Should eating exotic animals be acceptable? · By Olivia Wong
Image generated with AI using the following prompt:’ An exotic animal staring at a meaty dish’.
Eating meat has been customary since the beginning of civilisation. Ever since this high-protein source was discovered, people have been “picky” about the meat they consume. Because it was always about the survival of the fittest for our ancestors, it meant that they would eat almost anything to stay alive. Usually, when people think of meat, it includes food like chicken, beef and pork. But as a modern society, we have decided that eating some animals are off-limits, labelling those who dare to do so, as outliers. Despite this exclusion, the eating of exotic flesh is consumed for religious and/or cultural reasons. Others use it as a food source because foreign meat contains more protein and benefits the human body.
In different parts of the world, many cultures and religions treat exotic meat as a type of delicacy. For instance, off the coast of East- Africa, Pemba Flying Fox Bats are considered a delicacy in the region. This illustrates that cultures are different and eating out of tradition should be accepted. Unfortunately, our modern society is plagued with issues such as racism, sexism, and ableism. But with our intellect, considering history should be a priority. When British colonisers first encountered Africans, ideas such as human zoos were employed to showcase the natives to the white community. In old traditions, some Africans would sandpaper their teeth to make them look sharp. Unfortunately, the British believed their teeth had evolved to suit eating flesh easier. This made them assume that the Africans were rabid, which conceived the stigma that eating unusual meat is strange. But as traditions evolve, our society should be more accepting. So, as a more advanced community, we should accept the different traditions of our multicultural world.
In some countries, exotic animal meat is one of their food sources. For those who may live in a country with lower living standards, eating exotic animals are one of the few options. For example, in Africa, animals such as wild bats are eaten. Since Africans may not have been blessed with as many resources as many other countries, they must find an alternative food source to survive. Africa is known as an arid place with such conditions not conducive for growing crops and grass. This results in the people eating rather 'strange' flesh. So, living in poor conditions is one of the reasons why certain cultures eat exotic meat. It is one of their only options to survive.
Eating exotic meat can be more beneficial than consuming a typical meal. Animals such as emu, bison and elk possess more protein than the local grocery buys. Even though eating strange animals may seem like an alien trait, it may not be as bad as our society perceives it. Consuming supposedly “weird” flesh can pack a punch of protein and nutrients into our bodies. Without devouring such food, our ancestors would not have survived. As a society, we should normalise eating strange animals and sacrifice our discrimination against them.
To conclude, those who eat exotic meat should be accepted. If eating strange animals has harmed our ancestors, then why would we still be alive? Our usual shopping bags cannot stop traditions as our history has been misunderstood. Also, eating out of the box can benefit those who do not have a lot of options and it can also benefit the human body as strange animals have better nutrients.
