Sometimes, the funny thing about jokes and stereotypes is that they are based at least a little bit in fact. For example, I'm sure most folks out there have made a joke about the Chinese restaurant that is located conveniently close to the veterinarians office. Well, this local story kind of makes you pause, and think about how scary that might be.
Restaurant owner pleads innocent to buying bear gall bladders, game animals
Ummm...I just wish I knew what it was that was so special about bear gall bladders. I can understand the pheasant, and deer, and even the steelhead. I've got a hard time wrapping my mind around gall bladder though. Part of me is hoping that she was buying this stuff for private use, but...wow. My family and I have been lucky enough that we never ate at this place yet, but I do work with a few folks who have, and they said it tasted like Chinese food.
It's probably not surprising that the longer I think about this, the angrier I get...but, it might be surprising that not all of my anger is directed at the restaurant owner.
The way I read this, the Fish and Game Department invested over 18 months worth of resources in this case...for what? The total money collected from this lady was like $230(but then she got some good deal...$20 for two quarters of a deer? 6 pheasant for $15? I'd pay that in a heartbeat). Now...I understand that if she was buying this from Fish and Game, she was probably buying horrible things from other people...but it really took 18 months to build a case?
And then...they sold her BEAR GALL BLADDERS, and WALKED AWAY!!!! Fish and Game sold her BEAR GALL BLADDERS, and walked away, to let her potentially serve that to PEOPLE who thought they were eating General Tso's chicken.
Makes horse meat sound okay.
In traditional Chinese medicine, bear gall is believed to have medicinal uses.
ReplyDeleteBobG +1
ReplyDeleteHe was either a "Chinese doctor" (or pharmacist if there isn't much difference), or worked with one.
I remember jokes about crawdads teaching their young to fear Cajuns, but the Chinese will eat what Cajuns would toss, to go along with that. Almost nothing that is possibly, or could be made, edible is not found in one of their stores, somewhere. Half medicine, half food, from ground rhino tusks, to dehydrated tiger testicles, to... name it. Plant, animal, spore, possibly human if you believe the tales.
Bear gall bladder? Probably a 'male potency' thing. A Chinese viagra (one of many).