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'{{for|the adulteration of European meat in 2013|2013 meat adulteration scandal}} {{short description|meat cut from a horse}} {{Multiple issues| {{original research|date=April 2015}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2015}} <!-- see list of countries in table of contents{{Globalize|date=January 2019}} -->}} [[File:Basashi.jpg|thumb|Raw, sliced horse meat, served in [[Japan]] as ''[[basashi]]'']]{{Animal rights sidebar}}'''Horse meat''' forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in [[Europe]], [[South America]] and [[Asia]]. The top eight countries consume about 4.7 million [[horse]]s a year. For the majority of humanity's early existence, [[wild horse]]s were hunted as a source of protein.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Documenting Domestication |author=Melinda A. Zeder |publisher=University of California Pres |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-520-24638-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EaVTxjrbIFQC |pages=257, 258, 265 |postscript= {{inconsistent citations}} }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=The Horse, the Wheel and Language |author=David W. Anthony |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2008 |pages=199, 220 |isbn=978-0-691-05887-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rOG5VcYxhiEC |postscript={{inconsistent citations}} }}</ref> ==History== During the [[Paleolithic]], wild horses formed an important source of food for humans. In many parts of Europe, the consumption of horse meat continued throughout the Middle Ages until modern times, despite a papal ban on horse meat in 732.<ref>{{cite book|author=Richard Pillsbury|title=No foreign food: the American diet in time and place|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8te03bzHJkUC|year=1998|publisher=Westview Press|isbn=978-0-8133-2739-6|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8te03bzHJkUC&pg=PA14 14]}}</ref> Horse meat was also eaten as part of [[Germanic paganism|Germanic pagan]] religious ceremonies in [[Northern Europe]], particularly ceremonies associated with the worship of [[Odin]].<ref name="ReferenceA">Calvin W. Schwabe, ''Unmentionable Cuisine'', University Press of Virginia, {{ISBN|0-8139-1162-1}}</ref> The earliest horses evolved on the North American continent, and by about 12,000 BCE, they had migrated to other parts of the world,<ref name = "Azzaroli1992">{{cite journal |last=Azzaroli |first=A. |year=1992 |title=Ascent and decline of monodactyl equids: a case for prehistoric overkill |journal=Ann. Zool. Finnici |volume=28 |pages=151–163 |url=http://www.sekj.org/PDF/anzf28/anz28-151-163.pdf}}</ref> becoming extinct in the [[Americas]].<ref name="LeQuire">{{cite web| url=http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4849 |author=LeQuire, Elise| title=No Grass, No Horse |publisher = The Horse, online edition| date= January 4, 2004 |accessdate= June 8, 2009}}</ref><ref name = "Guthrie">{{Cite journal | last = Guthrie | first = R. D. | authorlink = | title = Rapid body size decline in Alaskan Pleistocene horses before extinction | journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] | volume = 426 | issue = 6963 | pages = 169–171 | date = November 13, 2003 | doi = 10.1038/nature02098 | pmid = 14614503 | bibcode = 2003Natur.426..169D }}</ref> The now-extinct [[Hagerman horse]] of Idaho, about the size of a modern-day large pony, is one example of an indigenous New World horse species.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/hafo/crittercorner/equus.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103193555/http://www.nps.gov/archive/hafo/crittercorner/equus.htm |archivedate=January 3, 2007 | title= Hagerman "Horse" – ''Equus simplicidens'' |last= McDonald |first= G. |journal=The Fossil Record |date=March 1993|url-status= dead}}</ref> In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spaniards, followed by other European settlers, reintroduced horses to the Americas. Some horses became [[feral horse|feral]], and began to be hunted by the indigenous [[Pehuenche]] people of what is now [[Chile]] and [[Argentina]].<ref>{{Cite journal |url = http://universum.utalca.cl/contenido/index-01/torrejon.html |title = Geohistorical Variables in the Evolution of the Pehuenche Economic System During the Colonial Period |chapter = Exotic Livestock production and the Transition |author = Fernando Terrejón G. |language = Spanish |journal = Universum Magazine |page = 226 |volume = 16 |year = 2001 |publisher = University of Talca |postscript = {{inconsistent citations}} |access-date = 2009-01-03 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090313105853/http://universum.utalca.cl/contenido/index-01/torrejon.html |archive-date = 2009-03-13 |url-status = dead }} (Spanish title: ''El Ganado Exótico Y la Transición Productiva '', ''Variables Geohistóricas en la Evolución del Sistema Económica Pehuenche durante el periodo colonial'').</ref> Initially, early humans hunted horses as they did other game; later, they began to raise them for meat, milk and transport. The meat was, and still is, preserved by being [[dried meat|sun-dried]] in the high [[Andes]] into a product known as ''[[charqui]]''. France dates its taste for horse meat to [[French Revolution|the Revolution]]. With the fall of the aristocracy, its auxiliaries{{clarify|date=March 2019}} had to find new means of subsistence. The horses formerly maintained by the aristocracy as a sign of prestige ended up being used to alleviate the hunger of the masses.<ref name="Harris"/> During the Napoleonic campaigns, the surgeon-in-chief of [[Napoleon]]'s [[Grand Army]], [[Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey]], advised the starving troops to eat the meat of horses. At the [[siege of Alexandria]], the meat of young [[Arab horse]]s relieved an epidemic of [[scurvy]]. At the [[battle of Eylau]] in 1807, Larrey served horse as soup and as ''[[bœuf à la mode]]''. At [[battle of Aspern-Essling|Aspern-Essling]] (1809), cut off from the supply lines, the cavalry used the breastplates of fallen ''[[cuirassier]]s'' as cooking pans and [[gunpowder]] as seasoning, thus founding a practice that carried on until at least the Waterloo campaign.<ref name="Musee">Larrey is quoted in French by Dr Béraud, ''[http://leslivresoublies.free.fr/leslivresoublies/Sciences_et_techniques_muse/cheval.html Études Hygiéniques de la chair de cheval comme aliment]'', ''[[Musée des Familles]]'' (1841-42).</ref><ref name="Parker">Larrey mentions in his memoirs how he fed the wounded after the (1809){{clarify|date=March 2019}} with [[bouillon]] of horse meat seasoned with gunpowder. Parker, Harold T. (1983 reprint) ''Three Napoleonic Battles''. (2nd Ed). [[Duke University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-8223-0547-X}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qiyp-Mft2zEC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&ots=W7h9mMJcvK Page 83] (in [[Google Books]]). Quoting [[Dominique-Jean Larrey]], ''Mémoires de chirurgie militaire et campagnes'', III 281, Paris, Smith.</ref> [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B15171, Sowjetunion, Ausschlachten eines Pferdes.jpg|thumb|Hunger during World War II led to horses being eaten.]] 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]]; in 1866, the French government legalized the eating of horse meat, and the first butcher's shop specializing in horse meat opened in eastern Paris, providing quality meat at lower prices.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1525/gfc.2007.7.2.44| title=They Eat Horses, Don't They? Hippophagy and Frenchness| journal=Gastronomica| volume=7| issue=2| pages=44–51| year=2007| last1=Weil| first1=Kari}}</ref> During the [[Siege of Paris (1870–1871)]], horse meat, along with the meat of donkeys and mules, was eaten by anyone who could afford it, partly because of a shortage of fresh meat in the blockaded city, and also because horses were eating grain that was needed by the human populace. Though large numbers of horses were in Paris (estimates suggested between 65,000 and 70,000 were butchered and eaten during the siege), the supply was ultimately limited. Not even champion racehorses were spared (two horses presented to [[Napoleon III]] by [[Alexander II of Russia]] were slaughtered), but the meat became [[Scarcity|scarce]]. Many Parisians gained a taste for horse meat during the siege, and after the war ended, horse meat remained popular. Likewise, in other places and times of siege or starvation, horses are viewed as a food source of last resort. Despite the general [[Anglophone]] taboo, horse and donkey meat was eaten in Britain, especially in [[Yorkshire]], until the 1930s,<ref>''Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa'' by [[Matthew Fort]]. 2005, p253. {{ISBN|0-00-721481-2}}</ref> and, in times of postwar food shortages, surged in popularity in the United States<ref>{{cite news|last=Grutzner |first=Charles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/09/25/archives/horse-meat-consumption-by-new-yorkers-is-rising-newark-dealer.html?sq=horse%2520meat&scp=4&st=cse |title=Horse Meat Consumption By New Yorkers Is Rising - Newark Dealer Reports 60% of Customers Are From City-Weinstein Will Not Prohibit Sale of the Flesh Here - Front Page - NYTimes.com |publisher=Select.nytimes.com |date=1946-09-25 |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref> and was considered for use as [[dietetics|hospital food]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Powers |first=James E. