# Is There Any Reason I Couldn't Open A Restaurant That Serves Human Meat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038 "2006-04-10T04:19:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/21 "2006-04-10T20:18:19Z")
“Waiter, what is your Catch Of The Day?” “Sir, I believe he was Italian.” ---
**Author:** ![Alonzo\_John\_Blitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@Alonzo\_John\_Blitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alonzo_John_Blitz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/22 "2006-04-10T20:55:55Z")
Originally Posted by gigi Apotemnophilia, or Body Integrity Identity Disorder. There was a story on “Untold Stories of the ER” where a guy came in who had amputated his own hand. He kept insisting that they just fix the stump and that he would just cut it off again if they didn’t. They had an ethics committee meeting and decided that abiding by the man’s wishes was the way to go, as much as it was hard for them not to try to reattach the hand. Originally Posted by Terminus Est Did he get DORRANCE #5X STAINLESS STEEL HOOKS? No, a weed whacker. (Tip o’ the hat to Carl Hiaasen) ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/23 "2006-04-10T22:36:56Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I don’t understand why. Everyone knows human flesh tastes like chicken. I thought it was supposed to [taste like pork.](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/transwiki:Long_pork) So I guess that would make it “The Other, Other White Meat.” ---
**Author:** ![sugrnspce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@sugrnspce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugrnspce)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/24 "2006-04-11T00:01:14Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > “Waiter, what is your Catch Of The Day?” > > “Sir, I believe he was Italian.” “Waiter, what is your soup of the day?” “Well, Ma’am, we’re calling it ‘minnie strone.’” ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/25 "2006-04-11T00:58:02Z")
> [@A.R. Cane](#): > > There was, what I assume to have been an urban legend, about a restuarant somewhere in the far east that served “long pig”. This was circulating in the 40’s and 50’s, but I haven’t heard about it in years. > It was supposed to be very exclusive, by invitation only, and very, very, expensive. > I even have a recollection of reading a reference to it in a novel, although I can’t remember the name of the book. May have originated from this: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_229.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_229.html) ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/26 "2006-04-11T07:10:25Z")
Cannibalism is an unwise evolutionary choice. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/27 "2006-04-11T07:24:17Z")
Some donate their bodies to science. I’d rather donate it to cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/28 "2006-04-11T12:38:53Z")
> [@Spidey](#): > > Could **Surreal** start up a cruise ship line, and serve us these delicacies out in international waters? I imagine pirate meat would be a bit tough though. You’d probably have to roast the pirate meat and sell it at Arrrrrrrrrby’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/29 "2006-04-11T12:45:37Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Cannibalism is an unwise evolutionary choice. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/30 "2006-04-11T13:05:29Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You’d probably have to roast the pirate meat and sell it at Arrrrrrrrrby’s. \ Personally, I think being able to donate my body to the stew pot is an excellent choice! Until then, maybe I will start a Human Ranch and do a study on Perservative-free range ‘cattle’ ( organics and the like) vs the fast food seditary life style. I bet I could get this half subsidized by McDonalds. I need a catchy name for my place and product, though. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/31 "2006-04-11T13:09:34Z")
Here’s the opening day menu: Salad: Seize her! Entree: Chuck roast au Jew Sides: A spear O’Gus and Buttered nut, squashed Dessert: Baked Alaskan Beverage choices: Bloody Mary, blended White Russian, Adam’s apple juice, or iced pee. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/32 "2006-04-11T13:15:46Z")
“Excuse me… what kind of food do you serve here?” “Well, today it’s French.” “Oh, we really were hoping for some Mexican.” “He’s on a resuscitator. Try back tomorrow.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/33 "2006-04-11T13:18:44Z")
Would this restaurant serve…ahhh…human veal? Howzabout Placenta Stew? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/34 "2006-04-11T13:40:30Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > > [@devilsknew](#): > > > > Cannibalism is an unwise evolutionary choice. > > Why? Cutting out a lot of biological complexity: because the body has trouble processing proteins that are too similar to its own, and the proteins wind up “misfolding”. Strange, but true. The difficulty of processing too-similar proteins has led to the present problem of BSE, or “mad cow disease” (although I prefer calling it “bovine spongiform encephalopathy”, because it’s so darn fun to say “spongiform”). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/35 "2006-04-11T13:43:10Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > Here’s the opening day menu: > > Salad: Seize her! > Entree: Chuck roast au Jew > Sides: A spear O’Gus and Buttered nut, squashed > Dessert: Baked Alaskan > Beverage choices: Bloody Mary, blended White Russian, Adam’s apple juice, or iced pee. Soup: Irish Stew ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/36 "2006-04-11T14:12:17Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > \ > Cutting out a lot of biological complexity: because the body has trouble processing proteins that are too similar to its own, and the proteins wind up “misfolding”. Strange, but true. The difficulty of processing too-similar proteins has led to the present problem of BSE, or “mad cow disease” (although I prefer calling it “bovine spongiform encephalopathy”, because it’s so darn fun to say “spongiform”). I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense; virtually every protein in a cow is also present in humans, and vice versa. It’s possible there would be issues with parasites and diseases being better transmitted by cannibalism, especially with larger more complex animals. However, putting aside the problems with implied intelligence in using words like ‘wise evolutionary choice’, cannibalism is not an adaptive strategy in the long term because an individual would almost always be better off just skipping a link in the food chain and eating the food that the cannibalism prey would have eaten. Which isn’t to say that occasional cannibalism isn’t adaptive (and is common among insects, for instance), just that the most adaptive strategy is to kill and eat your rivals, then spend the rest of the time eating their food. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/37 "2006-04-11T14:17:32Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > Here’s the opening day menu: > > Salad: Seize her! > Entree: Chuck roast au Jew > Sides: A spear O’Gus and Buttered nut, squashed > Dessert: Baked Alaskan > Beverage choices: Bloody Mary, blended White Russian, Adam’s apple juice, or iced pee. Let’s not forget the Polish sausage! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/38 "2006-04-11T15:06:07Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > (although I prefer calling it “bovine spongiform encephalopathy”, because it’s so darn fun to say “spongiform”). It makes a great adjective, too. _“Are you out of your spongiformed mind?!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/39 "2006-04-11T15:42:36Z")
I’ll just have a Danish. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038/40 "2006-04-11T15:46:38Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Howzabout Placenta Stew? Whatever you do, avoid the caviar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-reason-i-couldnt-open-a-restaurant-that-serves-human-meat/352038.md?page=3)