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I'm not for or against, I just don't understand the market. I had whale prepared a few different ways in Japan and they only decent preparation was thinly slice

I'm not for or against, I just don't understand the market. I had whale prepared a few different ways in Japan and they only decent preparation was thinly sliced and raw. It just tasted like a tougher, slightly fishier, worse version of beef. I could understand it if it was significantly cheaper than beef, since domestic and even imported beef can be pricey. But it's often times more expensive than anything but the highest quality. I expect the market will slowly collapse as the Japanese who grew up eating it in school slowly die out. Most people my age had never even eaten it.

dnautics 9y ago
Someone once told me that the actual delicacy is whale blubber. You have to figure out what to do with the rest of the whale.
partycoder 9y ago
Can't you just eat something else?
sandworm101 9y ago
It's an old people thing. Once upon a time whale meat was served in Japanese schools. Those who grew up eating it want to eat it now. They are dying out and the younger generations (us) have no taste for the meat. Try finding anyone in the UK under 60 willing to eat tripe or jellied eels.
- hkmurakami 9y ago
  Never thought of the nostalgia factor but that makes sense. Fwiw the school means served it because those regions (and the entire country) was too poor to afford any other kind of meat. I believe some traditional crafts use some kind of whale whiskers, but I wouldn't imagine that is that big a factor.
etiam 9y ago
I have seen it suggested that it comes down to bureaucratic territory marking. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35397749 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35397749 Reads like something from the darker portions of a Douglas Adams novel, but I find it entirely plausible.
- jpatokal 9y ago
  Coupled with an element of irrational nationalism. "Everybody's telling us to stop doing something pointless/counter-productive, but it's a part of our culture!" (See also: gun ownership.)

dnautics 9y ago

Someone once told me that the actual delicacy is whale blubber. You have to figure out what to do with the rest of the whale.

partycoder 9y ago

Can't you just eat something else?

sandworm101 9y ago

It's an old people thing. Once upon a time whale meat was served in Japanese schools. Those who grew up eating it want to eat it now. They are dying out and the younger generations (us) have no taste for the meat. Try finding anyone in the UK under 60 willing to eat tripe or jellied eels.

hkmurakami 9y ago
Never thought of the nostalgia factor but that makes sense. Fwiw the school means served it because those regions (and the entire country) was too poor to afford any other kind of meat. I believe some traditional crafts use some kind of whale whiskers, but I wouldn't imagine that is that big a factor.

etiam 9y ago

I have seen it suggested that it comes down to bureaucratic territory marking. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35397749 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35397749 Reads like something from the darker portions of a Douglas Adams novel, but I find it entirely plausible.

jpatokal 9y ago
Coupled with an element of irrational nationalism. "Everybody's telling us to stop doing something pointless/counter-productive, but it's a part of our culture!" (See also: gun ownership.)