We have all seen South Park's episode featuring whale hunting in Japan. Whale meat is the flesh of whales used for consumption by humans or other animals, and broadly includes other consumed parts as blubber, skin, and organs. It is prepared in various ways and has historically been eaten in many parts of the world, including across Western Europe and colonial America, and not necessarily restricted to coastal communities, since flesh and blubber can be salt-cured.
Despite being denounced by countless detractors on the grounds of wildlife conservation and animal rights, whale meat is still consumed in a large number of countries. The deaths of these endangered creatures are rarely quick and are usually bloody, and yet this still goes on around the world. The meat is said to contain high amounts of mercury and other toxins, which can cause organs to fail and a person to become mad. An occupational hazard for hatters in the 19th century, mercury poisoning inspired the Mad Hatter character in the Alice in Wonderland stories.