Vietnam's dog meat tradition

As people in South Korea debate the merits of eating dog meat ahead of the football World Cup, dog restaurants in Vietnam are doing well.

Dog is a popular dish in the country, where it is eaten for its protein and also for good luck.

" Many people are comfortable with the idea of loving their pet and following what they see as the natural order of eating chicken, pork or dog meat "

It is particularly popular in the urban areas of the north where increasing incomes have sparked a search for new and more exotic recipes.

At a busy restaurant in Hanoi, a woman weighs and chops up small puppies for her customers.

There are about seven dishes featuring dog meat, and they often include the head, feet and internal organs.

Dog meat has a strong smell and taste. It is heavily spiced and usually served with alcohol.

Puppy farms

Diners are mostly men - they believe it will make them more virile. But eating dog is reserved for the second half of the lunar month. Dog meat sellers do good business then, with many customers who believe they will dispel their misfortunes by eating the meat.

" People who keep dogs as pets are very cautious of their safety "

The dogs are small with long bodies and short legs, best eaten at about a year old. They come from puppy farms or are collected from the countryside.

It is common to see them in the streets of the capital, crammed into wire cages or cooked and skinned on the backs of motorbikes. They are killed with a blow, boiled to remove the fur and roasted.

People who keep dogs as pets are very cautious of their safety, and if a dog is seen on the street, it is usually an exotic breed being watched by one of the family.

Many people are comfortable with the idea of loving their pet and following what they see as the natural order of eating chicken, pork or dog meat.

While eating dog is permitted, eating cats has been made illegal in an effort to reduce the number of rats and mice.

Cats are usually kept tied up or in cages, partly so that their miaows frighten the rodents and partly, as many believe, to protect them from being stolen for illicit cat restaurants.