While South Korea has recently outlawed the consumption of dog meat, North Korea continues to celebrate it as a traditional dish. In North Korea, dog meat is promoted as a delicacy, especially during the summer months.
The quarterly magazine published by North Korea’s Korean Association of Cooks recently released a list of newly registered renowned North Korean dishes and restaurants. Notably, the only dish to be recognized in the prestigious “Famous Cuisine” category was Pyongyang Tangogi Restaurant’s Tangogi Sirloin Stew.
In North Korea, dog meat is known as “Tangogi,” with “tan” meaning “sweet” and “gogi” meaning “meat.” The term reflects a belief that dog meat has a naturally sweet flavor that intensifies the longer it is chewed.
According to an article titled “The Day We Realized True Patriotism,” featured in this year’s second-quarter issue of the magazine, workers from Pyongyang Tangogi Restaurant were summoned by Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un, in March 2010. They were invited to showcase their dog meat dishes, which received high praise. The article also noted that Kim Jong Un, who accompanied his father at the time, praised the dishes as well.
The magazine also reported that in April, just a month after their initial visit, the Kim family returned to the restaurant. They expressed great satisfaction with the food, presented gifts to the workers, and took commemorative photos.
According to the magazine, dog meat has maintained and reinforced its status as a “traditional dish” mainly due to the endorsements and support of past leaders.
It further emphasized, “A nation’s traditional food embodies its history, culture, and future. Today, our perspectives and attitudes toward it can serve as a litmus test for patriotism versus betrayal.”
Reflecting this sentiment, a “National Tangogi Cooking Contest” recently occurred. The state-run media, Rodong Sinmun, recently reported that the competition was held over four days starting from July 22 on Ryomyong Street in Pyongyang.
The contest aimed to raise the scientific and artistic aspects of dog meat cooking and better showcase regional characteristics. All participating units presented dishes such as dog meat soup, stir-fried dog meat entrails, and dog meat rib stew.
The judges advised, “In dog meat cooking, thoroughly removing the blood from the meat is crucial. Even after three rounds of blood extraction, certain areas must be cleaned more thoroughly to enhance the dish’s flavor.”
The newspaper reported that the Korean Cuisine Association implemented a distinctive judging process for the contest.
According to the report, “Chefs sampled each other’s dishes, which enabled them to assess their peers’ creations accurately. This approach fostered a collaborative exchange of experiences among the participating teams.”
The article continued, “The national dog meat cooking competition, driven by the participants’ fervent desire to meet the people’s evolving cultural and emotional needs and to contribute actively to the development of national cuisine, became a valuable opportunity to elevate our culinary skills to new heights.”