Dog meat a delicacy in Yogya<\/p>\n
Gigin Kurniawan, Contributor, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
The Special Region of Yogyakarta deserves to be called an area of
\nsengsu (a dish prepared with cabbage and dog meat). Foodstalls
\nselling this particular dish are ubiquitous.<\/p>\n
Among its lovers, this dish is also known by its euphemistic
\nname, medicinal skewered meat as dog meat is believed to possess
\ntonic properties.<\/p>\n
Foodstalls may sell this dish openly or covertly. In the case
\nof the former, the stall will label it B1, to refer to dog meat
\nor B2, to refer to pork. Many foodstalls, however, do not use any
\nlabeling at all.<\/p>\n
Sengsu foodstalls are found not only in the city of Yogyakarta
\nbut also in remote villages in Bantul, Sleman, Kulonprogo and
\nGunungkidul regencies. In the city of Yogyakarta, sengsu food
\nvendors are found in several places such as the area around
\nUmbulharjo bus terminal, Jl. Magelang, Jl. AM Sangaji, at Terban
\nmarket and near Yogyakarta State University campus.<\/p>\n
Even at Jl. Malioboro and Jl. Jend. Sudirman you can find
\n"Toba Nauli", a foodstall owned by a North Sumatran and selling
\nsangsang, which is the Batak name for sengsu. In the Gowongan and
\nDemangan areas, you can find a "Kawanua" foodstall, which offers
\nNorth Sulawesi dishes, including dog meat rica-rica.<\/p>\n
Although sengsu foodstalls are spread in many places in
\nYogyakarta, Bantul regency may boast the greatest number of such
\nfoodstalls across the province. Bantul has about 70 sengsu
\nfoodstalls spread across almost all of its districts.<\/p>\n
The great number of sengsu foodstalls has drawn the attention
\nof Uminto Giring Wibowo, chairman of Commission C of Bantul
\nlegislative assembly. A member of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), he has proposed that Bantul regency
\nadministration issue a bylaw on dog slaughter.<\/p>\n
He said a dog-slaughtering business could financially
\ncontribute to the coffers of Bantul regency administration. He
\nproposed that every dog slaughtered should be subject to a fee of
\nRp 1,500. If 1,000 dogs were slaughtered every day, the regency
\nadministration could earn Rp 1.5 million per day.<\/p>\n
"That income would be sufficient," he added.<\/p>\n
Uminto also said that his data showed that a major sengsu
\nfoodstall owner slaughters an average of 15 dogs per day. "If the
\nregency has some 70 foodstalls selling sengsu, more than 1,000
\ndogs are killed every day," he stressed.<\/p>\n
This proposal has led to debate among the councillors. Those
\nagainst this proposal argue that Muslims are not allowed to eat
\ndog meat.<\/p>\n
Uminto, however, did not proceed with his proposal. He said he
\nwas under some pressure from fellow councillors and also from the
\ncentral board of his party in Jakarta. He was told that this
\nmatter was a sensitive issue.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the pros and cons, the dog meat business is now
\nquite lucrative. Those slaughtered are usually mongrels, not
\npurebred dogs. The supply of mongrels comes from regencies
\noutside Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The price of a mongrel varies, depending on its size. A small
\ndog weighing some 6 kilograms (kg) costs Rp 35,000 to Rp 40,000.
\nLarger ones (12 kg to 20 kg) are obtainable at Rp 50,000 to Rp
\n80,000. Dog meat costs Rp 10,000 to Rp 12,000 per kg. A helping
\nof sengsu plus rice cost Rp 3,500 to Rp 4,000.<\/p>\n
At first, sengsu was popular only among people from outside
\nJava who lived in Yogyakarta. Today, however, even indigenous
\nresidents of Yogyakarta like this dish. That's why sengsu
\nfoodstalls are found even in the remotest villages.<\/p>\n
"Many people believe that you'll get stronger after eating
\nsengsu," said Maryadi (45), a sengsu vendor in Madukismo, Bantul.<\/p>\n
It is interesting to note that to double the tonic property
\nand attractiveness of sengsu, these unfortunate mongrels are not
\nslaughtered conventionally.<\/p>\n
"If a dog is slaughtered in the normal way, blood will ooze
\nout. Dog meat is more delicious if the blood is not spilled,"
\nsaid Jumanto, 41, a mongrel butcher residing in Bambanglipuro,
\nBantul.<\/p>",
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