Horse meat
Horse meat is sweet, tender, low in fat, and high in protein.
[ Viande Richelieu page title: Clarifying the notion of horsemeat covers Nutrients, Age, The sex of the animal, Race, Color, Tenderness, Taste, and Meat cuts.] Just like
beef and
pork, in some societies there is a
taboo regarding the consumption of
horse meat.
Horse meat has had somewhat of a resurgence in popularity in Europe and Canada in recent years, as horses are not susceptible to
BSE (mad cow disease).
In the late palaeolithic (
Magdalenian), wild horses formed an important source of food. In pre-Christian times, horse meat was eaten in northern Europe as part of
Teutonic religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the worship of
Odin.
According to legend, the modern French taste for horse meat dates from the
Battle of Eylau in
1807, when the surgeon-in-chief of
Napoleon's Grand Army,
Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey, advised the starving troops to eat the flesh of horse that had died on the battlefield. The cavalry used breastplates as cooking pans and
gunpowder as seasoning, and thus founded a tradition.
Horse meat gained widespread acceptance in
French cuisine during the later years of the
Second French Empire. The high cost of living in
Paris prevented many working-class citizens from buying meat such as
pork or
beef, and in
1866 the first butcher's shop specialising in horse meat opened in eastern
Paris, providing quality meat at lower prices. During the
Siege of Paris of 1870-71, horse meat was eaten by all citizens of Paris due to a shortage of fresh meat in the blockaded city, and also because live horses were eating vast quantities of
grain which was needed by the human populace. Many Parisians gained a taste for horse meat during the siege, and after the war ended, horse meat remained popular amongst Parisian citizens.
During
World War II, due to the low supply and high price of beef, the state of
New Jersey legalised the sale of horse meat. At war's end, the state again prohibited such sale, possibly in response to pressure from the
beef lobby. Although people in the
United States rarely eat horse meat, around 50,000 horses are slaughtered each year in two abattoirs in
Texas for export to Europe, Mexico, or Japan. Horse meat produced in the U.S. is also sold to
zoos for
carnivore feeding, due to its high protein content. The
1986 Kentucky Derby winner and
1987 U.S.
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year winner, Ferdinand, is believed to have been slaughtered in Japan, likely for pet food.
[Death of a Derby Winner]Which cultures
Horse is commonly eaten in many countries in
Europe and
Asia. However, the eating of horse meat is a social
taboo to many people, especially in
anglophone countries such as the
United Kingdom, the
U.S., and
Australia, and also in
Brazil. It is illegal in some places.
In many
Islamic countries horse meat is generally considered clean but not
halal, that is, permissable to eat, but not ideal. There are many instances, especially wars and famine, when horses were slaughtered and eaten by
Muslims.
Horse meat is a dietary taboo amongst the
Romany people.
Like
lobster and
camel, it is forbidden by
Judaism and some
Christian religions. In
732,
Pope Gregory III began an effort to stop the pagan practice of horse eating, calling it "abominable". His edicts are based on the same scripture as the Jewish prohibitions. The people of
Iceland allegedly expressed reluctance to embrace
Christianity for some time, largely over the issue of giving up horse meat.
Reasons for the taboo
In some countries the effects of this prohibition by the
Roman Catholic Church have lingered, and horse meat prejudices have progressed from
taboos, to avoidance, to abhorrence. In other parts of the world, horse meat has the
stigma of being something poor people eat and is seen as a cheap substitute for other meats.
According to the anthropologist
Marvin Harris, some cultures class horsemeat as
taboo because the horse converts grass into meat less efficiently than
ruminants. When breeding cattle for meat, a cow or a sheep will produce more meat than a horse if fed with the same amount of grass. However, these cattle (apart from the ox) cannot be used as working animals, and this argument does not address the issue of meat wastage.
There is also an element of sentimentality, as
horses have long enjoyed a close relationship with many humans, on a similar level to household
pets - this can be seen projected in such Anglophone popular culture icons as
Black Beauty or even
My Little Pony. Compare with
Babe and Wilbur in
Charlotte's Web.
