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Article:
Dog Stew by: Jon Dunkerley Food is a substance that holds cultures together. Common foods unify and define countries and regions. However, a food that one group considers a delicacy, another group may find offensive. The French have long been called 'frogs' because of their taste for the amphibians. The English once were sneered upon as 'beefsteak' because of their trend-setting use of cattle, and in the Philippines at least one tribe is nicknamed 'dogeaters.' The name Dogeaters has not been confined to the Philippines, however. The summer 1988 Seoul Olympics focused the world's attention on South Korea. One aspect of Korean cuisine the government preferred not to have spotlighted was the use of dog meat. A dog stew, called Poshintang, is commonly available in restaurants in Seoul and the rest of the country. As an ingredient, dog is not as ubiquitous as beef is in the U.S.; it is considered to be something of a delicacy. Traditionally, it has been a seasonal favorite, most popular in the summer. Dogmeat is also purported to be effective as a male stimulant, increasing sexual stamina, even though there is no scientific literature to support this claim. Even before the Olympics, there was concern that foreign visitors to Seoul might be offended by restaurants offering dog meat. The Ministry of Health and Welfare ordered measures to prevent such a conflict. In '1986
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