> Does the following sounds like a joke to you?

Yes. See also:

“A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal