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View submission: Ask Anything Wednesday - Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology
If you're talking about 'that' scene. It doesn't really show which part of the brain. It shows Hannibal cutting into and peeling back the meninges surrounding the brain (which is super unrealistic), and then the camera mercifully cuts to a shot of him throwing the slice of cortex into the pan for a quick sauté. Looking at a side angle it looks like 'maybe' he took a slice of the left somatosensory cortex, but it's hard to say. We can definitely surmise however that it is cortex tissue from the part of the brain that is exposed. Further, it appears that he used herbs, olives, and butter in the pan, as would be common in French cuisines.
As for why? I know speculation is frowned upon, so I will just say that I have no idea. The psychology of cannibals is not extremely well understood. I'll include a link to an article written by Dr. Schurman-Kauflin that outlines some of the unique behavioral characteristics of studied cannibals as well as case study on the psychopathological profile of cannibalism.
1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibfBDKiw1ac
2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibfBDKiw1ac
3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P68IeUmlTNM
4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P68IeUmlTNM
To not stray too far into anecdote or speculation, brain is used in many cuisines from around the world. Beyond the taboo nature of brain as a source of food, it's likely much akin to eating other fatty organs, such as the liver. It's a very fatty, energy-dense organ with a homogenous texture, so it's likely, objectively as reasonable of a dish as any of the other animal parts that humans eat (that said, I have never partaken). It would be interested to hear an account from anyone that has eaten brain as part of a meal.
5: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disturbed/201108/why-cannibals-love-eating-people
6: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disturbed/201108/why-cannibals-love-eating-people
7: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31157920/
8: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31157920/
There's nothing here!