Week of business pursuits, mixed with pleasure, of course. Spending time in classes for budding entrepreneurs and meeting with potential business partners. Using the Sports Club LA/San Francisco as my base in the city. Even getting in a few workouts along the way. Enjoying some meals with friends... had breakfast with Paul at the Rain Tree Cafe, lunch with Carl in the city.

Did buy another cool thing: z-coils. I'm getting stopped on the street and asked about these cool shoes!

Happy Endings for Dad. Was wonderful to see Dad looking so perky having all good news about his cancer remission. He packed up and I took him back to his Sonoma living space this afternoon. I enjoyed lunch with Carolyn at E&O Trading in Larkspur. It really does a good job of fusion food.

In the evening, coached along by Michael, I finally made the decision to buy a MacBook Pro, the new laptop with Intel processor allowing it to run Windows as well. It's a slick machine, and you could almost use the Mac side for everything, but there are still a few programs it won't run. But with the ability to run it as a PC, you can have the best of both worlds (or so it is promoted).

The other factor is that the Dell sales staff were very difficult to work with, and my configured laptop would have been more expensive than the Mac I bought.

Sunday at the Napa Valley Symphony. Yalda treated us with tickets to the symphony today, and it was lovely. Linda, Jan & I enjoyed the program featuring Alan Feinberg.

Classical Concert V: Early American

Sunday April 23, 2006 3:00 PM
Tuesday April 25, 2006 8:00 PM

Alan Feinberg, piano

Buck Festival Overture on the American National Air Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Listen Kathryn Selby, piano Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Hayman, conductor Gottschalk Grande Tarantelle for piano and orchestra Listen Kathryn Selby, piano Hot Springs Music Festival; Richard Rosenberg, conductor Chadwick Symphonic Sketches Listen Jubilee National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor Recordings courtesy of Naxos of America

After the symphony, we met Yalda at Don Giovanni's for a lovely dinner.

Sakura on Saturday. It is Cherry Blossom Festival time again in Japantown, and the 100th anniversary of Japantown. Linda, Michael & I attended a wonderful Taiko and Kitaro concert this evening, after a delicious dinner of fresh handmade ramen (miso-ramen soup, and yakisoba) at Sapporo-ya.

2006 US–Japan Taiko Festival

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Kabuki Theater, Post & Filmore Streets

San Francisco Japantown

Featuring San Francisco Taiko Dojo

with Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka

Special Guest: KITARO

with Keiko Takahashi - Synthesizer

Koichi Tamano - Butoh Dancer

Special Guests from Japan:

Akita Gojome Tensho Taiko

An unusual recipe from the World Museum, Liverpool.

Honeypot Ants

Ingredients

1 bowlful of honeypot ants Melophorus bagoti

Preparation

Hold an ant by the head and simply bite off the honey sack, letting the nectar slide down your throat. This is the best way to eat the honey.

Other ways are to squeeze it into a glass and drink it, or to fill a chocolate cup half full of honey, top with whipped cream and decorate with a frozen honeypot ant.

Notes

Honeypot ants are special worker ants that store the nectar gathered by their nest-mates. They are too full to move so they hang upside down in the nest.

These ants are considered a delicacy by the Aborigines and have been
incorporated into many recipes that are popular across Australia.

And you thought loofahs were just for bathing.


LOOFAH AND CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 35 min

1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 lb fresh angled loofah* (about 12 inches long)
1 cup peanut oil
3 small fresh shiitakes, stems discarded and caps sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 teaspoon Chinese fermented black beans**
5 small (2-inch) fresh red chiles such as Thai, seeded and cut into fine julienne (2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Accompaniment: cooked white rice
Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Stir together chicken, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl.

Stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and stock in another bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Remove ridges from loofah with a vegetable peeler, then scrape skin lightly with a sharp small knife (a little green skin should remain). Cut loofah lengthwise into 2- by 1/2-inch sticks.

Heat peanut oil in a wok over moderate heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer, then cook chicken, stirring, just until no longer pink, about 11/2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then pour oil into a heatproof container and reserve.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water dropped onto cooking surface evaporates immediately. Add 3 tablespoons reserved peanut oil, swirling wok to coat evenly, and heat until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry mushrooms until lightly browned and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans, chiles, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add loofah and toss until well coated.

