Really, there can't be much difference in the taste. Nonetheless, the owner of a Halong, Vietnam, restaurant wasn't quite ready to grind up the 13-year-old boy he'd bought thinking he was a stray dog.

As far as the story police gave to a Vietnam newspaper goes, drug addicts kidnapped the homeless mute boy from a Halong marketplace, bound him and tossed him into a big rucksack, which was subsequently presented to the restaurant owner. With dog-meat a common meal in those parts, the owner didn't hesitate paying the junkies their $19 (U.S.) asking price. Had he asked to check whether or not the dog had a healthy coat, he could have saved himself the money. Instead, the travelling salesmen were long gone by the time the restaurateur had lugged his purchase into the back and found he'd bought a child. After getting over his shock, the owner fed the kid and sent him on his way, unneutered.

» Scott Saxon