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/09/29/archives/nearby-hospitals-down-to-minimum-of-meat-supplies-westchester-just.html?sq=horse%2520meat&scp=10&st=cse |title=NEAR-BY HOSPITALS DOWN TO MINIMUM OF MEAT SUPPLIES - Westchester Just Getting By, Monmouth is Using HighProtein SubstitutesHENKEL SCORES TRUMAN Says Restaurants Can't Sell 'Patience' Any More-3 Seek to Deal in Horse Flesh Here - Front Page - NYTimes.com |publisher=Select.nytimes.com |date=1946-09-29 |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref> A 2007 ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine article about horse meat brought to the United States from Canada described the meat as a sweet, rich, superlean, oddly soft{{clarify|date=March 2019}} meat, and closer to beef than to [[venison]].<ref name=Time2007-02-08 /> ==Taboo== ===Attitude of various cultures=== Horse is commonly eaten in many countries in Europe and Asia.<ref>{{cite news|author=Cecilia Rodriguez |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2012/12/18/no-american-horse-steak-for-you-europeans/ |title=No American Horse Steak for You, Europeans |work=Forbes |date=2012-04-18 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/sports/drugs-injected-at-the-racetrack-put-europe-off-us-horse-meat.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|title=Racetrack Drugs Put Europe Off U.S. Horse Meat|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=2014-02-09|first=Joe|last=Drape|date=2012-12-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flyingfilly.com/horse_slaughter.htm |title= 2008 - It is Time to Tell the Truth ...about Horse Slaughter |publisher=flyingfilly.com |accessdate=2008-05-20 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080418011736/http://www.flyingfilly.com/horse_slaughter.htm |archivedate = 2008-04-18 |postscript={{inconsistent citations}}}} (See the list headed "Horsemeat—By Any Other Name")</ref> It is not a generally available food in some [[English-speaking countries]] such as the United Kingdom, South Africa<ref>{{https://www.businessinsider.co.za/south-africa-imported-80-000-kilograms-of-horse-meat-last-year-2018-3}}</ref>, Australia, Ireland, the United States,<ref>{{cite web|last=Bordonaro |first=Lori |url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Horse-Meat-M-Wells-PS-1-MoMA-Long-Island-City-Queens-171445821.html |title=Horse Meat on Menu Raises Eyebrows |publisher=NBC New York |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> and [[English Canada]]. It is also taboo in Brazil, Israel, and among the [[Romani people]] and [[Jewish people]] the world over. Horse meat is not generally eaten in Spain, except in the north, but the country exports horses both as live animals and as slaughtered meat for the French and Italian markets. Horse meat is consumed in some North American and Latin American countries, but is illegal in some others. For example, the Food Standards Code of Australia and New Zealand definition of 'meat' does not include horse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012C00286/ |title=Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code 2.2.1 Meat and meat products |publisher=Comlaw.gov.au |date=2012-05-20 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> In [[Tonga]], horse meat is eaten nationally, and Tongan emigrants living in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia have retained a taste for it, claiming Christian missionaries originally introduced it to them.<ref>Simoons, F.J., 1994, Eat not this Flesh, Food Avoidances from Pre-history to Present, University of Wisconsin Press.</ref> Consuming horse meat is not haram, but ''makrooh''{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} (from Karaha in Arabic meaning disgust), which means it should better be avoided, but eating it is not a sin (as eating pork is). The consumption of horse meat has been common in [[Central Asia]] societies, past or present, due to the abundance of [[steppes]] suitable for raising horses. In North Africa, horse meat has been occasionally consumed, but almost exclusively by the Christian [[Copts]] and the [[Hanafi]] Sunnis (a common form of Islam in Central Asia and Turkey), but has never been eaten in the [[Maghreb]].<ref>Françoise Aubaile-Sallenave, "Meat among Mediterranean Muslims: Beliefs and Praxis", ''Estudios del Hombre'' '''19''':129 (2004)</ref> Horse meat is forbidden by [[Kashrut|Jewish dietary laws]] because horses do not have [[cloven hoof|cloven hooves]] and they are not ruminants. In the eighth century, Popes [[Pope Gregory III|Gregory III]] and [[Pope Zachary|Zachary]] instructed [[Saint Boniface]], missionary to the Germans, to forbid the eating of horse meat to those he converted, due to its association with [[Germanic pagan]] ceremonies.<ref>William Ian Miller, [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1289363 "Of Outlaws, Christians, Horsemeat, and Writing: Uniform Laws and Saga Iceland"], ''Michigan Law Review'', Vol. 89, No. 8 (August 1991), pp. 2081-2095 {{subscription|date=October 2010}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/> The people of [[Iceland]] allegedly expressed reluctance to embrace [[Christianity]] for some time, largely over the issue of giving up horse meat.<ref name=IGHA-USDA>{{cite web |url=http://www.igha.org/USDA.html |title=U.S.D.A. Promotes Horse & Goat Meat |publisher=International Generic Horse Association |accessdate=2007-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010200000/http://www.igha.org/USDA.html |archive-date=2017-10-10 |url-status=dead }} (quoting a 1997 USDA report said to be no longer available online)</ref> Horse meat is now currently consumed in Iceland, and many horses are raised for this purpose. The culturally close people of [[Sweden]] still have an ambivalent attitude to horse meat, said to stem from this{{clarify|date=March 2019}} edict. [[Henry Mayhew]] describes the difference in the acceptability and use of the horse carcass between London and Paris in ''[[London Labour and the London Poor]]'' (1851).<ref>Vol 2 pp 7-9</ref> Horse meat was rejected by the British, but continued to be eaten in other European countries such as France and Germany, where [[knackers]] often sold horse carcasses despite the papal ban. Even the hunting of wild horses for meat continued in the area of [[Westphalia]]. Londoners also suspected that horse meat was finding its way into sausages and that [[offal]] sold as that of oxen was, in fact, equine. While no taboo on eating horse meat exists ''per se'', it is generally considered by ethnic Russians to be a low-quality meat with poor taste, and it is rarely found in stores. It is popular among such historically nomadic peoples as the [[Tatars]], [[Yakuts]], [[Kyrgyzs]], and [[Kazakhs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ofoods.ru/konina-vred-i-polza/|script-title=ru:Конина: вред и польза|language=Russian|title=Archived copy|access-date=2013-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228084323/http://ofoods.ru/konina-vred-i-polza/|archive-date=2013-02-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> ===Reasons for the taboo=== {{further|horse sacrifice}} In 732 AD, Pope Gregory III began a concerted effort to stop the ritual consumption of horse meat in pagan practice. In some countries, the effects of this prohibition by the [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic Church]] have lingered, and horse meat prejudices have progressed from [[taboos]] to avoidance to abhorrence.<ref name=IGHA-USDA/> In a study conducted by Fred Simoons, the avoidance of horse meat in American culture is less likely due to lingering feelings from Gregory's prohibition, but instead due to an unfamiliarity with the meat compared to more mainstream offerings.<ref>{{Cite book|title=No Foreign Food: The American Diet in Time and Place|last=Pillsbury|first=Michael|publisher=Westview Press|year=1998|isbn=978-0-8133-2738-9|location=Boulder, Colorado|pages=[https://archive.org/details/noforeignfoodame00pill_1/page/14 14]|url=https://archive.org/details/noforeignfoodame00pill_1/page/14}}</ref> In other parts of the world, horse meat has the [[social stigma|stigma]] of being something poor people eat and is seen as a cheap substitute for other meats, such as pork and beef. According to the anthropologist [[Marvin Harris]],<ref name="Harris">{{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Marvin |authorlink=Marvin Harris |title=Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture |publisher=Waveland Pr Inc |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-57766-015-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B1oGAAAACAAJ |postscript={{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2019}} some cultures class horse meat as taboo because the horse converts grass into meat less efficiently than ruminants. [[Totem]]istic taboo is also a possible reason for refusal to eat horse meat as an everyday food, but did not necessarily preclude ritual slaughter and consumption. [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] sources state that the goddess [[Epona]] was widely worshipped in [[Gaul]] and southern Britain. Epona, a triple-aspect goddess, was the protectress of the horse and horse keepers, and horses were sacrificed to her;<ref>Powell, T. G. E., 1958, The Celts, Thames and Hudson, London</ref> she was paralleled by the [[Irish mythology|Irish]] [[Macha]] and [[Welsh mythology|Welsh]] [[Rhiannon]]. In ''[[The White Goddess]]'', Robert Graves argued that the taboo among Britons and their descendants was due to worship of Epona, and even earlier rites.