Although humans obviously need to be treated in special ways when they become food, the consumption of human flesh and the gourmet use of other parts of our fellow beings can be determined to some extent by the same principles that guide us in the everyday preparation and production of food.
The prey or products brought to market through scientific conservation or so-called human economy, as well as all other ingredients, must be carefully selected and procured, appropriate tools used, suitable cooking techniques applied. In cases where the meat is soft or juicy enough to be enjoyed uncooked – as the Japanese prefer seafood and certain fish dishes – special cutting tools and lengthy artistic training are necessary. A whole lifetime would not be enough to master this demanding art. Fortunately, one does not necessarily have to climb all the peaks of culinary cannibalism. As everywhere, the best cuisine is that which we have prepared for ourselves, be it in the open fireplace of a fixed household or on a stove in front of the tents of a short-term camp.
There is only one absolute taboo: one must only eat the meat of strangers. That is why we call this dietary custom “cannibalism”, not human eating. Nevertheless, tasting and tasting humans are perfectly acceptable. As a result, the trend of so-called locavore cuisine followed by too many gastronomic trendies should only be followed with caution. Most often, the people closest to us are not strangers: they are often blood relatives or in-laws. Hence the consequence that in order to enjoy human flesh freely and without embarrassment, we usually had to travel far and wide, conquer many countries, conquer many peoples. At least, that was usually the case in ancient times.
Of course, from time to time, small bands of strangers invade our territories. Under such favorable conditions, we could eat to our satisfaction without having to endure the strenuous exertion of an unpleasant journey.
Recently, globalization has offered taste lovers something previously unimagined in this area. The selection of genetically modified and systematically selected frozen human food available in specialized butchers will soon amaze us. These shops must now, by law, display an accompanying sign, the badge of a human face — another advantage of globalization that is presented as having a human face.