Cat’s meat a purr-fect dish among Myanmar folk

CATS are valued by most people for their companionship, but others like felines for their meat.

Sinar Harian, in a series of articles on people who eat cats, spoke to a Myanmar factory worker on the many different ways to cook a dish with cat meat.

Nay Maung, 34 said cats were popular among Myanmar nationals in Malaysia, especially during occasions such as New Year's Day, due to their taste and superstitious elements.

“The men believe eating cats gives them more energy. Cat meat is also known to have medicinal properties for women with heart disease. I eat them because they are delicious,” said Maung, who eats cat meat regularly with rice.

He said the best parts of a cat were the heart and liver, especially when these were fried.

“First I would smash the cat's head with a knife and later remove its skin and organs. I only take the cat's heart and liver and throw out the rest,” he said. After cleaning the meat, Maung would boil it and cut it up into smaller pieces before frying it in a pan.

“Once fried, cat meat tastes just like beef. You can also steam or roast the meat,” said Maung, who advised people to take cat meat in small portions as “it is heaty”.

Sinar Harian previously reported of another Myanmarese living in Perak, who was known for making cat curry.

> A 17-year-old runaway who returned home after going missing for more than two weeks last year has done it again, reported Kosmo!

Noor Farah Hieza Mokhtar from Chendering in Kuala Terengganu has gone missing since Aug 20.

She was last seen leaving her home to see a friend.

She had run away once before in May last year and was found in Johor Baru 17 days later, said her mother Zakiah Abdul Majid, 49.

“We returned from visiting relatives in Bukit Kecil when my son said he saw her leaving home. She left her handphone and purse behind,” said Zakiah.

Noor Farah is the youngest of four siblings and is a school dropout. “My husband and I have fallen ill as we are constantly worried for her,” said Zakiah.

Other News & Views is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this > sign, it denotes a separate news item.