<ref>Graves, Robert, ''The White Goddess'', Faber and Faber, London, 1961, p 384</ref> The [[Uffington White Horse]] is probable evidence of ancient horse worship. The ancient Indian [[Kshatriya]]s engaged in horse sacrifice (Ashwamedh Yaghya) as recorded in the [[Vedas]] and [[Ramayana]], but in the context of the ritual sacrifice, it is not 'killed', but instead [[Asphyxia|smothered]] to death.<ref name="Campbell 1962">Campbell, Joseph, ''Oriental Mythology: The Masks of God'', Arkana, 1962, pp190-197 {{ISBN|0-14-019442-8}}</ref> In 1913, the Finnic [[Mari people]] of the [[Volga]] region were observed to practice a horse sacrifice.<ref name="Campbell 1962" /> In ancient Scandinavia, the horse was very important, as a living, [[working animal|working creature]], as a sign of the [[social status|owner's status]], and symbolically within the old [[Norse religion]]. Horses were slaughtered as a [[sacrifice]] to the gods, and the meat was eaten by the people taking part in the religious feasts.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Medieval Scandinavia: an encyclopedia |author1=Phillip Pulsiano |author2=Kirsten Wolf |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-8240-4787-0|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=d–XiZO8V4qUC&pg=PA523 523] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d-XiZO8V4qUC }}</ref> When the Nordic countries were Christianized, eating horse meat was regarded as a sign of paganism and prohibited. A reluctance to eat horse meat is common in these countries even today.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Old Norse Religion in Long Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes and Interactions, an International Conference in Lund, Sweden, June 3–7, 2004 |author1=Anders Andrén |author2=Kristina Jennbert |author3=Catharina Raudvere |publisher=Nordic Academic Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-91-89116-81-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gjq6rvoIRpAC&pg=PA131 131] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gjq6rvoIRpAC }}</ref> ==Production== [[File:Muenchen Pferdemetzger Viktualienmarkt.jpg|thumb|Horse butcher on the [[Viktualienmarkt]] in Munich, Germany]] In most countries where horses are slaughtered for food, they are processed in a similar fashion to cattle, i.e., in large-scale factory [[slaughter house]]s (abattoirs) where they are [[stunning|stunned]] with a [[captive bolt gun]] and [[exsanguination|bled to death]]. In countries with a less industrialized food-production system, horses and other animals are slaughtered individually outdoors as needed, in or near the village where they will be consumed.<ref>C.J. Chivers, [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/26/international/asia/26horse.html?hp&ex=1135659600&en=ebc2553086dd95e4&ei=5094&partner=homepage A Sure Thing for Kazakhs: Horses Will Provide] The New York Times</ref> In 2005, the eight principal horse meat-producing countries produced over 700,000 tonnes of this product. {|class="wikitable sortable" |+Major horse meat production countries, {{nowrap|2005<ref name=production2005>{{cite web |url=http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.com/html/pdf/consequences.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707143541/http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.com/html/pdf/consequences.pdf |archivedate=2011-07-07 |title=THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF A BAN ON THE HUMANE SLAUGHTER (PROCESSING) OF HORSES IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=The Animal Welfare Council, Inc., citing FAO-UN Horticultural Database |date=May 15, 2006 |page=10 |accessdate=2008-11-06 |postscript={{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref>{{Update after|2010|11|29}}}} !rowspan=2| Country !colspan=4| Production |- ! Number of<br>animals ! Tonnes ! Short tons ! Long tons |- | China |align=right| 1,700,000 |{{convert|204,000|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Mexico |align=right| 626,000 |{{convert|78,876|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Kazakhstan |align=right| 340,000 |{{convert|55,100|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Mongolia |align=right| 310,000 |{{convert|38,000|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Argentina |align=right| 255,000 |{{convert|55,600|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Italy |align=right| 213,000 |{{convert|48,000|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Brazil |align=right| 162,000 |{{convert|21,200|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- | Kyrgyzstan |align=right| 150,000 |{{convert|25,000|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |- class="sortbottom" | '''Worldwide Totals''' |align=right| 4,727,829 |{{convert|720,168|t|ST LT|disp=table}} |} In 2005, the five biggest horse meat-consuming countries were China (421,000 tonnes), Mexico, Russia, Italy, and Kazakhstan (54,000 tonnes).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afac.ab.ca/reports/08horsereport.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319202824/http://www.afac.ab.ca/reports/08horsereport.pdf |archivedate=2012-03-19 |title=The Alberta Horse Welfare Report, 2008 |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> In 2010, Mexico produced 140,000 tonnes, China - 126,000 tonnes, Kazakhstan - 114,000 tonnes. As horses are relatively poor converters of grass and grain to meat compared to cattle,<ref name=Harris /> they are not usually bred or raised specifically for their meat. Instead, horses are slaughtered when their monetary value as [[equitation|riding]] or [[draft animal|work animals]] is low, but their owners can still make money selling them for horse meat, for example in the routine export of the [[south England|southern English]] ponies from the [[New Forest pony|New Forest]], [[Exmoor pony|Exmoor]], and [[Dartmoor pony|Dartmoor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/south/series2/new_forest_ponies_commoners_breed_improvements.shtml |title=BBC Inside Out - New Forest Ponies |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2003-02-24 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref><ref name=countrysideonline237>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007150933/http://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/plugins/content/content.php?content.237|archivedate=2006-10-07|publisher=BBC Inside Out|title=NFU Countryside Online: Passports for Ponies|url=http://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/plugins/content/content.php?content.237|accessdate=2006-10-07}}</ref> [[British law]] requires the use of "[[Horse passport|equine passports]]" even for semiferal horses to enable [[traceability]] (also known as "provenance"), so most slaughtering is done in the UK before the meat is exported,<ref name=countrysideonline237 /> meaning that the animals travel as carcasses rather than live. Ex-[[Horse racing|racehorses]], [[Equestrianism|riding horses]], and other horses sold at auction may also enter the [[food chain]]; sometimes, these animals have been stolen or purchased under false pretenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netposse.com/stolenmissing/storyladyslaughter.htm |title=Slaughter of Lady |publisher=Netposse.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Even prestigious horses may end up in the [[slaughterhouse]]; the 1986 [[Kentucky Derby]] winner and 1987 [[Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year]] winner, [[Ferdinand (horse)|Ferdinand]], is believed to have been slaughtered in Japan, probably for [[pet food]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://horsesdaily.com/news/racing/2003/07-21-derbywinner-ferdinand.html |title=Death of a Derby Winner |publisher=Horsesdaily.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> A misconception exists that horses are commonly slaughtered for pet food. In many countries, such as the United States, horse meat was [[Outlaw|outlawed]] for use in pet food in the 1970s. American horse meat is considered a [[delicacy]] in Europe and Japan, and its cost is in line with veal,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haras-nationaux.fr/portail/uploads/tx_vm19docsbase/DIP_ECO_03_HORSEMEAT_01.pdf |title=Horsemeat in France - (June 2006), Librairie des Haras nationaux |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101044559/http://www.haras-nationaux.fr/portail/uploads/tx_vm19docsbase/DIP_ECO_03_HORSEMEAT_01.pdf |archive-date=2007-11-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> so it would be prohibitively expensive in many countries for pet food.