Add stock mixture and bring to a boil. Add chicken and return sauce to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to sauce, then boil, stirring, until sauce thickens slightly and becomes translucent.

Serve drizzled with remaining 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.

* Also known as "ridged gourd" and "Chinese okra."
** Available at Asian markets and by mail order from Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

Makes 2 to 4 main-course servings.

Gourmet
March 2002

Google cooking. Found a new an interesting service on Google this morning -- a place to search recipes in specific! It's part of Google Base a beta product for collecting useful user fed data.

Easter at Anna's. There was an Easter celebration and dinner at my place. Dad, Linda, Yalda, Olivia, Jonathon, Jo-Ann, Toran & Aurelia were the all there.

The three children decorated sugar cookies in Easter shapes for the adults (and themselves) and Yalda brought a champagne cake and champagne!

The children also were delighted to get three separate Easter surprises -- bags from Linda & Yalda, Jo-Ann & Anna, and Dad's handmade baskets. Dad also made baskets for all the adults with a parmesean shaker inside for the treat!

I also shared the interesting information below with everyone, which was sent from Keith & Marie in the UK earlier this morning as an Easter hello.

Some Easter Superstitions

At the pagan feast of Eostre an ox was sacrificed. The ox’s horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread which is where "hot cross buns" originated. The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means sacred ox. Nowadays the symbol of a cross is used to decorate buns. Hot cross buns are thought to act as a charm against evil. Sailors believed that the buns would protect them against shipwreck if taken to sea. Farmers in many parts of England also believed that they would protect their granaries against rats. Tradition states that hot cross buns actually baked on Good Friday will never go mouldy.

The goddess Eostre was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons and her symbols were the egg and the hare so from that we still have the egg and the rabbit or Easter Bunny. Eggs have always been associated with rebirth and continuity.

Mary Magdalene is supposed to have visited the roman Emperor Tiberias and she gave him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection - the symbol of new life. It is believed that the Christian tradition of giving eggs to each other at Easter came from this event. For a long time Eggs have been painted in bright colours to celebrate the Spring. Hard-boiled egg rolling contests still take place in some parts of England over Easter.

People would not use nails or iron tools during Easter time. This was because of the nails hammered into Christ’s feet and hands. The planting of crops was never done at Easter because it would mean that metal would enter the ground in the form of a spade or fork.

It was generally believed that it was very unlucky to sweep your house or yard on a Good Friday. Likewise it was also unlucky to sweep dust directly out of the house as you may sweep your good luck out with it. It was considered better to sweep all the dust into the centre of the room and then pick it up and dispose of it from there.

Another unlucky thing was to wash clothes on a Good Friday as nothing good would come of it. This is associated with a story about Christ, who whilst carrying his cross to Calvary, had a woman wave wet garments in his face. It is said that Jesus proclaimed "Cursed be everyone who hereafter shall wash on this day."

On the other hand, it was very lucky to wear new clothes at Easter. It was "deemed essential by many people to wear some new article of dress, if only a pair of gloves or a ribbon, for not to do so is considered unlucky and the birds will be angry with you."

Touching wood is thought by some to be the result of the Christian belief in the Crucifixion. As Christ was sacrificed on a cross of wood touching wood was a sign of deep compassion and reverence for Christ’s resurrection.

The Hawthorn tree is either lucky or unlucky. Some considered it a tree destined to bring bad fortune to the owner as it is thought that this is the tree from which the crown of thorns was made. However, some people believe that the Hawthorn is a very holy plant for exactly the same reason and that cutting down or attacking a Hawthorn will result in terrible misfortune.

A very widespread belief was that when the sun rose on Easter Sunday it danced "for joy". People at Castleton, Derbyshire used to climb the hill on which the castle is built at six o'clock in the morning to see the sun rise. "On this day the sun is said to dance for joy at His rising." Some people would put out pails of water or gathered at rivers or ponds to see the sun dance's reflection. When the sun set on Easter Sunday it was supposed to spin around and people also used to gather to see it turning.

