Monkey brains

Monkey brainsis a supposed dish consisting of, at least, partially, thebrainof some species ofmonkeyorape.
While animal brains have been consumed in various cuisines (e.g.eggs and brainsorfried brain sandwiches), there is debate about whether monkey brains have actually been consumed. In Western popular culture its consumption is repeatedly portrayed and debated, often in the context of portraying exotic cultures as exceptionally cruel, callous, or strange.
Initial confusion over a translated term for the edible monkey-head mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) may have played a part in the belief that monkey brains were used in Asian cuisine. Known ashóu tóu gūin Chinese (simplified:猴头菇; traditional:猴頭菇; lit. "monkey head mushroom")the mushroom received its moniker owing to the superficial resemblance it bears to the fur of certain primates found in Asia, such asmacaques.
Actual monkey brains were historically part of theManchu Han Imperial banquetof theQing Empireheld during the 17th century,where they may have been eaten directly from the skull.
One modern account published in 1958 from travel writerLeila Hadleydetails a meal in a restaurant inMacaonearHong Kongwhere monkey brains were eaten from a freshly killed monkey's skull.The writerAlbert Podellclaims to have eaten live monkey brains in Hong Kong in 1966, which he describes in his bookAround The World in 50 Years.There is doubt about the veracity of the accounts.Official Chinese policy on theprocurementof certain wildlife species in the 21st century makes the serving of monkey brains illegal, with sentences of up to 10 years in prison for violators.
Beyond Asia and into Africa, naturalist Angela Meder has described inGorilla Journala cultural practice of theAnaang peopleofsoutheastern Nigeriaand southwesternCameroonwhereby a newtribal chiefwould consume the brain of a hunted gorilla while another senior member of the tribe consumed the heart. According to this account, the practice occurred only in the specific instance of a newchiefdom, as the killing of gorillas would otherwise be forbidden.
Consuming the brain and other nervous systemtissuesof some animals is considered hazardous to human health,possibly resulting intransmissible encephalopathiessuch asCreutzfeldt–Jakob disease.
A fictional depiction of the consumption of monkey brains is shown in the 1978mondo filmFaces of Death, directed by John Alan Schwartz.The scene depicts anEastern-themedrestaurant with patrons seated around a table watching abelly dance. A narrator explains that these are tourists who have come to this location to consume "the house specialty."The proprietor signals for a server to bring out a monkey, which is then secured inside apenbuilt into the table. The tourists are given hammers, and they proceed to hit the monkey on the head until it is killed.The server then cuts open the skull and removes the monkey's brains onto a plate for the patrons to sample. In actuality no monkey was harmed in the making of the scene,as the hammers were made of foam and the 'monkey's head' was a prop filled with gelatin, red food coloring, and cauliflower to simulate brain matter.
Additional depictions in the decade following the release ofFaces of Deathcontain scenes which reference the practice of eating monkey brains, including one from the 1984 filmIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,the 1981 Japanese crime filmSailor Suit and Machine Gun,as well as dialogue from the 1985 comedyClue.In addition to their shock value, what these scenes have in common are their representations ofOrientalism, which according to author Sophia Rose Arjana, work ascinematic tropesused to "conflate bizarre and vulgarized representations of the Far East".