<ref>[http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/animal/pdf/risk_assesment_hiikuhorse_1.pdf] 70% of products derived from living horses that are destined to slaughter after being imported to Japan (at 2014) is meat, while pet food is 0,1%</ref> Meat from horses that [[Veterinarian|veterinarians]] have [[Animal euthanasia|put down]] with a [[lethal injection]] is not suitable for human consumption, as the [[toxin]] remains in the meat; the [[Carcasses of animals|carcasses]] of such animals are sometimes [[cremation|cremated]] (most other means of disposal are problematic, due to the toxin).{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} Remains of euthanized animals can be [[Rendering (food processing)|rendered]], which maintains the value of the skin, bones, fats, etc., for such purposes as fish food. This is commonly done for lab specimens (e.g., pigs) euthanized by injection. The amount of drug (e.g. a barbiturate) is insignificant after rendering.{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} [[Carcasses of animals|Carcasses]] of horses treated with some drugs are considered edible in some [[Jurisdiction|jurisdictions]]. For example, according to Canadian regulation, [[hyaluronic acid|hyaluron]], used in treatment of particular disorders in horses, in HY-50 preparation, should not be administered to animals to be slaughtered for horse meat.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110607112840/http://www.drugs.com/vet/hy-50-can.html HY-50 for veterinary use] (archived from [https://www.drugs.com/vet/hy-50-can.html the original] on 2011-10-06).</ref> In Europe, however, the same preparation is not considered to have any such effect, and [[wikt:edibility|edibility]] of the horse meat is not affected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.genitrix.co.uk/2008ProductsHorses-HY502.php |title=Genitrix HY-50 Vet brochure |publisher=Genitrix.co.uk |accessdate=2013-02-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601040624/http://www.genitrix.co.uk/2008ProductsHorses-HY502.php |archivedate=June 1, 2008 }}</ref> ==Opposition to production== {{Main|Horse slaughter}} {{World laws on killing horses for consumption}} The killing of horses for human consumption is widely opposed in countries such as the U.S.,<ref name="nationalpoll">{{cite web|last=Duckworth |first=Amanda |url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/35173/poll-finds-most-americans-against-horse-slaughter/ |title=Poll Finds Most Americans Against Horse Slaughter |publisher=Bloodhorse.com |date=2006-09-04 |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref><ref name="time">{{cite news|last=Stein |first=Joel |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1587279,00.html |title=''Time:'' Horse—It's What's for Dinner |publisher=Time.com |date=2007-02-08 |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref> UK<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/weekinpictures/180507.shtml?select=03 |title=Week in pictures - Who wants to eat horsemeat? |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=January 2013}} and Australia.<ref>Victorian Advocates for Animals & Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses protests</ref>{{failed verification|date=January 2013}} where horses are generally considered to be companion and sporting animals only.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/04/Columns/Americans_squeamish_o.shtml |title=Americans squeamish over horse meat|work=St. Petersburg Times|date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> For horses going to slaughter, no period of withdrawal, the time between administration of the drug and the time they are butchered, is required. French former actress and [[animal rights]] activist [[Brigitte Bardot]] has spent years crusading against the eating of horse meat. However, the opposition is far from unanimous; a 2007 readers' poll in the London magazine ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' showed that 82% of respondents supported chef [[Gordon Ramsay]]'s decision to serve horse meat in his restaurants.<ref>''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' 30 May–5 June 2007</ref> ==Nutritional value== {|class="wikitable sortable" |+Selected nutrients per 100&nbsp;g (3.5&nbsp;oz)<ref name="horsemeat">{{cite web|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/lamb-veal-and-game-products/4639/2|title=Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Game meat, horse, raw|accessdate=8 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="stripsteak">{{cite web|url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/10525/2|title=Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Beef, grass-fed, strip steaks, lean only, raw|accessdate=8 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="kqed">{{cite web |url=http://science.kqed.org/quest/2011/01/07/how-nutritious-is-horse-the-other-red-meat/ |title=How Nutritious Is Horse? The Other Red Meat |last=Pino |first=Darya |authorlink=Darya Pino |date=7 January 2011|accessdate=8 February 2013}}</ref> |- !rowspan=2| Food source !colspan=2| Energy !rowspan=2| Protein<br/>(g) !rowspan=2| Fat<br/>(g) !rowspan=2| Iron<br/>(mg) !rowspan=2| Sodium<br/>(mg) !rowspan=2| Cholesterol<br/>(mg) |- !(kJ) !(Cal) |- |Game meat, horse, raw |{{convert|133|Cal|kJ|order=flip|disp=table}} |align=right| 21 |align=right| 5 |align=right| 3.8 |align=right| 53 |align=right| 52 |- |Beef, strip steak, raw | {{convert|117|Cal|kJ|order=flip|disp=table}} |align=right| 23 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 1.9 |align=right| 55 |align=right| 55 |} ==Preparation== <!-- {{section or|date=February 2013}} --> [[File:Paardenrookvlees.JPG|thumb|[[Smoking (cooking)|Smoked]] and salted horse meat on bread]] Horse meat has a slightly sweet taste reminiscent of a combination of beef and [[venison]]. Meat from younger horses tends to be lighter in color, while older horses produce richer color and flavor, as with most [[mammals]]. Horse meat can be used to replace beef, pork, mutton, venison, and any other meat in virtually any recipe. Horse meat is usually very lean. Jurisdictions that allow for the slaughter of horses for food rarely have age restrictions, so many are quite young, some even as young as 16 to 24 months old. IHDH did find that horses at the age of 6 months had lower value of moisture and protein.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=De Palo|first=P.|last2=Maggiolino|first2=A.|last3=Centoducati|first3=P.|last4=Tateo|first4=A.|date=November 2013|title=Slaughtering Age Effect on Carcass Traits and Meat Quality of Italian Heavy Draught Horse Foals|journal=Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences|volume=26|issue=11|pages=1637–1643|doi=10.5713/ajas.2013.13174|issn=1011-2367|pmc=4093806|pmid=25049752}}</ref> ==In various countries== In 2009, a British agriculture industry website reported these horse meat production levels in various countries: {|class="wikitable sortable" |+{{nowrap|Horse meat production levels}}<br />as of 2009<ref name=farminguk2009-01-17>{{cite web|url=http://www.farminguk.com/news/Argentina-Horse-Meat-world-production-figures._10249.html |title=Argentina-Horse Meat world production figures, Farming UK, January 17, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2011 |publisher=Farminguk.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> |- !Country !! Tons per year |- |[[Mexico]] || 78,000 |- |[[Argentina]] || 57,000 |- |[[Kazakhstan]] || 55,000 |- |[[Mongolia]] || 38,000 |- |[[Kyrgyzstan]] || 25,000 |- |[[Australia]] || 24,000 |- |[[Brazil]] || 21,000 |- |[[Canada]] || 18,000 |- |[[Poland]] || 18,000 |- |[[Italy]] || 16,000* |- |[[Romania]] || 14,000 |- |[[Chile]] || 10,000 |- |[[France]] || 7,500 |- |[[Uruguay]] || 8,000 |- |[[Senegal]] || 9,500 |- |[[Colombia]] || 6,000 |- |[[Spain]] || 5,000* |} :<small>*Including donkeys</small> ===Asia-Pacific=== ====Australia==== Australians do not generally eat horse meat, although they have a horse slaughter industry that exports to Japan, Europe, and Russia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/143912568/Exporting-red-meat-to-Russia-Understanding-the-context |title=Exporting red meat to Russia: Understanding the context |publisher=Australian National Internships Program |date=7 October 2010 |accessdate=2013-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210051641/http://www.scribd.com/doc/143912568/Exporting-red-meat-to-Russia-Understanding-the-context |archive-date=10 December 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Horse meat exports peaked at 9,327 tons 1986, declining to 3,000 tons in 2003. They are at Peterborough in South Australia (SAMEX Peterborough Pty Ltd) and Caboolture Abattoir in Queensland (Meramist Pty Ltd).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.optimail.com.au/berrime/slaughter.htm |title=Horse slaughter and horsemeat: the facts |publisher=Optimail.com.au |accessdate=2013-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416155220/http://optimail.com.au/berrime/slaughter.htm |archive-date=2011-04-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A British agriculture industry website reported that Australian horse meat production levels had risen to 24,000 tons by 2009.<ref name=farminguk2009-01-17 /> On 30 June 2010, Western Australian Agriculture Minister [[Terry Redman]] granted final approval to [[Western Australia]] butcher Vince Garreffa to sell horse meat for human consumption. Nedlands restaurateur Pierre Ichallalene announced plans to do a taster on [[Bastille Day]] and to put horse meat dishes on the menu if the reaction is good. Redman said that the government would "consider extending approvals should the public appetite for horse demand it".