BEIJING - A dog meat cooking contest was held in Pyongyang this week, where chefs who advanced through regional qualifiers competed on taste and presentation, North Korean media reported Friday.
In North Korea, dog meat is enjoyed as a nutritious food and is regarded as part of the country's traditional food culture. The contest, held from Tuesday through Thursday, took place at a newly opened dog-meat specialty restaurant along the Taedong River in central Pyongyang.
The contestants cooked up soups and other dishes within a set time limit, competing on taste and presentation using their own inherited cooking methods, according to the media.
South Korea also has a culture of consuming dog meat, but it will start to fully ban raising dogs for meat and slaughtering them for food from next year under growing animal welfare opposition.
Meanwhile in North Korea, it appears that pet dogs are also becoming more common, with pet shops opening in Pyongyang.
