Thüringer Mett, or German sushi

Mettwurst is the German version of Salami. It's pork, chopped up, cured, smoked, or at least spiced. Unlike Salami, mettwurst is often very soft, sometimes so soft you can spread it with a knife, usually on a toast or a bun.

Then there is Thüringer Mett. It's special because it is essentially raw ground pork lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. It is eaten with bread, and some people like to add a little bit of onion, more for the taste than for the disinfection. We call it German Sushi, and one of our uncles calls it Feuerwehr Marmalade, or fireman's jam.

Quite obviously, if you don't want to get sick from eating Thüringer Mett, you'd have to make sure it's very fresh. Shops often have only a limited supply, and you are expected to consume all of it on the day of the sale. Those with iron stomach may be able to tolerate day-olds, but not much longer than that. If you happen to have some left over, they make excellent meatballs or meat sauce.

I greeted the infamous Mett with the same skepticism as sushi. Well, not that much. When the butcher assured us that it's okay to eat it the way it was, we got 1/2 lb and a few breakfast rolls with it. At first bite, I could taste the pepper. There wasn't so much texture because it is just that, raw pork. But it tasted better than wild salmon sashimi. So, all I can say is, don't be afraid.

Sometimes, at weddings, birthdays, or Sunday brunch, you'll see Thüringer Mett being served on a buffet. You can tell it's the Thüringer, because the Mett on the platter shapes like a pig, with decorations of the eyes and the nostrils, just like the picture. While I have not the pleasure of seeing one live (or dead ...) I still don't think it's a good idea to go near one of these things. Chances are, while it looks good, it's not all that fresh. Imagine you're the 101st guest to dip your spoon on this otherwise fine Mett. It's not the meat I am worried about, it's the Heavenly creatures that made this pig their home, during the first 100 visits.

Cat food economics - the "daily feeding cost"

There is a no-brainer. We have a 7 kg half Maine Coon, and he eats a lot. So we definitely don't want to break the bank by giving him really fancy things like "a melange of plucked pheasant, yak calf, and goji seeds". On the other hand, if we feed him "random road kill with eleven herbs and spices" everyday, he might end up looking like the picture.

Now, here is something to think about. Pet food manufacturers do try their best to "optimize" per unit cost by adding fillers in their products, like ash, raw fat, starch and ... you guessed it ... air. Chances are, if you feed your feline friend craps-R-us, he'd come back asking for more, more often. Another thing to consider, unlike dogs, cats are very picky eaters. They will not appreciate a meal only 35 different types of natural fibers. After all, cats aren't vegans. What I am saying is that if you leave a full can of food open, your cat won't eat it all right away.

Notice that, for most cat foods, there is always a "recommended daily intake" on the label. While, in our experience this amount, will be more than enough for our 7-kg cat, it is fairly representative. So here is a formula you can use to gauge both your spending and your pussy's well being, and that is to calculate the cost to feed your cat per day:

Daily cost = Unit cost x Recommended daily intake.
This will work if the recommended daily intake is measured in the amount contained in the unit (e.g., 2/3 of a can each day). If they tell you the actual weight (e.g., 200 g for a 400 g unit), then you will have to change the formula a little bit:

Deily cost = Unit cost x (Recommended daily intake / Unit weight).
To test out my theory, I surveyed a few brands from PetSmart, and the daily cost to feed our cat with each of them, based on the published recommended daily intake. Some good, some not so good. You'll be the judge:

Name	Unit price	Rec. intake	Cost
Whiskas Choice	0.33$ / 85 g pouch	8 pouches	2.64$
Blue Buffalo Select	1.09$ / 3 oz. can	4 cans	4.36$
Authority Indoor Formula	0.79$ / 6 oz. can	2 cans	1.58$

From this example alone, it can be seen that Authority gives you the lower per day cost. If you compare the ingredients, you will also find that Authority contains the least amount of crap. So this very crude analysis illustrates how this "daily feeding cost" idea would actually help you choose the best product for you and your cat.

My list is, of course, far from complete. I encourage you to try this out, and you can tell me what your per diem cost it is to feed your beloved four-legged companion.

Also, if you can tell me how to draw an HTML table on Blogger without skipping so many lines, that would also be great.