<ref name=thewest7492421>{{cite web|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/latest/7492421/butcher-gives-horse-meat-a-run/ |title=Butcher gives horse meat a run |publisher=Au.news.yahoo.com |date=2010-07-01 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Vince Garreffa is the owner of Mondo Di Carne, a major wholesale meat supplier, which supplies many cafes, restaurants, and hotels in Western Australia.<ref>[http://www.mondo.net.au/data/retail.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026030031/http://www.mondo.net.au/data/retail.html|date=October 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.mondo.net.au/data/wholesale.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130151420/http://www.mondo.net.au/data/wholesale.html|date=January 30, 2010}}</ref> He commented that no domestic market exists for horse meat, but a successful export market exists, of which he believes Western Australia should have a share.<ref name=thewest7492421 /> In October 2019, the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] revealed that thousands of retired racehorses were being slaughtered annually for the export market in human consumption. Each year, about 8,500 horses are retired from racing, many of which are slaughtered.<ref>{{cite news|last=Meldrum-Hanna |first=Caro |url=https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/the-dark-side-of-the-horse-racing-industry/11614022 |title=The dark side of the horse racing industry |work=[[7.30]] |publisher=ABC News (Australia) |date=17 Oct 2019 |accessdate=12 February 2020}}</ref> Overall, {{As of|2012|lc=y}}, about 94,000 horses were annually slaughtered, presumably including animals whose meat does not enter the human food chain. <ref>[https://www.hsi.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/pdfs/Horses_meatproduction_Australia_NewZealand.pdf Horsemeat production in Australia and New Zealand]. [[Humane Society International]], 2014, p.2. Retrieved 12 February 2020</ref> ====China==== {{See also|Chinese cuisine}} Outside of specific areas in China, such as [[Guilin]] in [[Guangxi]] or in [[Yunnan|Yunnan Province]], horse meat is not popular due to its low availability and rumors that horse meat tastes bad or it is bad for health. Because the ''[[Compendium of Materia Medica]]'' written during the [[Ming dynasty]] by [[Li Shizhen]] indicates that horse meat is poisonous and may cause [[folliculitis]] or [[death]].<ref name="bencao">[[Li Shizhen]], ''the [[Compendium of Materia Medica]]''(《{{lang|zh|本草綱目}}》) Chapter ''Shou'' Wild mammal one({{lang|zh|獸之一}}), Ming dynasty [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%9C%AC%E8%8D%89%E7%B6%B1%E7%9B%AE/%E7%8D%B8%E4%B9%8B%E4%B8%80#.E9.A6.AC]</ref> The compendium also asserts, "To relieve toxin caused by eating horse meat, one can drink [[Phragmites]] root juice and eat [[apricot kernel]]." Today, in southern China, locally famous dishes include horse meat [[rice noodles]] ({{Lang|zh|马肉米粉}}; Pinyin: ''mǎròu mǐfěn'') in Guilin and horse meat [[hot pot]] ({{Lang|zh|马肉火锅}}; Pinyin: ''mǎròu huǒguō'') in [[Huishui County]] in [[Guizhou]] Province. ====Indonesia==== {{See also|Indonesian cuisine}} [[File:Horse Satay.JPG|thumb|''Sate kuda'', horse [[satay]] served in [[Yogyakarta]], Indonesia]] In [[Indonesia]], one type of [[satay]] (chunks of skewered grilled meat served with spicy sauce) known as horse satay ([[Javanese language|Javanese]]:''sate jaran'', [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]:''sate kuda'') is made from horse meat. This delicacy from [[Yogyakarta]] is served with sliced fresh [[shallot]], [[pepper corn|pepper]], and [[sweet soy sauce]].<ref> {{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | vauthors = | title = Lesehan Jaran - Jogja | website = | publisher = | date = April 2, 2007 | url = http://ngincip.blogspot.com/2007/04/lesehan-jaran-jogja.html | doi = | accessdate = }} </ref> ====Japan==== {{See also|Japanese cuisine}} [[File:Horse-meat.jpg|thumb|''[[Basashi]]'' from [[Kumamoto, Kumamoto|Kumamoto]]]] [[File:Sakura nabe (3296782416).jpg|thumb|Sakura nabe, horse meat for the [[hot pot]]]] In [[Japanese cuisine]], raw horse meat is called {{Nihongo3||桜|sakura}} or {{Nihongo3|''sakura'' means "[[cherry blossom]]", ''niku'' means "meat"|桜肉|sakuraniku}} because of its pink color. It can be served raw as ''[[sashimi]]'' in thin slices dipped in soy sauce, often with ginger and onions added.<ref>''[[Metropolis (free magazine)|Metropolis]]'', "Straight From the Horse's Mouth", #903, 15 July 2011, pp. 12-13.</ref> In this case, it is called {{Nihongo|'''''basashi'''''|馬刺し}}. ''Basashi'' is popular in some regions of Japan and is often served at ''[[izakaya]]'' bars. 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 {{Nihongo|''baniku''|馬肉||literally "horse meat"}} or {{Nihongo|''bagushi''|馬串||"skewered horse"}}; thin slices of raw horse meat are sometimes served wrapped in a [[perilla|shiso leaf]]. [[Kumamoto prefecture|Kumamoto]], [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]], and [[Ōita Prefecture|Ōita]] are famous for ''basashi'', and it is common in the [[Tōhoku region]], as well. Some types of canned "corned meat" in Japan include horse as one of the ingredients.<ref>[http://www.puntofocal.gov.ar/notific_otros_miembros/jpn163_t.pdf Brief Overview of the Draft Revision of Quality Labeling Standard for Canned and Bottled Livestock Products], Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (from [http://www.puntofocal.gov.ar/ PuntoFocal Argentina]).</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moit.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/AFFC01EB-9F99-4C1D-AA7F-6F52C1DD6155/0/Not0116JPN163.doc |title=NOTIFICATION, World Trade Organization, 16 January 2006 |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406083757/http://www.moit.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/AFFC01EB-9F99-4C1D-AA7F-6F52C1DD6155/0/Not0116JPN163.doc |archive-date=6 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Aside from raising local draft horses for meat,<ref>[http://www.maff.go.jp/j/chikusan/kikaku/lin/pdf/27_zentai.pdf] 88% percent of this industry is concentrated to Hokkaido and trend is decreasing.(pg. 2, classification "農用馬")(Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)</ref><ref>[http://www.maff.go.jp/j/chikusan/kikaku/lin/pdf/uma_siryou4.pdf 馬の改良増殖等をめぐる情勢 平成26年6月](pg. 2, 8.)(Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)</ref> Japan imports living horses (from Canada) and meat from several countries — the five largest horse meat exporters to Japan are Canada, Mexico, Italy, Argentina, and Brazil.<ref name="maff.go.jp">[http://www.maff.go.jp/j/chikusan/kikaku/lin/pdf/27_6_baniku.pdf] 馬肉関係- Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(pg. 77, 78)</ref> ====Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan==== {{See also|Kazakh cuisine|Kyrgyz cuisine}} In [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]], horse meat is a large part of the diet, due mainly to the nomadic roots of the population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Kazakhstan.html |title=Food in Kazakhstan |publisher=Foodbycountry.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Some of the dishes include sausages called ''[[kazy]]'' and ''[[sujuk|chuchuk]]'' or ''shuzhyk'' made from the meat using the guts as the sausage skin, ''zhaya'' made from hip meat, which is smoked and boiled, ''[[zhal|jal (or zhal)]]'' made from neck fat which is smoked and boiled, ''karta'' made from a section of the rectum that is smoked and boiled, and ''sur-et'' which is kept as dried meat.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080610023546/http://www.zheruik.kz/rus/traditions/meet1.php Horse meat dishes in Kazakhstan]. Retrieved 13 January 2009. (archived from [http://www.zheruik.kz/rus/traditions/meet1.php the original] on 2008-06-10)</ref> ====Mongolia==== {{See also|Mongolian cuisine}} <ref>{{Cite book |title=Mongolia |author=Michael Kohn |publisher=Lonely Planet |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-74104-578-9 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7JVGCF–MPB0C&pg=PA43 43] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7JVGCF-MPB0C }}</ref> Salted horse meat sausages called ''kazy'' are produced as a regional delicacy by the Kazakhs. Generally, Mongols prefer beef and mutton (though during the extremely cold Mongolian winter, some people prefer horse meat due to its low cholesterol). It is kept unfrozen, and traditionally people think horse meat helps warm them up.<ref>[http://www.khaliuntravel.com/what-to-eat-in-mongolia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322222557/http://www.khaliuntravel.com/what-to-eat-in-mongolia|date=March 22, 2010}}</ref> Other Asian nations import processed horse meat from Mongolia.<ref name="maff.go.jp"/><ref>[http://www.eng.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/eng/news/default.aspx?cat_id=619&news_id=3032] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214040505/http://www.eng.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/eng/news/default.aspx?cat_id=619&news_id=3032|date=February 14, 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.canada-mongolia-connection.com/meat-production-in-mongolia.