You can be a dog lover and disagree with the defects thing, too. 
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I know and I totally agree with everything you said about the food we grew up with being ânormalâ; and more than anything else with âto each their ownâ.
I guess I am expressing my surprise that there are still places/villages in Italy, of all places, which is renowned for its food which they export(ed) everywhere, where people still enjoy this type of meals that are viewed as belonging to other times. (economic hardships, famine, wars etc)
Far away from me to criticise these customs; I just wanted to understand.
Italy has a lot more âhiddenâ food - some which is becoming more mainstreamâŚ
e.g. in Sardinia there is âlattumeâ (tuna sperm) and casu marzu (cheese filled with maggots - eaten with the maggots while they are alive)
In Sicily one of the delicacies is anemones (fried)
In Veneto the small sparrows (roasted whole until the beaks and bones are crispy).
In Calabria, stuff mice/rats (cannot remember which one) are a delicacy.
Heck, when I was a child, something considered âgood for a childâs growthâ was veal or lamb brains, breaded and deep fried (I still eat this now, but harder to find brain in CH, so I buy it in Germany where the butcher knows Iâm after it).
Thatâs not even counting all the âinteriorâ and sweet meat things (after all - blackpudding in the UK comes from the Romans) - that are pretty normal in most of the world. (on this, look up âtorcinelloâ - thatâs something that actually tastes good, but makes me cringe each time).
At the risk of being deported, I find things like cervelat and frankfurters quite horrific⌠they taste nothing like the meat they are (supposed to be) made ofâŚ
Then again, to each their own 
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But that is goooodâŚunfortunately you canât find these delicacies due to mad cow disease (correct me if Iâm wrong). Itâs good they still sell it in Germany, had no idea!!Thanks.
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Iâm glad thatâs not just me.
Nursery food by any other name.
When I was younger in the UK we ate a lot more cuts of meat which butchers in the UK just donât sell now and even if they do, they taste bad as they need to be really fresh - kidneys for example.
We used to have liver a lot too - especially at school.
Sweet breads (calf pancreas) was a favorite at home.
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YummyâŚcalf thymus sweetbreads and lamb brains with scrambled eggs!
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Yes because everyone now wants âcleanâ cuts - chicken breast, steaks, cotelettes etc
Some decades ago you used (almost) everything from an animal and you saw how every little piece looks like; now it should be meat but it shouldnât remind us too much of the animal it comes fromâŚ
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Must. Stop. Reading. Food. Threads. Close. To. Lunchtime.
Now Iâm starving.
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Back to Switzerland, from year 2014:
The association SOS Chats Noiraigue submitted a petition with 16,000 signatures to Parliament on Tuesday demanding that the consumption of cat and dog meat be formally banned in Switzerland.
A petition with some 16,000 signatures demands that the consumption of cat and dog meat be banned in Switzerland. Launched at the end of August by SOS Chats Noiraigue, it was submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, which is currently holding its winter session.
Dog meat is mainly used to make sausages and fat to treat rheumatism.
As for cat meat, it is consumed mainly by families and cooked like rabbit during the Christmas period, particularly in the cantons of Bern, Lucerne and Jura, notes SOS Chats Noiraigue in a press release.
Imagine being invited to a neighbourâs house for a meal over Christmas and asking where Milo, the family pet cat is.
âOh, heâs in the oven. Nearly done.â
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Hopefully the (slow) legalization of marijuana will reduce the demand of dog fat to treat rheumatism 
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A friend of mine in Madrid told me she was brought up on bullâs testicles, her mother said they made children big and strong. I remember Michael Palin finding one a bit revolting on one of his travelogeus about Spain and Ernest Hemingway, years ago. Said it had a kind of spongy/ chewy texture I think. When I was last in Madrid I really enjoyed black pudding, it was like the stuff we get in Scotland, quite peppery.
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Regardless of the psychological aspects of eating a cat or a dog, I find the fact that you have no idea to know what they have eaten far more disturbing.
Same for eg. pigeons or rabbits in cities.
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By the way⌠What happened to mad cow disease?
I grew up with tripe in vinegar, chips and mushy peas. That reminds me, the Turkish butcher in Landsberg has nice honeycomb tripe.
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Even today you can get huevos de toro, they are in fact quite tasty, I had them in Seville. Yes, blood sausage, morcilla is part of the Spanish cuisine and I find it much tastier than the somewhat bland Scottish Black Pudding. None of those are even close to eating cat though.
Reminds me of the joke about the bulls testicles.
A guy is determined to taste these whish are offered after every bull-fight, but the demand is high so there is a waiting list. Having been patient for a couple of years he finally gets the call - next Sunday you are on. So he turns up and enjoys the delicate flavour. After the meal he says to the waiter. Hey Manuel, those were delicious but they seemed a little small. Si Senor, you know, sometimes the bull wins
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Hey, one local specialty is the honeycomb tripe with molten and gratin Gruyère on top of it. Add a black beer, better 3 of them, and this could be the epitome of winter comfort food.
So far, Iâve only eaten it in restaurants in ZH and AG, anywhere else?
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Readily available in Stadthof in Basel where its one of their specialties. Second your taste on tripe and beer. Never tried with cheese on top, but now this becomes a mission!
Tripe in tomato-chili sauce and Yorkshire caviar!!
Tripe is readily available in restaurants in Neuchâtel.
Tripes à la Neuchâteloise is a very traditional dish here.
I used to eat tripe a lot as a kid growing up in Yorkshire, I loved it and my brother hated it.
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