Easter Dinner Menu:

Hearts of Palm Dip with Assorted Crackers

Spinach Salad adorned with stawberries, hearts of palm & walnuts

with Poppy Seed Dressing

Heirloom Tomato Salad
with fresh basil and white balsamic vinegar

Brazilian Garlic Cheese Bread

Hot Cross Buns

Honey-Baked Ham

Fresh Wild Halibut
pouched in French Court Bouillon Visnat

Carmalelized Onion or Madeira Mushroom Brioche
with Mushroom, Bechamel and Madeira Wine Sauce

Char-grilled Marinated Eggplant
in olive oil

Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Crudites
carrots + broccoli + cauliflower, fresh bread & butter pickles, olives, sugar snap peas with Ranch Dip

Kid-Decorated Easter Sugar Cookies
Champagne Cake

Assorted Exotic Flowering Tisanes, Teas & Coffee
Hot Mulled Cider

Wines

2004 Hiedler Loess Kamptal Gruner Veltliner

A juicy mandarin orange and lemon-zest palate and complexity from notes of fresh herb, pepper and wet stone -- quite refreshing

1999 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay

Produced from 14-year old vines, the 1999 Chardonnay Monte Bello exhibits a tight, Burgundian-like nose of citrus, roasted nuts, smoke, and orange skins. This is a medium-bodied, pure, impressive expression of Chardonnay.

The Solio portable solar charger - green, cool and very handy.
(From Gizmag.com)

The words green and cool have traditionally not occurred in the same sentence but the Solio portable solar charger indisputably earns both adjectives and is increasingly relevant given that roughly one billion handheld battery-powered devices will be sold this year. The Solio achieves maximum solar panel area in a minimum of space, captures energy from the sun or a traditional power outlet in its integrated Lithium Ion battery, and will top up the herbs on an Apple iPod, mobile phones, digital cameras, PDAs and portable games consoles with its interchangeable tip system. Unlike some more obtrusive portable chargers, Solio’s award winning fan blade design allows it to be folded neatly to the size of a small mobile phone. This means Solio is highly portable, making it the perfect travel partner wherever you're going. The full Solio range is available now , prices start from UKP49.95/EU79.95. All units carry a full one year warranty.

Supper Club does Southern. and how! Once again, the Supper Club got together 'round some good vittles!

For more description of the event, and the full, luscious wine list visit the March 26, 2006 posting at my friend Tom's site, Spirit & Spice.

The final menu:

Black-eyed pea salad


Birmingham beet salad with spiced pecans, pears, and Fourme d'Ambert


Southern once dipped fried chicken


Pulled pork


Chicken-fried steak biscuits


Mess o’greens and pot likker


Cornbread and cracklins with butter n’ honey


Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes


Corn Pudding


Succotash


Yam souffle


Pecan Pie


White raspberry/lemon filled cake


We have enormous fun developing our menus and savoring the food together. Here is a pre-meal shot of Paul, Leslie & Isadora engaged in conversation.

Back in the kitchen, Stephanie churns the butter while James considers the best timing for putting the finishing touch on his succotash.

It was suggested that I post some of my e-mail musings on Southern cuisine in coming up with my final offerings to the Supper Club for its Southern themed gathering on March 25th. They are below... Enjoy!


February 4th: I've been thinking... spent several hours trying to locate POSSUM meat... to the best I can determine, it's illegal to sell it :-( ... I found some really wild other kinds of meat for future reference though! My mother was from Kentucky -- and she said that my great-grandmother (she was a child in the civil war era) used to make it occasionally, and it drove her Dad out of the house for a week! Guess it smells funny.

I'm trying to think of things that are practical as well because some of the recipes handed down from my mom are best prepared and served immediately for best flavor and I don't want to add to the kitchen hecticness.

I've also been referring to a book "What's Cooking in Kentucky" which is a spiral bound book which has real old fashioned country cooks recipes which can have some interesting instructions and side notes. (A distant relative of mine self-published it). I decided to pass on Kentucky Burgoo, which takes all day cooking and stirring outdoors, and serves 50. Not to mention it also takes steak, pork, chicken, squirrel & jowl bacon on the meat side...

I've been recently toying with something like Buttermilk Pie, Peanut Soup, something with Okra or Poke Greens, or Hominy (big or little).

So still in a state of research....