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603092722/http://www.canada-mongolia-connection.com/meat-production-in-mongolia.html|date=June 3, 2013}}</ref> ====Philippines==== In the [[Philippines]], horse meat (''lukba'', ''tapang kabayo'', or ''kabayo'') is a delicacy commonly sold in wet markets. The method of preparation, which is very common, includes marinating the meat in ''[[calamansi]]'' or lemon juice, ''toyo'' (soy sauce), and ''[[patis (sauce)|patís]]'' (fish sauce). It is then fried and served, and often dipped into [[vinegar]] to give the meat a tart flavour. ====South Korea==== {{further|Korean cuisine}} [[File:Malgogi-yukhoe.jpg|thumb|Korean ''Malgogi-[[yukhoe]]'' (horse meat tartare)]] In [[South Korea]], horse meat is generally not eaten, but raw horse meat, usually taken from the neck, is consumed as a delicacy on [[Jeju Island]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1058 |title=Full horse course an unforgettable experience |publisher=Jejuweekly.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref><ref>[http://www.koreana.or.kr/months/news_view.asp?b_idx=1373&lang=en&page_type=list Exploring Jeju’s Savory Delicacies], koreana.or.kr</ref> ====Tonga==== {{unreferenced section|date=February 2011}} In [[Tonga]], horsemeat or ''lo'i ho'osi'' is much more than just a delicacy; the consumption of horsemeat is generally only reserved for special occasions. These special occasions may include the death of an important family member or community member or as a form of celebration during the birthday of an important family member or perhaps the visitation of someone important, such as the king of Tonga. In Tonga, a horse is one of the most valuable animals a family can own because of its use as a beast of burden. Tonga has long lacked land area compared with its population, so the missionaries introduced horsemeat in lieu of cattle. Therefore, the slaughter of one's horse for consumption becomes a moment of immense homage to the person or event for which the horse was slain. Despite a [[diaspora]] into Western countries such as Australia <!-- the USA, --> and New Zealand, where consumption of horsemeat is generally taboo, Tongans still practice the consumption of horse meat perhaps even more so because it is more readily available and more affordable. ===Europe=== [[File:Big Hero steak.jpg|thumb|right|A horse meat steak served at restaurant Oklahoma, [[Vantaa]], [[Finland]]]] In 2013, horse meat and traces of horse DNA were found in some food products where the meat ingredient was labelled as beef, sparking the [[2013 meat adulteration scandal]] across Europe and other parts of the world. ====Austria==== {{See also|Austrian cuisine}} [[File:Pferdeleberkäse Ad.jpg|thumb|right|Fast-food shop selling horse ''[[Leberkäse]]'' (''Pferdeleberkäse'') in [[Vienna]]]] Horse ''[[Leberkäse]]'' is available in special horse [[butchery|butcheries]] and occasionally at various stands, sold in a bread roll. Dumplings can also be prepared with horse meat, spinach, or Tyrolean ''Graukäse'' (a sour milk cheese). Such dumplings are occasionally eaten on their own, in a soup, or as a side dish. ====Belgium==== {{See also|Belgian cuisine}} In Belgium, horse meat (''paardenvlees'' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and ''viande chevaline'' in French) is popular in a number of preparations. Lean, smoked, and sliced horse meat fillet (''paardenrookvlees'' or ''paardengerookt''; ''filet chevalin'' in French) is served as a [[cold cut]] with sandwiches or as part of a cold salad. Horse steaks can be found in most butchers and are used in a variety of preparations. The city of [[Vilvoorde]] has a few restaurants specialising in dishes prepared with horse meat. Horse sausage is a well-known local specialty in [[Lokeren]] and [[Dendermonde]] with European recognition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streekproduct.be/producten/detail.phtml?id=18&start=54& |title=Lokerse paardenworsten |publisher=Streekproduct.be |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Smoked or dried horse/pork meat sausage, similar to salami, is sold in a square shape to be distinguished from pork and/or beef sausages.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Janssens | first1 = M. | last2 = Myter | first2 = N. | last3 = De Vuyst | first3 = L. | last4 = Leroy | first4 = F. | title = Species diversity and metabolic impact of the microbiota are low in spontaneously acidified Belgian sausages with an added starter culture of ''Staphylococcus carnosus'' | doi = 10.1016/j.fm.2011.07.005 | journal = Food Microbiology | volume = 29 | issue = 2 | pages = 167–177 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22202870 | pmc = }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Janssens | first1 = M. | last2 = Myter | first2 = N. | last3 = De Vuyst | first3 = L. | last4 = Leroy | first4 = F. | title = Species diversity and metabolic impact of the microbiota are low in spontaneously acidified Belgian sausages with an added starter culture of Staphylococcus carnosus | doi = 10.1016/j.fm.2011.07.005 | journal = Food Microbiology | volume = 29 | issue = 2 | pages = 167–177 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22202870| pmc = }}</ref> A Flemish region around the [[Rupel]] River is also famous for a horse [[stew]] named ''schep'', made out of shoulder chuck (or similar cuts), brown ale, onions, and mustard. ''Schep'' is typically served with fries, mayonnaise, and a salad of raw [[Belgian endive]]. ====Bulgaria==== {{See also|Bulgarian cuisine}} Horse meat is served in some restaurants in Bulgaria, as the preferred way of consuming it is in the form of steaks and burgers. Still being far from a meat for mass consumption, horse beef is regaining its popularity, which it had in the '60s and '70s of the past century, when it was also consumed in sausages and ''tartare''. ====France==== [[File:Jielbeaumadier contrefilet de cheval 2010.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Entrecôte]]'' of horse meat, in France]] [[File:Chevaline Pezenas.jpg|thumb|280|A butcher shop specializing in horse meat in Pezenas, Languedoc, France]] {{See also|French cuisine}}In France, specialized butcher shops (''boucheries chevalines'') sell horse meat, as ordinary butcher shops were for a long time forbidden to deal in it. However, since the 1990s, it can be found in supermarket butcher shops and others. Horse meat was eaten in large amounts during the 1870 [[Siege of Paris (1870–1871)|Siege of Paris]], when it was included in ''[[haute cuisine]]'' menus. ====Germany==== {{See also|German cuisine}} Although no taboo comparable to that in the English-speaking world exists, German law used to prescribe that horse meat be sold only by specialized butchers (''Pferdemetzgereien''). This prescription was abolished in 1993, but only a small minority of ordinary butchers have since begun to sell horse meat. Most horse meat is still sold by the specialists, some of whom also deliver by mail order.<ref>[http://www.pferd-und-fleisch.de/pferdeflsh/laden1.htm Pferd und Fleisch], information portal for German horse-meat customers.</ref> Many regions of Germany have traditional recipes that include horse meat. In the [[Rhineland]] around Cologne and Düsseldorf, restaurants often offer the traditional ''[[Sauerbraten]]'' in horse meat, typically with a beef variant to choose from. Other traditional horse meat dishes include the [[Swabia]]n ''Pferderostbraten'' (a joint of roast meat prepared similarly to roast beef), [[Bavaria]]n sausage varieties such as ''Rosswurst'' and ''Ross-Kochsalami'' as well as ''Ross-Leberkäse'', a meatloaf dish. The [[2013 meat adulteration scandal]] started when German authorities detected horse meat in prepared food products including frozen lasagna, where it was declared fraudulently as beef. The mislabeling prompted EU authorities to speed up publication of European Commission recommendations for labeling the origin of all processed meat.