Thai meat-eaters

[Eric_Olthwaite 0]

Just occurred to me that whilst Thai dishes include all kinds of seafood, pork, beef (or "Beep" as I saw on a menu recently) frogs, insects, etc, I don't think I've ever seen one with Lamb/Mutton. Anyone know why? Maybe a cultural or religious thing, or maybe just not to Thai taste? And while I'm at it, how does the average Thai reconcile meat-eating with the Buddhist belief in rebirth? Just curious.

[sabaidii2 171]

There's no lamb/mutton because sheep aren't raised in LOS (though I'm not clear on where beef comes from). Now if you'd like to try some interesting indigenous food, try some crocodile meat (tastes like chicken). One place I know where it's available is the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the "Tops" shopping center: 2nd Road at Central Road (Pattaya Klang). Or you can go to the Million Year Stone Park & Crocodile Zoo.

 

I don't know enough about Buddhism to comment about meat-eating but I can assure you that Thai's are not vegetarians.

[sabaidii2 171]

There's no lamb/mutton because sheep aren't raised in LOS (though I'm not clear on where beef comes from). Now if you'd like to try some interesting indigenous food, try some crocodile meat (tastes like chicken). One place I know where it's available is the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the "Tops" shopping center: 2nd Road at Central Road (Pattaya Klang). Or you can go to the Million Year Stone Park & Crocodile Zoo.

 

I don't know enough about Buddhism to comment about meat-eating but I can assure you that Thai's are not vegetarians.

[ting_tong 63]

I would rather eat bugs than eat mutton! I am going to try the crocodile meat in a couple of weeks, I like to always try new stuff!

[Duffabboy 0]

There's no lamb/mutton because sheep aren't raised in LOS (though I'm not clear on where beef comes from). Now if you'd like to try some interesting indigenous food, try some crocodile meat (tastes like chicken). One place I know where it's available is the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the "Tops" shopping center: 2nd Road at Central Road (Pattaya Klang). Or you can go to the Million Year Stone Park & Crocodile Zoo.

 

I don't know enough about Buddhism to comment about meat-eating but I can assure you that Thai's are not vegetarians.

Can vouch for the crocodile tasting like chicken, tried it deep fried at the zoo with salt and chilli.

 

Very nice indeed.

[VoxVader 1]

There's Buddhist sect that does not eat beef. I believe it is mostly practiced by a few of the Chinese-Thais but you occasionally run into a BG that will not eat beef. I'm very ignorant of it, but I believe that it revolves around either A) some spiritual leader from the past is supposed to be continually reincarneted as a cow and you don't want to eat him or there's too good a chance your anscestors were reincarnated as a cow and you don't want to eat one.

 

How was that for an ignorant and unhelpful post?

 

-Vox

[Jaffa 0]

As far as I know Thailand imports all of their lamb. And its therefore too expensive for the locals. I am also pretty sure I have seen roast lamb on the menue at some of the English style pubs in Pattaya.

 

My Thai missus pigged out on lamb for about a month when she first came to OZ, so I dont think its any kind of a taboo.

 

The missus says the Saudi resturants in LOS are big on lamb.

[nidnoyham 30]

This not eating lamb is a mistery to me also.

 

Some while back I was enjoying roast lamb at Palmers and mg GF went off to get her usual from the stalls nearby. When she came back she took a mouthful of meat thinking it was beef, but realised it was not beef. When she realised it was lamb she spat it out and started heaving, I thought she was larking about. The best explanation I could get is that lamb is too pretty to eat, a bit like I won't eat veal. Not because it is pretty althought it is, it's that my Dad used to take me to cattle markets when I was young and I got so upset seeing the calves cry for their Mum- I know it sounds lame, but when your 10 it isn't.

 

As far as the Chinese not eating beef, I was told, it was because it is too big a life to take for food. So that's why there are so any bugs to eat !

[Eric_Olthwaite 0]

Thanks all for some interesting replies. Never heard of Thais avoiding beef, but now I come to think of it, didn't Buddhism originate as a branch of Hinduism (?) and of course cows are held as sacred in India. As for Lamb, I wonder if it's an aversion to killing and eating something when it's so young, or as Jaffa suggests just too expensive for everyday consumption? Nidnoyham, I'm with you on the veal question; no problem with beef, but as soon as I hear the word "Veal" I remember a TV documentary about how it's produced and my stomach turns.