Can't wait!
Anna

PS. My mother also used to tell me stories of, and sometimes serve, some very unusual meat dishes which were popular when she was growing up... mostly organ meats. Scrambled brains & eggs for breakfast... sweetbreads... and she used to send me to school with Head Cheese Sandwiches. Although she didn't make it from scratch, I found this recipe for Head Cheese quite interesting.

Head Cheese

After thoroughly cleaning a hog's or a pig's head, split it in two with a sharp knife; take out the eyes, take out the brain, cut off the ears, and pour scalding water over them and the head and scrape them clean. Cut off any part of the nose which is discolored so as not to be scraped clean; then rinse all in cold water and put into a large kettle with hot (not boiling) water to cover it, and set the kettle (having covered it) overthe fire; let it boil gently, taking off the scum as it rises; when boiled so that the bones leave the meat readily, take it from the water with a skimmer into a large wooden bowl or tray; take from it every particle of bone, chop the meat small and season to taste with salt and pepper, and if liked, a little chopped sage or thyme.

Spread a cloth in a colander or sieve, set it in a deep dish and put the meat in, then fold the cloth loosely over it, lay a weight on which may press equally the whole surface ( a sufficiently large plate will serve); let the weight be more or less heavy, according as you may wish the cheese to be fat or lean; a heavy weight by pressing out the fat will of course leave the cheese lean. When cold take the weight off, take it from the colander or sieve, scrape off whatever fat may be found on the outside of the cloth, and keep the cheese in the cloth in a cool place, to be eaten sliced thin, with or without mustard and vinegar or catsup.

After the water is cold from which the head was boiled, take off the fat from it and whatever may have drained from the sieve or colander and cloth, put it together in some clean water, give it one boil, then strain it through a cloth and set it to become cold, then take off the cake of fat. It is fit for any use.

Well, don't think I'll be making the head cheese, but it is fun researching the old. Thought about making corncob wine, but it seems a bit techinical and you have to age it for more than 6 mos. I remembered my mother's 'hoe cakes' (yes, originally cooked on a hoe), creecy greens, cracklin bread, black-eyed peas (and various other unusual legumes), and chess pie. Still lookin'.

February 9th: Well fellow foodies, after reading the necessary actions to prepare good possum, I've given up! But it was fun to see it to the end. I was thinking of contacting my rather wild cousin in Kentucky to hunt one down for me and ship it on dry ice. However, as the following information states, it is especially important to keep it live for a few weeks and feed it a special diet before having 'him' for dinner. The thought of transporting a live possum via Fed Ex (if they even do it) and caring for it at my condo for a few weeks -- well I just couldn't picture it!

Enjoy this recipe from 1917 -- authentic! - Anna
PS I wonder what type of wine would have paired well ;-)

****************************************************************

The Preparation of Poultry and Game: Pick carefully, draw and singe every manner of poultry and feathered game, wash clean, quickly, in cold water, never hot, drain, then wipe as dry as possible with a soft, thick, damp cloth--it takes up moisture cleaner than a dry one. Keep very cold and away from smells until ready to cook. Tilt roasting fowls, so they may drain, if liquid gathers. Before stuffing rub over the whole inside lightly with soft butter or bacon fat, pepper it scantly, and rub on a very little salt. Grease and season the outside after stuffing is done,--never before it. If game is shot-torn, soak for ten minutes in weak salt water after plucking, rinse in cold salt water, wipe dry and drain.

Furred game, as rabbits, squirrels, possums, ought to be drawn before it is cold, if you would have the finest flavor. This is especially necessary with possums--which should be bought alive, and fattened for several weeks in a clean cage, feeding them on bread, milk, apples, potatoes, cabbage leaves, and grass. This makes them tender and much more delicate in flavor. Kill by dislocating the neck with a quick, upward jerk, then cut the throat and hang to bleed. Roll after dampening fur well in very hot embers--then scrape the same as a pig, draw, and hang to cool. Divide the skin of rabbits and squirrels around the middle, and pull off each half, the same as a kid glove. Thus no hairs stick on the clean flesh. Draw very quickly, wipe lightly with a damp cloth, and hang where it is cool and airy for at least an hour.

