diet of sheep brains (Heinz baby food)…](http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0045-8511%2819990507%293%3A1999%3A2%3C487%3AVOTIES%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I&size=LARGE) Commercial homogenate diet of sheep brains. Drooool. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/16 "2006-05-17T15:28:44Z")
Assuming that some of those who eat brains do so in the belief that they’re, uh, brain food, shouldn’t they think twice about consuming sheep brains? ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/17 "2006-05-17T16:38:14Z")
Available at my local grocery store: Pork Brains in Milk Gravy [http://www.pk.org/pottedmeat.html](http://www.pk.org/pottedmeat.html) See the bottom left corner of the picture at the top of the page. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/18 "2006-05-17T16:38:19Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > 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](http://www.trosch.org/lif/baby-eat.html). > > 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. See this snipped from the OP. > [@Nanoda](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/19 "2006-05-17T16:42:46Z")
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!) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049/20 "2006-05-17T17:47:40Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > 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!) I’ll take the movie “Clue” for a thousand dollars Alex. **Stands by and waits for showering of undying friendship** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-these-arent-brains-in-a-jar-what-are-they/357049.md?page=2)