blake murphy wrote:
> On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:24:34 -1000, dsi1 wrote:
>
>> T wrote:
>>> In article >,
>>> says...
>>>> notbob wrote:
>>>>> On 2009-03-08, sf > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> of butt in a huge vat of water....
>>>>>> pork is tender, he drains it well....
>>>>> Well, there goes most of the pork flavor.
>>>> My auntie, told me to boil pork and then drain the water. Her reason,
>>>> she said, was because pork is a "dirty" meat. I don't do this myself but
>>>> it's likely that the rational for doing this goes far back to when men
>>>> first started eating pork. My guess is that the Jews considered pork a
>>>> dirty meat too - except that draining the cooking liquid could not
>>>> redeem it.
>>>>> nb
>>>>>
>>> Part of the problem in biblical days was that they didn't necessarily
>>> cook the meat thoroughly. This meant a whole host of little parasites
>>> were along for the ride.
>> I guess most of the restrictions of classes of food were based on the
>> observation that some food tended to make folks sick or dead. Our pork
>> is a lot safer these days. OTOH, folks in the old days had the advantage
>> of not living that long.
>>
>
> frankly, i think there are more practical reasons for the ban on pork by
> muslims and jews:
>
> Deceased anthropologist Marvin Harris instead proposed that the regulation
> results from mundane socio-economic concerns. Pigs are not biologically
> suited to living in the arid climate of the Middle East, requiring far more
> water to keep cool than animals native to the region. Although wild pigs
> forage in the forests, there are no such environments for them in the
> region that was Canaan, and consequently they must instead be fed grain;
> however, the grain which pigs eat is also that eaten by people, and so the
> pigs would compete with humans for survival during years of bad harvest. As
> such, raising pigs could have been seen as wasteful and decadent; Harris
> cites examples of similar ecological reasons for religious practices,
> including prohibitions against pork, in other religions of the world.
>
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kosher_animals>
>
> ...i mean, when you think about it, the middle east just is not a good
> place to raise pigs. it's like god were to ban the raising of shrimp in
> utah or something.
That seem kinda shaky. Why would you need restrictions on an animal that
is unlikely and unsuited to an area anyway? I don't believe that these
restrictions specifically named the pig as a forbidden animal, as I
recall, it was a class of animals - with split hooves? If it's true that
the meat from these restricted animals were pretty safe to eat, then
what you cite may be a reasonable explanation.
My guess is that we'll never know the real reasons. However, the problem
with animals (and fuel!) competing for human food remains today, perhaps
we should forbid beef for being decadent and wasteful in natural
resources - that would seem to be logical. Chickens, I guess, might be
ok... :-)
>
> he also addressed why the cow is sacred in india:
>
> In Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches: The Riddles of Culture, Harris begins
> with an explanation for why the hungry peasants of India do not kill and
> eat the ´sacred¡ cows which roam the country at will. Does this make sense?
>
> Cows are kept alive for the simple reason that killing them is economic
> abortion. Cows are revered because they provide milk. Their dung can be
> burned like peat to heat homes and cooking pots. Dung can be mixed with
> other ingredients and spread like cement across the ground for flooring
> material. The cows are far less costly than unaffordable tractors for
> cultivating fields. Finally, cows that freely walk the streets eat most
> anything, saving the cost of paying street cleaners.
>
> <http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/04/15/230542.php>
>
> i highly recommend the book reviewed above, available he
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Cows-Pigs-Wars-Witches-Riddles/dp/0679724680>
>
> ..which also addresses cargo cults and the phenomenon of the *potlatch*,
> the savage male (some of you liberal arts types may remember the 'fierce
> people,' the yanomamo) and the burning of witches, among other topics, in a
> very sensible and entertaining way.
>
> another good book by harris is concerned more directly with food (including
> pigs and cows):
>
> The Sacred Cow and the Abominable Pig: Riddles of Food and Culture
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Cow-Abominable-Pig-Touchstone/dp/0671633082/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236965769&sr=1-14>
>
> both books are convincing argued and fun to read.
Thanks for the links.
>
> your pal,
> blake