Totemistic taboo is also a possible reason for refusal to eat horsemeat.
Roman sources state that the horse goddess
Epona was widely worshipped in Gaul and southern Britain; the
Uffington White Horse is probable evidence of ancient horse worship. It is notable that, despite horses having been bred in England since pre-Roman times, the English language has no widely used term for horse meat, as opposed to three for
pig meat (
pork,
bacon,
ham), two for
sheep meat (
mutton and
lamb), two for
cow meat (
beef and
veal), and so on. English speaking countries, however, have sometimes marketed horsemeat under the
euphemism "cheval meat" (
cheval being the
French for horse). Also, note that the words pork, bacon, mutton, veal, and beef all derive from French (probably Norman French).
In
2002, the 14 principal
horse meat producing countries produced 700,000 tonnes of horse meat, with over two-thirds produced by the top six: 1
China, 2
Mexico, 3
Kazakhstan, 4
Italy, 5
Argentina, 6
Mongolia [[1]]. The consumption of horse meat in Europe in
2001 was 153,000 tonnes
[[2]].
A UK
Food Standards Agency (FSA)
2003 investigation has revealed that
salami and
chorizo sometimes contain horse and
donkey meat, without this ingredient being listed as legally required.
Very few horsemeat producing countries specifically raise horses for meat as cattle are; instead they use ex-racehorses, riding horses, horses sold at auction by unaware owners, and also stolen ones
[Slaughter of Lady]. Meat from (injured) horses that veterinarians have put down with a lethal injection is not used for consumption; the carcasses of such animals are
cremated. When used for food, horses are stunned using a
captive bolt gun and then killed by exsanguination.
Some people prefer horse meat to cattle, due to the more humane and small scale process used in some countries. The horse is led out to an open area, given some food and then killed without the stress that a large
abattoir may produce. However, in many countries such as the United States or Canada, horses are slaughtered in large-scale factory
slaughter houses similar to those used for cattle.
The use of horses for meat production is widely opposed in countries such as
USA and
England where horses are considered companion and sporting animals.
There is an effort in the United State to create a law, the
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, designed to stop the slaughter of horses.
[Society for Animal Protective Legislation]Polls sponsored by various American organisations have shown that most people are not aware that horses are slaughtered in the US for consumption overseas. According to some of these polls, in New York, 64% of people polled actually believed that slaughtering horses for meat was illegal, while in Indiana, 91% believe that horse slaughter should be banned.
[Equine Protection Network - Polls] An overwhelming majority of Texas voters (89%) are unaware that horse slaughter goes on in their own state.
[Survey Shows Texans Strongly Oppose Horse Slaughter]French
animal rights activist
Brigitte Bardot has spent her latter years crusading against the eating of horse meat.
|
Smoked and salted horse meat on a sandwich |
Horse meat has a slightly sweet taste reminiscent of a combination of beef and
venison. Meat from younger horses tends to be lighter in colour while older horses produce richer colour and flavour, as with most
mammals.
Those preparing
sandwiches or cold meals with horse meat usually use it smoked and salted. Horse meat forms an ingredient in several traditional recipes of
salami.
Austria
Kare is an Austrian stew made with horse meat and a variety of vegetables. The base of the dish is made from a peanut sauce (sometimes spiced), horse meat, and occasionally offal or tripe.
Dumplings can also be prepared with horse meat, spinach or Tyrolean Graukäse (a sour milk cheese). They are occasionally eaten on their own, in a soup, or as a side-dish.
Belgium
In Belgium, horse meat or
viande de chevaline is highly prized, and is used in
steak tartare. Compared to the beef equivalent, the richer flavour of the horse meat lends itself better to the pungent seasoning used in preparation. Besides being served raw, it can be broiled for a short period, producing a crusty exterior and a raw, moist interior.
Smoked horse meat is very popular as breakfast and sandwich meat. A pan-seared horse steak is common fare for main meals in Belgium.
It is widely believed that traditional
Belgian fried potatoes (
pommes frites) were cooked in horse fat, but in fact
ox fat was used, although this has been supplanted by
nut oil (considered inferior by many) for health reasons.