Possum Roasted: Chill thoroughly after scraping and drawing. Save all the inside fat, let it soak in weak salt water until cooking time, then rinse it well, and partly try it out in the pan before putting in the possum. Unless he is huge, leave him whole, skewering him flat, and laying him skin side up in the pan. Set in a hot oven and cook until crisply tender, taking care there is no scorching. Roast a dozen good sized sweet potatoes--in ashes if possible, if not, bake them covered in a deep pan. Peel when done, and lay while hot around the possum, turning them over and over in the abundant gravy. He should have been lightly salted when hung up, and fully seasoned, with salt, pepper, and a trifle of mustard, when put down to cook. Dish him in a big platter, lay the potatoes, which should be partly browned, around him, add a little boiling water to the pan, shake well around, and pour the gravy over everything. Hot corn bread, strong black coffee, or else sharp cider, and very hot sharp pickles are the things to serve with him.

Dishes & Beverages of the old South
By: Martha McCulloch-Williams
Published 1917

BLUE SUN: Spaceweather.com reports that for the second time this year, a blue sun has appeared over Egypt. "A powerful khamaseen dust storm swept through Alexandria on March 7th," reports astronomer Aymen Ibrahem of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. "The sun shining through the dust turned blue."

The Egyptian sun on March 7th. Photo credit: Aymen Ibrahem.

Blue suns occur when the air fills with particles just a little larger than the wavelength of light. This makes the air behave like a filter, scattering red while allowing blue to pass. For maximum blue, the particles should all be very close to the same size--about a millionth of a meter across. Khamaseen storms are notorious for such fine dust. The spring dusty season is just beginning in Egypt. Sky watchers there should be alert for more blue suns--and blue moons, too.

Official Ramen Homepage. Happened on a Ramen Blog, rather cute and funny!

On to Okazaki. Monday, I took the Shinkansen to Mikawa-anjo and was picked up by Shinji & Fujiko and wisked off to their home. The timing of leaving Hiroshima was impeccable since it started pouring down rain. The colorful umbrellas seemed like spring blossoms moving gently down the sidewalk.

I arrived at the Hiroshima train station rather early, and enjoyed walking around nearby and appreciating the artfulness of Japanese packaging and arranging of goods for display at the stores.


















While I was waiting, a young woman smiled and started talking to me in English and we soon swiched to Japanese. She was a 'detail' person for Bayer, and was on her way for a business trip! What a coincidence. I guessed her job! I mused that it might be fun to buy a two week pass and sit for a time at each shinkansen station and see what the world brought me, and write up an article or expand on the sections for a book. Who knows???

Reunion Party. My good friend and colleague Mr. Akimura kindly arranged to have a reunion party of some of my former supervisors taking place in Hiroshima. Mr. Irie, Mr. Kawaguchi & Mr. Akimura attended (I visited with Mr. Sato in Osaka). Mr. McHale was in New York on business, and had to send his regrets.

We enjoyed a slow meal in a traditional restaurant and reminised about old times, and caught up on current activities. The weather was cold - it snowed the day I arrived, but held its clear skies.

I really enjoyed seeing everyone and having relaxed conversation.

From "Popeye" in Hiroshima. What a cute name for an Internet Cafe. So back in the seat in the non-smoking section. Yesterday afternoon I had a long and wonderful meeting with Haruko Moritaki, and caught up on her dedicated activities to shed light on the harm being done with DU weapons. Totally amazing woman. We enjoyed a late lunch of Okonomiyaki, the signature dish of Hiroshima at Hanayashiki, then went to Shukkei-en, a lovely garden which had plum blossoms starting to bloom, despite the unusually cold weather. Some of the trees looked like weeping willows with the trailing branches weeping riotous complex pink blossoms.


Some photos of our Okonomiyaki Lunch:

Anna & Haruko Moritaki, lower left - Okonomiyaki lunch, upper right

Some Shukkei-en views (plum blossoms were in season):

After finishing our visit, I rested a bit and walked to Hachobori again and enjoyed a simple katsu-curry dinner at a restaurant in the same spot for 50 years. The owners engaged me in a conversation, and by coincidence, the wife of the husband/wife team has a cousin living in San Rafael!

