"seal meat" news and stories

Seal meat. Photo: tootsmabel/flickr

Here's one food that may or may not get your seal of approval.

Seals -- the same lovable, clapping sea creatures that are a favorite zoo attraction and poster child for animal activism -- are being served for dinner by our neighbors to the north.

The New York Times reports a small number of fine dining institutions in Canada are incorporating seal meat into their menus.

Combine the unusual nature of the meat (the taste has been described anywhere from gamey to beefy to fishy) with the fact that the European Union recently banned imports of Canadian seal products, and suddenly the seal-serving restaurants have become both a target for hate mail and unforeseen hungry tourists.

Hear from one seal-serving chef after the jump.

SoCal Burger. Photo: Yogma/Flickr

• In search of the best burger, the Times talks to a slew of gourmet chefs about the recipe for patty perfection.
• The Jets and the Sharks aren't the only ones busy with turf wars -- old-school food vendors are battling a growing onslaught of gourmet street fare on the streets of New York. To top that off, six have been arrested on permit-fraud charges.
  
• Move over foie gras -- seal meat, served in Montreal, is the food world's latest faux pas.
• Restaurants in France breathe a sigh of relief as the meal tax falls from a whopping 19.6 percent to the more reasonable 5.5 percent.
• Beans and rice, as seen through the eyes of Joe Quintana, executive chef at Rosa Mexicano.
• "Twelfth Night" fans rejoice: Central Park's Delacorte Theater now offers a whole realm of food beyond the usual pretzels and hot dogs.
• The Minimalist makes some flavored oils.