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/german-press-review-on-the-horsemeat-scandal-in-frozen-foods-a-883637.html German Press Review] Spiegel.de, Retrieved 04/17/2013</ref> ====Hungary==== {{See also|Hungarian cuisine}} In [[Hungary]], horse meat is primarily used in salami and sausages, usually mixed with pork, but also in goulashes and other stews. These products are sold in most supermarkets and many butcher shops. ====Iceland==== {{See also|Cuisine of Iceland}} In Iceland, it is both eaten minced and as steak, also used in [[stew]]s and [[fondue]], prized for its strong flavor. It has a particular role in the culture and history of the island. The people of Iceland supposedly were reluctant to embrace Christianity for some time largely over the issue of giving up horse meat after [[Pope Gregory III]] banned horse meat consumption in 732 AD, as it was a major part of many pagan rites and sacrifice in Northern Europe. Horse meat consumption was banned when the pagan Norse [[Icelanders]] eventually [[Christianisation of Iceland#Adoption by arbitration|adopted Christianity]] in 1000 AD. The ban became so ingrained that most people would not handle horse meat, let alone consume it. Even during harsh famines in the 18th century, most people would not eat horse meat, and those who did were castigated. In 1757, the ban was decriminalised, but general distaste for horse meat lasted well into the 19th century, possibly longer, and its consumption often regarded as an indication of poverty. Even today horse meat is not popular (3.2% of Iceland’s meat production in 2015), although this has more to do with culinary tradition and the popularity of equestrianism than any religious vestiges. ====Italy==== [[File:macelleria equina venezia.jpg|thumb|right|[[Venice|Venetian]] horse meat [[butcher]]]] {{See also|Italian cuisine}} Horse meat is especially popular in [[Lombardia]], [[Veneto]], [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]], [[Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol]], [[Parma]], [[Apulia]], and the islands of [[Sardinia]] and [[Sicily]]. Horse meat is used in a variety of recipes: as a stew called ''pastissada'' (typical of [[Verona]]), served as steaks, as ''[[carpaccio]]'', or made into ''[[bresaola]]''. Thin strips of horse meat called ''sfilacci'' are popular. Horse fat is used in recipes such as ''[[b:Cookbook:Pezzetti di Cavallo|pezzetti di cavallo]]''. Horse meat sausages and salamis are traditional in various places. In Sardinia, ''sa petza 'e cuaddu'' or ''sa petha (d)e caddu'' (''[[campidanese]]'' and ''[[logudorese]]'' for horse meat) is one of the most renowned meats and sometimes is sold from kiosks with bread - also in the town of [[Sassari]] is a long tradition of eating horse steaks (''carri di cabaddu'' in the local dialect). Chefs and consumers tend to prize its uniqueness by serving it as rare as possible. [[Donkey]] is also cooked, for example as a stew called ''stracotto d'asino'' and as meat for sausages e.g. ''mortadella d'asino''. The [[Province of Parma#Cuisine|cuisine of Parma]] features a horsemeat ''[[tartare]]'' called ''pesto di cavallo'', as well as various cooked dishes.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jason McBride |url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/eatingweird/2009/07/03/heigh-ho-silver/ |title=Heigh ho, Silver - Eating Weird: Exploring Strange and Unusual Food in Seattle |publisher=Blog.seattlepi.com |date=2009-07-03 |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dolcideleddaintavola.blogspot.com/2011/03/pesto-di-cavallo.html |title=deledda's kitchen: pesto di cavallo |publisher=Dolcideleddaintavola.blogspot.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-09}}</ref> In Veneto, the consumption of horse meat dates back to at least 1000 BC to the [[Adriatic Veneti]], renowned for their horse-breeding skills. They were used to sacrifice horses to their goddess [[Reitia]] or to the mythical hero [[Diomedes]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O7z4Sl-SgFEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage |title=The Latin Language - Leonard Robert Palmer - Google Libri |accessdate=2014-02-09|isbn=9780806121369 |year=1988 |last1=Palmer |first1=Leonard Robert }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hx7UigqsTKoC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=runic+amulets+and+magic+objects |title=Runic Amulets and Magic Objects - Mindy MacLeod, Bernard Mees - Google Books |accessdate=2014-02-09|isbn=9781843832058 |year=2006 |last1=MacLeod |first1=Mindy |last2=Mees |first2=Bernard }}</ref> Throughout the classical period, Veneto established itself as a centre for horse breeding in Italy; Venetian horses were provided for the cavalry and carriage of the [[Roman legion]]s, with the white Venetic horses becoming famous among Greeks and Romans as one of the best breeds for [[circus]] racing.<ref>An early History of Horsemanship by Augusto Azzaroli. Brill 1985. p 135-138</ref> As well as breeding horses for military and farming applications, the Venetics also used them for consumption throughout the Roman period, a practice that established the consumption of horse meat as a tradition in [[Venetian cuisine]]. In the modern age, horse meat is considered a luxury item and is widely available through supermarkets and butcheries, with some specialised butcheries offering only selected cuts of equine meat. Prices are usually higher than beef, pork, or any other kind of meat, except game. [[File:Sfilacci di cavallo.jpg|thumb|right|Typical [[Paduan]] specialty: horse ''sfilacci'', smoked and salt-cured "frayed threads" of meat]] In the Province of [[Padua]], horse meat is a key element of the local cuisine, particularly in the area that extends southeast from the city, historically called [[Saccisica]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20130413113212/http://www.turismopadova.it/menu-en/scoprire-padova/padova-da-gustare-1/itinerari-del-gusto/Enogastronomia%20cintura%20orientale%20e%20Saccisica?set_language=en&cl=en Saccisica and Conselvano] Official site of the Padua Province. Tourist Section.</ref> Specialties based on horse meat constitute the main courses and best attractions of several typical restaurants in the zone. They are also served among other regional delicacies at the food stands of many local festivals, related to civil and religious anniversaries. Most notable is the ''Festa del Cavallo'', held annually in the small town of [[Legnaro]] and totally dedicated to horses, included their consumption for food. Some traditional dishes are: *''Sfilacci di cavallo'': tiny frayings of horse meat, dried and seasoned; to be consumed raw, can be a light and quick snack, more popular as a topping on other dishes: ex. pasta, risotto, pizza, salads, etc. [[File:6232675-Horse meat stew Padova.jpg|thumb|Cavàeo in Umido (traditional horsemeat stew from [[Padua]]) with grilled polenta]] *''Straéca'': a thin soft horse steak, cut from the diaphragm, variously cooked and dressed on the grill, pan or hot-plate *''Bistecca di puledro'' colt steak, whose preparation is similar to ''straéca'' *''Spezzatino di cavallo'' also said ''cavàeo in umido'', small chunks of horse meat, stewed with onion, parsley and/or other herbs and flavours, potatoes, broth, wine, etc., usually consumed with [[polenta]], much appreciated also is a similar stew made of donkey meat, served in traditional [[trattoria|trattorie]], with many variations for different villages: ''spessadin de musso'', ''musso in umido'', ''musso in tocio'', ''musso in pocio'' *''Prosciutto di cavallo'': horse [[ham]], served in very thin slices *''Salame di cavallo'' or ''salsiccia di cavallo'': various kinds of [[salami]], variously produced or seasoned, sometimes made of pure equine meat, sometimes mixed with others (beef or pork) *''[[Bigoli]] al sugo di cavallo'': a typical form of fresh pasta, similar to thick rough spaghetti, dressed with sauce like [[Bolognese sauce]], but made with minced horse meat *''Pezzetti di cavallo al sugo'': horse stew, seasoned with sauce, vegetables and various peperocino, widely used in the [[Salento]] [[File:Spezzatino di cavallo.jpg|thumb|right|Chunks (pezzetti) of horse stew (''spezzatino di cavallo'')]] In southern Italy, horse meat is commonly eaten everywhere - especially in the region of [[Apulia]], where it is considered a delicacy.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fabio Parasecoli|title=Food culture in Italy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uWlCT5Hs8YwC|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-32726-1|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=uWlCT5Hs8YwC&pg=PA86 86]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Paula Hardy|author2=Abigail Hole|author3=Olivia Pozzan|title=Puglia & Basilicata|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e8OEt_xn0nkC|year=2008|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74179-089-4|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=e8OEt_xn0nkC&pg=PA42 42]}}</ref> It is often a vital part of the ''ragù barese'' ({{IPA-it|raˈɡu baˈreːze|}}) in [[Bari]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theitaliantaste.com/italian-cooking/carne/cavallo/ricette-recipe/cav001_apulia_brasciole.php|title=Brasciole or meat rolls filled with pecorino and fat: Authentic Italian recipe of Apulia|publisher=theitaliantaste.com}}</ref> According to British food writer [[Matthew Fort]], "The taste for donkey and horse goes back to the days when these animals were part of everyday agricultural life. In the frugal, unsentimental manner of agricultural communities, all the animals were looked on as a source of protein. Waste was not an option."<ref>Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa by [[Matthew Fort]]. 2005, p253-254. {{ISBN|0-00-721481-2}}</ref> ====Malta==== {{See also|Maltese cuisine}} In [[Malta]], horse meat ({{lang-mt|laħam taż-żiemel}}) is seared and slowly cooked for hours in either tomato or red wine sauce. A few horse meat shops still exist and it is still served in some restaurants.