planetark.org Sept 28, 2001

crispy critters

'Cat-eaters' take note - feline feast at Peru festival

LA QUEBRADA, PERU - In the middle of La Quebrada's dusty square, onlookers crowd a tent where a Peruvian cook adds onion, garlic, then hot peppers to a frypan sizzling with the day's first serving of the local delicacy many have driven up to two hours to savor: feline fricassee.

"It's really tasty," 21-year-old Ada Torres said as she finishes up a plate of cat cracklings. Around her, children lick their fingers and adults line up to try the dish.

One weekend a year, the farming town of La Quebrada on a former plantation some 90 miles (140 km) south of Lima heats up with a festival celebrating Peru's black culture that features dance, music, and a feast where the adventurous turn into what locals call 'cat-eaters.'

Some people just watch, giggling, as the cook adds diced squash and warns fry oil must be scalding for the right results. "It's the first time I've tried it ... I was curious and it's excellent," Torres said.

But the culinary novelty isn't the only highlight to the annual Saint Efigenia festival - just perhaps the strangest, said the festival's organizer Sabio Canas.

"We want to show black people - and people of every race - that here in (La Quebrada) we have a black saint and we are descendants of (slaves) ... so we have a great big party," said Canas, president of a black art and culture association.

Some 70 percent of Peru's 26 million population is of indigenous descent but there is a small black minority, many of whom Canas said are descended from those brought to colonial Peru to work as slaves on cotton plantations.

The festival honors St. Efigenia, who is one of the few black saints honored in the largely Catholic nation and whose image adorns the town's small, ramshackle church. They say an Efigenia statue arrived to nearby Canete on a ship in the 18th century.

LOCAL RHYTHMS, DANCING

The St. Efigenia festival, which takes place over a weekend in September each year, also includes dancing and singing to the black rhythms famous in the poor Andean nation.

"There isn't much left of our culture," said Jaime Rojas, 49, an education worker from Canete who said the festival has given new life to La Quebrada, a town of 3,000 where most people scrape by with cotton, potato and corn crops.

"We've tried to rescue the dance, the food. It's like in Spain with the running of the bulls - these are our roots and can't be forgotten," he said.

Canas said the cat-eating tradition is rooted in culinary pragmatism when slaves lived on cotton plantation and had little else to eat.

"There have always been some people who eat cat but we've broken the silence," he said, adding that residents go out looking for unlucky beasts to capture in days before the festival.

During the festival, town residents also parade the statue of St. Efigenia through the streets of La Quebrada.

"This is the first boost we black people have had ... and we're going to celebrate in big," said musician Caitro Soto. "We may be poor, but we're doing it in style," he said.

But most come to try the cat - which tastes "just like rabbit," many say - and organizers say they hope it gives a boost to local tourism.

"I prepare it at home - in stews or with a cilantro sauce and I serve it up with yucca," said Antonio Rojas, a 59-year-old port worker who said he brushes off rumors cat meat can induce disease. He said he often prepares it secretly for unsuspecting guests.

"I think it's great that people have made the effort to dance, sing, eat a little cat," said Roberto, 17, who came from Lima for the event.

ANIMAL LOVERS UNHAPPY

But some locals look on the custom with disdain and Canas said he had to scale back this year's catch as angry members of animal rights group complained about reports some 100 cats would be killed for the festival.

"For us it's a tradition of many years and they can't take that away from us," he said.

But 9-year-old Darcy Vasquez protested: "I know it's important for some people but they shouldn't be killing the cats," she said, holding four four-week-old kittens she is raising in her home a few blocks from the square.

Some cats have gone suspiciously missing in recent weeks before the festival, Vasquez' mother said. "I'm taking care of mine," Darcy added.

Even those in La Quebrada who don't choose to become 'cat-eaters' say they are appreciative of other aspects of St. Efigenia's festival like the music and the parade.

"The party's nice but the bad part is the cat - you mention the word 'cat' and suddenly no one's hungry," said a woman who sells soup and noodles in an outdoor restaurant by the square.

Story by Missy Ryan

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

-- (Roland@hatemail.com), September 28, 2001

Answers

you bastard

i hate you for posting this

-- (cin@cin.cin), September 29, 2001.

cin,

I guess that mentioning that deer hunting season is just around the corner would be a no-no, huh?

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), September 29, 2001.

Hope they left enough cats to eat the rats. If not we're talking a serious maladaption and a clue as to why their 21st century streets are still dirt.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), September 29, 2001.

This is exactly the kind of thing I knew "J" would like.

Hey, "J", I have hunted deer also. Hunting pets is more up your alley. I'm glad you could get off.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), September 29, 2001.

Confused,

If nothing else, you are certainly living up to your moniker.

No, I don't like the idea of eating cats. You are exactly wrong. However, I believe that cin's reaction to this story (and any other instance where animals die) was a bit melodramatic. Hence, my post.

What totally incorrect statement are you going to make about me next? You seem to have an unlimited supply.

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), September 29, 2001.

What totally incorrect statement are you going to make about me next? You seem to have an unlimited supply...

J, let me just say that you make this forum fun to come back to. If you want to fight beyond that, well.... Stick with it, kid, we get a kick out of your gumption!!

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), September 29, 2001.

What's the point of poking a well known sore J?

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), September 29, 2001.

LOL

J is the biggest suckerfish on this forum, maybe the entire internet. I once trolled him for over 100 replies on the Lakers thread, and he took the bait every single time, like the big dumb sucker he is!

ROTFLMAO!!

-- (J is @ stupid. carp), September 29, 2001.