I later met an old friend, "Jon" Koike in the lobby of my hotel.. 30 years since we were students together at Hiro-Dai Fuzoku koko. It was fantastic to catch up on each others lives since we last had the chance to sit and talk about three years ago. Silly me brought my camera, then became so engaged in our conversation that I forgot to take a photo. Zannen desu.

This morning, by sheer coincidence the cute young girl who served me breakfast at the hotel is currently a student at the same high school I attended 30 years ago.

I sat on the wooden deck of the hotel after breakfast soaking in the early morning sun and romantic scenery, blossoms and trail by one of Hiroshima's famous rivers. Seemed the morning for dog walking along the trail, and the cleaning lady, sweeping an already immaculate deck, was so cheerful and smiley I would dare anyone who saw her not to have an uplift to their morning.

I freshened up again upstairs and then headed out with a book to stop and have some coffee at a friendly coffeeshop, one of the delights of Japan. I did enjoy a cup of mocha (not like what we have), but then I was surrounded by smokers suddenly, and decided it was time to leave!

From Hiroshima. I arrived in Osaka last night, and had the most wondeful dinner with Mr. Tetsumi Sato, and two of his associates, Tatsumi and Koji at "Loin", a teppan-yaki restaurant in the Shin-Hankyu Hotel. The chef was a master, we all had beef with vegetables, including matsutake mushroom, paired with some wonderful Chilian wine. We reminised about old times, and good friendships, and in particular remembered Dr. Barrett Scoville, a colleage we miss who passed on in a plane crash (he used to commute regularly from Connecticut to DC in his small plane).

I woke up early this morning, and took an early Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima, checking my bags at the hotel and finding a lovely Internet Cafe from which I'm writing this. I saved my Shinkansen ticket for Toran, and even took a photo of the train I rode for him. Love making my young friends happy. I'll have to post photos in retrospect when I'm back in the U.S.

Sonoma. After spending the morning on organizing the book tour, and getting things ready to go for Japan, I went to Sonoma. Had tea with Linda and took my Dad out to dinner at the "Happy Garden" Chinese restaurant. It was so-so, but my father enjoyd being out. It started pouring rain and the temperature dropped this afternoon ... BRrrrr...

Another thing you'll never find on my table...

Chinese give cat food a whole new meaning
From Jane Macartney in Beijing
The Times

EVERY day thousands of cats are transported to Guangdong province in southern China.

They are destined not to become the pampered pets of the country’s new rich, but to be served up at the dinner table.

The trade is one that merchants seem eager to keep out of the public eye in a country where pet shops have sprung up to meet a growing demand as incomes rise.

While no laws exist to regulate the business, at the Baishazhou market in Wuhan, central China, two cat traders were startled this week when a local reporter paused to take photographs.

They had collected about 1,000 cats, taken to the city by rural cat-catchers. The terrified animals were crowded into large wire cages.

All were alive, but most were silent, apparently too exhausted and traumatised to do more than mew faintly. The traders loaded about fifteen cages, each crammed with cats, into the back of a van for the animals’ final journey to Guangdong. Chinese have for centuries eaten a startling range of creatures. Southern Chinese particularly relish the taste of wild animals, believing them to be rich in nutrition.

Wild civet, banned since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) scare, is believed to boost the immune system. Snakes are reputed to increase a man’s virility, and the smooth-skinned salamander is believed to clear acne.

In the markets of Guangdong, cats cowering in small cages are a common sight. At the Nanjin poultry market about forty stalls sell cats, which are divided according to size. The larger the cat, the higher the price. A cat weighing more than 3kg (7lbs) can fetch 70p a kilo, while smaller animals cost about 40p a kilo.

A local newspaper quoted one trader as saying that he sold up to 300kg (660lb) of cat meat a day. He said: “Today I’ve sold 200 cats. Tonight another 100 will arrive. No matter how many you need, I can satisfy demand.”

Catching cats offers an alternative source of income for farmers in China’s poorer central provinces who sell them for up to 40p each. One Guangzhou restaurant offers a braised cat meat dish for £3, but charges £12 for cat stewed with snake and chicken. The owner said: “The cats are domestic cats and are clean and cheap. In winter we have more customers than in summer. Only local people eat cat, not people from other provinces.”

The Guangzhou City Food and health quarantine office said that there were no regulations regarding cat meat.