"When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a man bites a dog, that is news." That’s a quote from an 1882 edition of the New York Sun. If the words written by Charles A. Dana are true today, Cambodia will soon be full of news makers. According to Reuters, Kep Chuktema, Phnom Penh’s city governor, complains that restaurants are wasting an overabundance of good meat when they don’t offer stray dogs as main entrees. Dogs are regularly eaten in impoverished, rural areas of the country, where most people just happen to lead a dog’s life. However, more affluent urban residents (also known as "lucky dogs" by their country cousins) frown upon eating what is referred to as "special meat" or "jogging cow meat" in restaurant menus. "Come on, dog meat is so delicious, " pleaded the governor in the Cambodia Daily newspaper. "The Vietnamese and Koreans love to eat dog meat." If the Cambodians follow his advice, eating habits might change in Phnom Penh. In much the same way that one man’s trash might be another man’s treasure, one man’s best friend might easily become some restaurant’s specialty dish. Influenced by the western world, catchy-sounding entrees on restaurant menus might include Filet of Fifi, Pooch Pizza and Shepherd’s Pie, made with real German shepherds, of course. Any attempts to serve up man’s best friend and cut down on the city’s overpopulation of strays would give new meaning to certain expressions — doggie bags, hot dogs, hush puppies, corn dogs and chili dogs. Many jokes might circulate about Cambodian restaurants, but they will all have the same punch line, "Phnom Penh is going to the dogs." Not all dogs will be tasty. In some cases, a bite of dog might be worse than its bark. Any mutt straying too close to the kitchen entrance of a restaurant might easily receive top billing on that night’s menu. Any dog without a collar would have the potential of becoming a "canine du jour." In a subliminal attempt to sway the dinner selections of customers, menus might intentionally be dog-eared. It will be difficult for many people to take the big step from pet to pate, but who’s to argue with a governor? This is only a suggestion, but Cambodians might try smothering their "jogging cow meat" with a mixture of sliced onions and cream of mushroom soup. Over here, it makes any kind of questionable meat — deer, rattlesnakes, frogs and squirrels — taste like chicken. At the end of an exceptionally delicious dinner, restaurant customers in Phnom Penh will reasonably pat their stomachs and exclaim, "Doggone!" "Putting on the dog" could easily describe any restaurant chef in Cambodia. Dogs in that country might heed the words of Samuel Goldwyn, who was referring to the movie industry when he declared, "This business is dog eat dog, and nobody is going to eat me." However, in the dogs’ case, it’s a man eat dog business.
