..... Mercyless Gourmets .....

China's culinary specialities are numerous and spectacular --- for the eyes as well as for the palate. Cooks don't spare any efforts and often don't shun illegality to satisfy their fuzzy customers.

The hunting season has begun.

The government has banned hunting, collecting hunting weapons to protect the wildlife in the mountains. But it goes on with clips and snares.

Mr Lin walks every morning at 4am to the busstop, where he buys wild boars, small mountain deers, goats and hares from the arriving hunters. He than resells the illegal booty: big pieces for restaurants, smaller ones for private customers at his stall in front of the market.

The mountain hare with the damaged fore-paws is going to be a dish from the restaurant kitchen of Mr. Wang. Cooked with soy sauce, salt, ginger, onion, wild pepper, cinnamon, Chinese wild berry, ligusticum, fennel, ginseng and Shaoxing wine, it is turned into an appreciated local dish. During preparation and consumption, cook and clients disapprove to be photographed.

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Topnotch names for topnotch dishes: 'Beautiful Pavilion's Jade Hare' and 'Qilin hidden in Chancellor's Stomach'.

The mention of the qilin (a mythical animal of a rank similar to dragon and phoenix) and the chancellor (a high post in ancient China) symbolizes the high quality of this lavish dish (pix 3.239).

For 100 Yuan (approx. USD 12) five persons may dine on it.

The cook does the entire job. He butchers the 3 to 4 month old puppy, which is specially fattened for this occasion, then gutted and wrapped in the porc's stomach.

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