Word: whaled
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...meat's gamey quality, however, can be as much a turn off as some people's revulsion to the thought of eating Shamu. And freezers in Japanese public schools are stocked with nearly four tons of unsold, mainly minke, whale meat, which the government has bought and provided for school lunches. Eventually, they will be turned into fish sticks or burgers...
Outside of school cafeterias, Chefs try to reduce the gaminess with pepper, garlic, dried herbs, such as clove, coriander or cumin, and with fresh herbs, such as dill and chive. Tatsuta-age, in which whale is deep-fried, is a common preparation that is served with soy sauce and ginger...
Yukio Hattori, president of Tokyo-based Hattori Nutrition College and a leading food critic who admits a weakness for whale. Better known as "Doc" to Iron Chef fans, Hattori prefers a recipe from the Showa period (that is, the 1926-1989 reign of Emperor Hirohito). He says a "roast cut" steak is best prepared after a good marinating in grated white onion, which tenderizes the meat, and then pan-fried with a little soy sauce. Hattori says that the price of the most prized part of the whale - the tail meat - is on par with that of Kobe beef, roughly...
...Whales are cute. They are intelligent, genius creatures that endear humans to want to interact with them," he says, "But we are a fishing people. Whale hunting is a part of our culture-not just our food culture." It's part of the culture that younger Japanese aren't all that familiar with, however. And it also happens to infuriate other nations...
Reports about Japan's plans for a newer, bigger whaling ship with an estimated cost of $120 million signal the government's commitment to a large stake in high seas whaling. One U.S. government official says: "That's not a good sign." The Japanese, however, are listening to the international community and changing its whaling targets - for example, deciding not to hunt humpback whales. But, for now, whale stays on the menu and on the plate...