Asocena
Asocena is a Filipino dish primarily consisting of dog meat. The term asocena was first used in the 1980s and became popular when a film entitled Azucena,[1] written by Enrique Ramos and directed by Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, was screened in 2000.[2] The dish's name is a compound word, from aso, the Filipino word for "dog" and Spanish word cena, which means "dinner" or "an evening meal", the literal translation being "dog-meal" or "a meal of dog meat". It may also be a play on the Spanish name Azucena, which is also used to describe a variety of fragrant, white rice.
| Course | Finger food |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Serving temperature | Hot or room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Dog meat |
Eating
Asocena is usually consumed as pulutan (Tagalog; snacks or food served while drinking alcoholic beverages; loosely translates to finger food).
Controversy
The killing of dogs as a livestock animal has been banned in the Philippines since 1998 via Republic Act No. 8485, known as the Animal Welfare Act, with exemptions for dogs killed and eaten as part of indigenous rituals.[3] Nevertheless, the consumption of dog meat still continue in some regions in the Philippines, notably in the Cordillera highlands in northern Luzon where it is traditional, as reflected in the occasional coverage in Philippine newspapers.[4]
References
- "Azucena". Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- Melencio, Gloria Esguerra. "Asocena: History of Dog Meat-Eating in the Philippines". Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- "The Animal Welfare Act 1998". Retrieved 2006-08-30.
- Caluza, Desiree (2006-01-17). "Dog meat eating doesn't hound Cordillera natives". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2006-02-19. Retrieved 2006-10-27.