Man bites dog: North Koreans eat dog meat to beat the heat
PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic Of — In North Korea, summer is not a good time to be a dog.
With the sizzling heat upon the country, North Korea’s biggest brewery is pumping out twice as much beer as usual, Pyongyang residents are queuing up to get their “bingsu” — a syrupy treat made with shaved ice — and restaurants are serving up bowl after bowl of the season’s biggest culinary attraction: spicy dog meat soup.
Euphemistically known as “dangogi,” or sweet meat, dog has long been believed to be a stamina food in North and South Korea and is traditionally eaten during the hottest time of the year, giving a sad twist to old saying “dog days of summer.”
The dates are fixed according to the lunar calendar and dog meat consumption centres around the “sambok,” or three hottest days — July 17 and 27, and Aug. 16 this year. Demand appears to be especially high this year because of a heatwave that has hit many parts of East Asia. Temperatures in the North have been among the highest ever recorded, hovering near the 40 degree Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) mark in several cities.