Isekai Yururi Kikou - Vol. 7 Ch. 48 - VS The Orc General! And then...

[MangaDex]

 

[Oeconomist]

Eating the corpses of sentient creatures — even those of creatures who were irredeemably evil — is on a moral level with cannibalism.

 

[flannan]

Eating the corpses of sentient creatures — even those of creatures who were irredeemably evil — is on a moral level with cannibalism.

But you'd never see the protagonists care about it in Japanese fantasy. At least the Death Mage avoided eating Orc meat while his new Orc allies were present. But that's the limit of holding back they can do.

 

[Pietje013]

Eating the corpses of sentient creatures — even those of creatures who were irredeemably evil — is on a moral level with cannibalism.

So 'cause we decided livestock isn't sentient, it's okay to eat them? Maybe cows, porks & chicken are more sentient then we believe. Same can be said about plants, that we can't measure them doesn't mean they won't have feelings...

 

[NicholasTurner]

Sapient, the word you guys are looking for is sapient.
Sentience just means something can feel and act, Ex. a Worm.
Sapience means they can think cognitively, solve problems and the like, Ex. Human.

I'm over simplifying but animals can be smart while not being sapient, but all animals are sentient.