Eating with moral values

Just came home from a night in town. It was pretty good, i met one my friends an a few of his friends i didn't know. It was a good, but there is something i can't get of my mind.

I told these guys that i want to travel the world. In a certain region in China it very common to eat dog. Or if i went to visit my friend in Norway i would try whale if the occasion was there. To me it is not about morals with which i was raised, but about experiencing the local culture. I understand why by western standards it is not done to eat these animals. How can you truly know if this is where you draw the line. How can a straight honestly tell you he is straight if he has never tried anything with another male?

Why are there moral objection to other cultures and do we see them as a barbaric acts? I was judged on my age here. These guys where around 36 and i am 24. To me that was a way to justify my ideas for them. But how can one truly oppose a culture with which they don't understand. I really want to understand these different cultures. And food to me is an vital part of a culture. People in Cambodia eat deep fried spiders, and in some African cultures it is normal to eat certain larva. We may not understand their ideas, but i can't judge their moral values until i understand reasons for doing so.

Are the morals i was raised with the standard to life or is there more to it for those who dare to dare venture further into the unknown. What is the real difference i owning a dog and not it eat it because of moral standards and by owning a fish and eating it? Are people around just narrow-minded or am i just being naive?