Canada (Quebec)
Agriculture in the province of
Quebec seems to prosper under the prohibitions from the United States. There is a thriving horse meat business in Quebec, and horse meat is frequently available at supermarkets.
Chile
In
Chile it is used in
charqui.
France
In
France, specialised butcher shops (
boucheries chevalines) sell horsemeat, as ordinary butcher shops have been for a long time forbidden to deal in it. However, since the 90s, it can be found in supermarket butcher shops and others.
Germany
In
Germany, horse meat is traditionally used in
Sauerbraten, a strongly marinated type of sweet-sour braised meat dish, however in the last couple of decades beef has become more common.
Iceland
In
Iceland it is used for
fondue, but it is mostly used for
stews for its strong flavour.
Italy
In
Italy, it used in a stew called
Pastissada, served as horse or colt steaks,
Carpaccio or made into
Bresaola, and horse fat is used in
recipes such as
Pezzetti di Cavallo. The straight horsemeat steak "carne di cavallo" is generally available in the
Tyrol and
Sudtyrol regions of the Italian Alps. This steak is prepared and served much in the same fashion as a classic bloody American Porterhouse. Chefs and consumers of this horse meat tend to prize its uniqueness by serving it as rare as possible.
Japan
|
Horse meat-flavoured ice cream |
In
Japanese
cuisine, raw horse meat is called
sakura (
cherry blossom) because of its pink colour. It can be served raw as
sashimi in thin slices dipped in
soy sauce, often with
ginger and
onions added. In this case, it is called
basashi (
Japanese: 馬刺し, ばさし). Fat, typically from the neck, is also found as
basashi, though it is white, not pink. Horse meat is also sometimes found on menus for
yakiniku (a type of barbecue), where it is called
baniku (lit., horse meat) or
bagushi (lit., skewered horse); thin slices of raw horse meat are sometimes served wrapped in a
shiso leaf.
Kumamoto and
Matsumoto are famous for
basashi, and it is common in the
Tohoku region and other rural regions as well, though
basashi restaurants can be found all over
Japan.
There is also a dessert made from horse meat called Basashi ice cream. The company that makes it is known for its unusual ice cream flavours, many of which have limited popularity.
Kazakhstan
In
Kazakhstan many parts of a horse are used with the meat usually being salted, dried and smoked[
3]. Some of the dishes include sausages called
kazy and
shuzhuk made from the meat using the guts as the sausage skin,
zhaya made from hip meat which is smoked and boiled,
zhal made from neck fat which is smoked and boiled,
karta made from a section of the rectum which is smoked and boiled, and
sur-yet which is kept as dried meat.
The Netherlands
In the
Netherlands, a popular
breakfast sliced meat is smoked horsemeat (paardenrookvlees).
Romania
Horse appears to be on many menus in
Romania. Due to the economic conditions in this country, though, many of these restaurants cater to the likings of foreigners. Whether this means that Romanians expect wealthier foreigners to expect meat, or if the Romanian people prefer to serve it, is not currently known. Stew of horse meat with tomatoes is common, along with the ubiquitous cut: horse steak.
Spain
Ground horse meat is made into a pattie which is fried and served on a roll. Horses are slaughtered there or shipped alive for slaughter abroad to supply the European market, especially the French and Italian ones.
[Spanish research finds Omega-3 fatty acids in meat from foals]Sweden
Smoked/cured horse meat is widely available as
cold cut under the name
hamburgerkött.
Switzerland
In
Switzerland horse meat may be used in
Fondue Bourguignonne. Horse steak is also quite common, especially in the French-speaking West.
*
Horse latitudes*
Japanese cuisine*
Kazakh cuisine*
Mongolian cuisine*
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act*
FAQ about Horse Slaughter*
Slaughter: An American Disgrace*
NPR - Coverage of United States bill to outlaw horse meat.*
New York Times article on the role of horses in Kazakhstan society*
PDF file promoting slaughter as an option for some unwanted horses*
Backwoods Home Magazine article explaining the reasons why horse meat should be accepted and some recipes*
Information about storage, processing and nutritional value