Confused,

Your wit never seems to be as sharp on Friday nights. Why do you think that is, exactly?


Carlos,

Which is more out of line, cin's juvenile animal rights tirade, or my calling her on it? It is great for a person to feel passionately about something; but when that something is shared with a very small percentage of the population at large, then maybe reality should dictate that screaming "you bastard" at someone is going to be seen as just a tad bit overboard.


anonymous coward,

Oh yes, all posts that oppose me are troll posts, and everytime that I respond to anything then I have been fished. You are just so clever. What will you think of next, a cyber whoopee cushion?

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), September 29, 2001.

Hee hee hee hee hee!! No, you're more fun than a whoopee cushion. Keep it up buddy.

-- (mr.@bass.master), September 29, 2001.

anonymous coward,

You wrote, "Hee hee hee hee hee"!!

Are you a 13 year old girl, or do you just enjoy pretending to be one?

Careful now, the hooks are sharp.

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), September 29, 2001.

No, but your're pretty close! Actually I'm only 12 years old. I tried laughing like a tough guy, but it doesn't feel right yet. I want to grow up to be a tough guy like you, you're cool. Maybe after I get my first period the hormones will help make me tough. If I can learn to laugh like a big fat hussy, will you be my boyfriend? You can use your gun to protect me from spiders and snakes and bad people. Ooooh, I'd love that!

-- (you are my @ kinda. man J), September 29, 2001.

anonymous coward,

Fantasizing about being a 12 year old girl is really sick. Your family must be painfully ashamed of you, and who could blame them?

I would stay and mess with your mind some more, but your sick fantasy has made me nauseous. Thanks for playing, though. I'm sure that we have some Barbies as a nice parting gift.

Remember little girl, guns are dangerous just like Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw told you. Just be a good little sheep and pretend that there are no wolves.

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), September 29, 2001.

J, mr bassmaster is giggling hysterically because you took his/her bait and are giving him/her mr.toads wild ride.

This is my first post to this thread. Ahem, nice try clone. {major eye roll}

-- (cin@cin.cin), September 29, 2001.

ps...it sucks that ANY animal has to die for someone's festival celebration. Why can't they just make a big fruit salad instead.*sigh*

-- (cin@cin.cin), September 29, 2001.

Yah, that was interesting cin. The troll said to J "I love how you rise up and take the bait" and J just kept on rising up and taking the bait.

No offense J, but it was kinda funny.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), September 29, 2001.

Barely funny Unk.

J, cin's minority stance doesn't answer my question of why the gratuitous poke.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), September 29, 2001.

Besides, anyone who'd eat a cat is a moron, anyway. Cats are the most playful and loving companions anyone could want.

Here's one of our two cats, Louis Wu, snapped back when he was a teenager. For those who keep up with such things, he's a Maine Coon (note the tell-tale tufts around the ear tips).

Anyone tries to hurt my Louis -- much less EAT him -- will have to get through me first. :)

-- Stephen M. Poole (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), September 29, 2001.

Let's try that again.

-- Stephen M. Poole (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), September 29, 2001.

Mmmmmmm yummmmmmmy!

-- (Paula@Peru.pepperpot), September 30, 2001.

Uncle Deedah,

No offense taken. I guess that I just don't see the wisdom in the belief that responding to an anonymous cowardly troll is necessarily "rising to the bait". To take that stance is to allow the cowardly slime to dictate when and what that I post, and hell will freeze over before that happens.

On the other hand, responding to an impostor troll is not usually productive. The trick is in discerning when the post is from an impostor. I was fooled by the cin impostor, that I will admit. It seems that Confused knew right from the get go, though. I wonder what that might tell us? Anyhow, that brings me to you, Carlos.

I am sure that cin is a wonderful lady, Carlos. I posted nothing to her that I would not have said to a close friend or family member under the same circumstances. As I said in my earlier post to you, passionately believing in something is often a virtue. Using that passionate belief as an excuse to hurl invective, however, is not.

The reason that I responded so is that on this particular issue, cin and I are oppositely alligned. I enjoy hunting, and her past stance on animals has not coincided with mine. When I saw that which she had apparently posted, I decided to put in my two cents, so to speak. Which brings me to you, cin.

I want to take this opportunity to apologize to you for assuming, incorrectly, that you had posted the "you bastard" comment that the cowardly anonymous impostor had posted under your handle. Please accept my sincere regret at having misjudged you.

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), September 30, 2001.

Poole, I always wanted a Main Coon Cat. I have a friend who has one, and she lets it out at night - she claims this cat rules the neighborhood, beating up dogs, etc, but is a very sweet pet in the house. I like how big they are, they look like some sort of wild cat.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), October 01, 2001.

"I think it's great that people have made the effort to dance, sing, eat a little cat," said Roberto, 17, who came from Lima for the event.

Sounds like a normal Saturday night at J's bunker to me.

-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), October 01, 2001.

Ooops! Sorry on re-reading this quote I thought he said "people have made the effort to dance, sing, eat a little PUSSY."

Sorry J, my error.

-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), October 01, 2001.

Bemused,

What's amazing is how little they shed, to have such long fur. And Louis is about twice the size as in that picture now. When he stands up and stretches against me to welcome Daddy home at the end of the day, his paws reach well up onto my belly.

If he's like his father -- a show champion named Merlin -- he'll hit just under 30 lbs.

"Gentle giants." His voice is a sweet little chirp, totally incongruous with that huge body. :)

-- Stephen M. Poole (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), October 01, 2001.

My little manx baby =0)

-- (cin@cin.cin), October 01, 2001.