So Emily got me all started with the Asian dog eating thing and that led to cats as well. I have found some pretty interesting information and some very interesting sites.

Yes Asians eat food that we would never consider eating. Japanese eat whale and blowfish, Chinese snakes and dogs, Koreans dogs and all of them horse.
I would never eat whale willingly and would not eat blowfish if I had a choice. As for dogs and cats, no bloody way. I told Li divorce would follow soon after if he ever tried to sneak it on me. Same for horse. All I can think of is Little Candy, Chelan, Copper and Rambler when I think of horse meat.

But I will admit that I have eaten some strange stuff since I have been here. I did unknowingly eat blowfish but not the dangerous part. I have eaten raw squid and raw octopus at a sushi restaurant. In China I ate turtle and was a little depressed to discover that it really did taste like chicken. I also ate water snake and was surprised to find that it didn’t taste that bad.

<<The reasons for Canton's pre-eminence in culinary matters are manifold - climatic, sociological and prehistoric. Cantonese people, more than any other race except the French, believe that they "live to eat" rather than vice versa!
Not that nature was particularly kind to the southern Chinese. Much of their land was far from fertile, food shortages and famine were ever-present fears, and meat supplies were limited. What they lacked in natural resources, however, they made up for with native resourcefulness.
Nothing is allowed to go to waste in a Cantonese kitchen, and no animal is taboo - it is said that anything that shows its back to the heavens is fair game for a Cantonese cook! There is another saying which proclaims that the only thing with four legs a man should not eat is a table!
Freshness is the keyword in Cantonese cuisine. Twice-daily trips to the fresh vegetable and meat markets throughout Hong Kong are still the custom for traditionalist housewives. Cooked foods must look as if they have just been harvested, plucked, or caught in the South China Sea. Judicious usage of natural oils and garnishes emphasizes every dish's gleaming freshness, and the cooking methods enhance rather than smother the ingredients' inherent qualities.
Steaming and stir-frying are a Cantonese cook's pride and the most popular dishes are seafood (the one plentiful natural resource for coastal communities), pork (largely imported), fowl (primarily the versatile chicken) and vegetables, which have an honored place in a cuisine that has been influenced by Buddhist and Taoist vegetarian beliefs.>>

I have been internet searching and have discovered some very interesting things. Emily’s main point had to do with the eating of dogs. Something that in the western world we cringe at.

<<There are about 6.000 restaurants in South Korea, in which-dog-meat meals are offered! According to experts in South Korea annually three million dogs are slaughtered.
Approximately 100,000 tons each year are used on the average and thus the dog-meat ranks after cattle-, pig-, and chicken-meat in 4th place of South Korean meat consumption.

After chicken, cattle and pig the dog gives the most popular meat in Korea.>>

Now in general the idea of eating dog or cat disgusts me but Li can not understand why. He drills me about how I eat cow and pig and compares the two all though I give him the raised eyebrow back. In fact in more than one web site I found cat compared to rabbit and I do eat and enjoy rabbit stew.

Li says that dog is a luxury during Chinese New Year. That dog and lamb make you feel warm inside. He said that Snake is eaten in the summer because it makes you cool. And if you eat the snake’s gall bladder and drink Chinese alcohol your eyesight will improve. Then there is the turtle that makes you feel all sexually hot.
Hmmmm. His dad made me turtle when we were in China. Hmm.

This is all YingYang Chinese medicine belief and the Japanese believe this as well.

To try to explain the eating of cats and dogs I discovered this web link. It is a little long but very well written. It does not condemn anyone right out. ?
CATS - FRIEND OR FOOD?

There is another site I found with giant pictures and a slightly blunter message:
People and Animals
??

Japanese eat whale meat. I think this is awful and cringe at the very thought of it. Scientific whaling is all so hypocritical in my mind. Especially when the meat ends up in the fish section of our local supermarket!!

<<“Greedy Japanese gorge on a mountain of whale meat at sick feast”shrieked a 1991 headline in Britain’s Daily Star. The article, accompanied with grim photos of a whale kill, was hysterical in tone, but reflected -- and continues to reflect -- the general Western view of Japan’s whaling policy. To many, the hunting and killing of whales is ethically unsound and environmentally unsustainable, and it is hard to understand why Japan, with its civilized and highly moral society, does not simply abandon the practice. Scientific”whaling, which Japan continues to practice, brings perhaps 2000 tons of whale meat to market every year: a miniscule amount, which is consumed as an expensive delicacy by about 1% of the population. In return, it is threatened with US trade sanctions, and endures a disastrous public image and international condemnation. So why don’t they give it up?>>

Good question? Can't answer it though.

Then there are insects.

I have never willingly eaten one. I will admit that while riding my horse the odd bloody bug has zapped its way into the back of my throat and has caused some major gag reflexes. Here in Japan insects are eaten quite often. I know that they are a main protein staple in many parts of Africa and I just saw a special on this restaurant in Germany that is making gourmet insect dishes. Bllachhhhh

But why insects:

<<The Japanese have used insects as human food since ancient times. The practice probably started in the Japanese Alps, where many aquatic insects are captured and eaten. Thousands of years ago, this region had a large human population but a shortage of animal protein. Since the area had an abundance of aquatic insects, this food source became very important for human survival.

The Japanese still use insects in many recipes. If you were to go to a restaurant in Tokyo, you might have the opportunity to sample some of these insect-based dishes

hachi-no-ko - boiled wasp larvae
zaza-mushi - aquatic insect larvae
inago - fried rice-field grasshoppers
semi - fried cicada
sangi - fried silk moth pupae
Most of these insects are caught wild except for silk moth pupae. They are by-products of the silk industry. Silk moths are raised in mass for their ability to produce silk. The larvae, the young silk moths, produce the silk. Once they pupate, they can no longer produce silk and are then used as food.>>

Hmm. There is so much there but here are some other Asian food quirks that I thought were kind of interesting.

Asian Maternal Health Beliefs
In some Asian populations, it is believed that the fetus absorbs information and develops its personality, disposition and physical appearance in the womb.
An expectant Asian mother may fear that unless she satisfies her food cravings, her baby will take on (physical) characteristics of the food she craves.
Therefore, it may be helpful for the patient if healthcare providers accept her dietary choices, when medically appropriate.
In certain Asian cultures, physical activity is advocated even up until birth. Thus, it may be difficult for some Asian women to accept or follow a healthcare provider's medical recommendation for bed rest.

Don't look for fish on menus in Mongolia. Most Mongolians believe that eating fish brings illness and bad luck. The menu is more likely to read lamb, lamb, and lamb, with perhaps mutton thrown in for variety, all washed down with koumiss. (Since you asked, fermented mare's or camel's milk.)

Traditionally the Japanese staple has been rice, with side dishes of seafood, fruit, and vegetables. Elders still consider rice to be precious and it is still used in religious ceremonies. Due to Buddhist influences, the consumption of meat was prohibited until the end of the Edo period (1867).

So there is what I have found about odd meat eating in Asia. Not complete but a start. Hope ya all enjoyed.