I worked near LA's Chinatown and would often walk by the polleria on my search for a place to eat lunch. I never got the guts to go in to see how they processed the chickens. What I remember most was the smell. It was very strong and rank.
It's been years since but one thing it did was to remind me where our meats come from. The fact that they aren't just packages that come from a factory. They were once live animals.
And, yes, that is the typical disconnect People have with their food; and possibly an explanation for much of the problems we have with the environment/Nature. Its one of the many issues with the abject commodification of Food, rather than an integral component of Life itself.
I think having to take the life and preparing a meal with an animal you slaughtered should be a prerequisite for being able to eat meat in Society. You learn a lot about yourself and sustainable practices, and the value of something giving it's Life for your nourishment.
I worked as a web developer for a company that had its offices near there.
A few years ago people were making fun of Mark Zuckerberg for saying that he would only eat the meat he killed. I think he was right. By doing that you get a better understanding of what you are eating.
I think people made fun of him more because of the associated elitist attitude. How many people have the time, space or resources to procure a live animal? Though I admit the imagery of someone like a Manhattan broker slaughtering a pig in his 15th floor apartment is darkly comical.
At the same time, I agree with you, he is right in that we've become detached from what we eat, but that goes for all food. Even the idea that something so routine for many people today, and to almost everyone prior to the 20th century, would be an "experience" to most of us in the modern world is just odd.
I worked with a few people who lived in midwest US. They hunted a couple times a year and after listening for a while I realized it was a very impressive money saver. In a week, they were able to bag enough elk to eat plenty of meat all year, sold the waste (skin and parts) to a local processor. Apparently this is not uncommon, even for people who live in suburbs.
> I worked with a few people who lived in midwest US. They hunted a couple times a year and after listening for a while I realized it was a very impressive money saver. In a week, they were able to bag enough elk to eat plenty of meat all year, sold the waste (skin and parts) to a local processor. Apparently this is not uncommon, even for people who live in suburbs.
I live in CO now, and its definitely more normal than not outside of Denver and Boulder area. I got my Hunter's license this year after putting it off for so long and I will be applying for a tag this year. In addition to it being economical its also very good for sustainability as the gear and the tag help promote and fund wild life protection.
An elk can definitely feed an entire family, plus if you have never had game meat (venison in this case) you have the challenge of preparing very lean meat in the kitchen, I find that cooking the meat in animal fats (tallow and lard) can change your entire perspective of how much to eat as it satiates you quickly.
Its alarming how much meat is eaten in the US, even more so when you see the ecological damage that comes from factory farming, so I highly encourage more to explore this option.
I remember my grandma removing the "pyjamas" (fur) of rabbits before cooking them. Even if you don't kill it yourself, seeing it going from life form to something to eat makes you think twice before wasting any part of it.
That's why I do sometimes cook offals / giblets for my kids : if you kill an animal to eat it, you should learn not to waste any edible part.
It's been years since but one thing it did was to remind me where our meats come from. The fact that they aren't just packages that come from a factory. They were once live animals.