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Malta & Gozo |author=Carolyn Bain |year=2004 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1740591782 |url=https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetmalt00caro |url-access=registration |accessdate=2007-09-14 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetmalt00caro/page/56 56] |quote=Did you know? Many of the village restaurants specialising in rabbit also feature horse meat on their menu. }}</ref> ====Netherlands==== {{See also|Dutch cuisine}} [[File:Horse meat in package.JPG|thumb|Sliced and packaged horse meat from the Netherlands]]In the Netherlands, smoked horse meat (''paardenrookvlees'') is sold as sliced meat and eaten on bread. ''Zuurvlees'', a southern Dutch stew, is made with horse meat as main ingredient. There are also beef-based variants. Horse meat is also used in sausages (''paardenworst'' and ''[[frikandel]]''),<ref>[http://www.brabantsdagblad.nl/regios/brabant/4534973/Deurnese-vinding-de-frikandel.ece] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310113957/http://www.brabantsdagblad.nl/regios/brabant/4534973/Deurnese-vinding-de-frikandel.ece|date=March 10, 2012}}</ref> fried fast food snacks and ready-to-eat soups.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streekproduct.be/producten/detail.phtml?id=18&start=54& |title=Lokerse paardenworsten |publisher=Streekproduct.be |date= |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.nieuwsblad.be/Article/Detail.aspx?articleID=111hv83f |title=Erkende Lokerse paardenworst wil Europees |publisher=Nieuwsblad.be |date=2007-09-28 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> ====Norway==== {{See also|Norwegian cuisine}} In Norway, horse meat is commonly used in cured meats, such as ''vossakorv'' and ''svartpølse'', and less commonly as steak, ''hestebiff''. In pre-Christian Norway, horse was seen as an expensive animal. To eat a horse was to show one had great wealth, and to sacrifice a horse to the gods was seen as the greatest gift one could give. When Norwegians adopted Christianity, horse eating became taboo as it was a religious act for pagans, thus it was considered a sign of heresy.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jochens|first=Jenny |title=Women in Old Norse Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3h-lkgBWercC&pg=PA87|year=1998|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-0-8014-8520-6|pages=87–88}}</ref> ====Poland==== {{See also|Polish cuisine}} Older horses are often exported [[Livestock transportation|on the hoof]] to Italy to be slaughtered. This practice is considered controversial. Horses in Poland are treated mostly as companions, and the majority of Poles are against live export for slaughter.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} Poland has a tradition of eating horse meat (e.g., sausage or steak ''tartare''). The consumption of horse meat was highest at times when other meat was scarce, such as during the [[Second World War]] and the [[Polish People's Republic|communist period]] that followed it).{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} ====Serbia==== {{See also|Serbian cuisine}} Horse meat is generally available in [[Serbia]], though mostly shunned in traditional cuisine. It is, however, often recommended by general practitioners to persons who suffer from [[anemia]]. It is available to buy at three green markets in [[Belgrade]], a market in [[Niš]], and in several cities in ethnically mixed [[Vojvodina]], where [[Hungarians|Hungarian]] and previously [[Germans|German]] traditions brought the usage. ====Slovenia==== {{See also|Slovenian cuisine}} [[File:Horse meat hamburger at restaurant Hot' Horse, Ljubljana, Slovenia.jpg|thumb|right|A horse meat hamburger in restaurant Hot' Horse, [[Ljubljana, Slovenia]]: Horse meat is a national delicacy in Slovenia.]] Horse meat is generally available in [[Slovenia]], and is highly popular in the traditional cuisine, especially in the central region of [[Carniola]] and in the [[Karst Plateau|Karst]] region. Colt steak (''žrebičkov zrezek'') is also highly popular, especially in Slovenia's capital [[Ljubljana]], where it is part of the city's traditional regional cuisine. In Ljubljana, many restaurants sell burgers and meat that contain large amounts of horse meat, including a fast-food chain called Hot' Horse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ljubljana-life.com/eat/restaurants_details/96-Hot_Horse |title=Hot Horse |publisher=ljubljana-life.com |accessdate=2007-12-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sloveniatimes.com/en/inside.cp2?uid=9233471E-2FB7-2359-C795-B29EDCF6A4A2&linkid=news&cid=762059D5-F84D-020A-FBA5-2AD66B5F38CB |title=Taste Ljubljana—Capital Ideas |date=14 December 2006 |author=Dan Ryan |accessdate=2007-12-03|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210033450/http://www.sloveniatimes.com/en/inside.cp2?uid=9233471E-2FB7-2359-C795-B29EDCF6A4A2&linkid=news&cid=762059D5-F84D-020A-FBA5-2AD66B5F38CB|archivedate=2008-02-10}}</ref> ====Spain==== {{See also|Spanish cuisine}} [[Cecina (meat)|''Cecina'']] is a cured meat made from beef or horse, and is considered a delicacy. [[Foal]] meat (''carne de potro'') is preferred over horse meat for this purpose. Horse meat is easily found in supermarkets, and usually prepared as a stew or as steak. A common practice is to serve horse meat to [[iron-deficiency anemia|anemic]] children. Although no generalized taboo exists in Spain, consumption of horse meat is minor, compared to that of pork, beef, or lamb. ====Sweden==== {{See also|Swedish cuisine}} Smoked, cured horse meat is widely available as a [[cold cut]] under the name ''hamburgerkött'' (literally hamburger meat). It tends to be very thinly sliced and fairly salty, slightly reminiscent of deli-style ham, and as a packaged meat, may list horsemeat (as ''hästkött'') as its primary ingredient.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rlklam.blogspot.com/2009/01/please-pass-horse.html|title=Please Pass the Horse|publisher=rlklam.blogspot.com|date=2009-01-19}}</ref> Several varieties of smoked sausage made from horse meat, including ''Gustafskorv'', are also quite popular, especially in the province of [[Dalarna]], where they are produced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americulinariska.com/2014/10/20/gustafskorv-horse-meat/|title=A HORSE of Course! Horse Meat in Sweden (Gustafskorv)|date=October 20, 2014|publisher=americulinariska.com}}</ref> ''Gustafskorv'', similar to salami or ''[[metworst]]'', may substitiute for those meats in sandwiches. ====Switzerland==== {{See also|Swiss cuisine}} The laws on foodstuffs of animal origin in [[Switzerland]] explicitly list [[equine]]s as an animal type allowed for the production of food.<ref>[[Federal Department of Home Affairs (Switzerland)|FDHA]] Ordinance of 23 November 2005 on food of animal origin, [http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/817_022_108/a2.html Art.2].</ref> Horse steak is known and eaten. A marinated, smoked [[cold cuts|deli meat]] specialty known as ''[[:de:Mostbröckli]]'' is made here with beef or horse meat. Horse meat is also used for a range of sausages in the German-speaking north of Switzerland. As in northern Italy, in Switzerland's Italian-speaking south, local ''salametti'' (sausages) may be made with horse meat. Horse may also be used in [[Fondue#Fondue Bourguignonne|''fondue Bourguignonne'']]. ====United Kingdom==== {{see also|British cuisine|2013 meat adulteration scandal}} In the United Kingdom, the slaughter, preparation, and consumption of horses for food is not against the law, although it has been rare since the 1930s, and horse meat is not generally available. A cultural taboo against consuming horse meat exists in the UK, although it was eaten when other meats were scarce, such as during times of war,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/foodprogramme_20040425.shtml |title=BBC Radio 4 - Factual - Food Programme - 11 April 2004 |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2004-04-11 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/25/a7269825.shtml |title=WW2 People's War - Horsemeat, A Wedding Treat |publisher=BBC |date=2005-11-25 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> as was [[whale meat]], which similarly failed to achieve popularity. The sale of meat labelled as horse meat in UK supermarkets and butchers is minimal, and most actual horse meat consumed in the UK is imported from Europe, predominantly from the [[south of France]], where it is more widely eaten.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/06/nramsay06.xml |title=We Should Eat Horse Meat|work=[[Daily Telegraph]] |date= |accessdate= |location=London}}</ref> Horse meat may be eaten without the knowledge of the consumer, due to accidental or [[fraud]]ulent introduction of horse meat into human food. A 2003 [[Food Standards Agency]] investigation revealed that certain sausages, salami, and similar products such as [[chorizo]] and [[pastrami]] sometimes contained horse meat without it being listed,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2963554.stm |title=Horse meat found in salami |publisher=BBC News |date=June 4, 2003 |accessdate= }}</ref> although listing is legally required.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.food.gov.uk/foodlabelling/ull/ |title=[ARCHIVED CONTENT&#93; Food Standards Agency - Labelling rules |publisher=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk |accessdate=2013-02-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720141827/http://www.food.gov.uk/foodlabelling/ull/ |archivedate=2008-07-20 }}</ref> The [[2013 horse meat scandal]] involved multiple products being recalled from shelves due to unlabelled horse meat in amounts up to 100% of the meat content.<ref name=bbcconf>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21375594 |title= Findus beef lasagne contained up to 100% horsemeat, FSA says |date=7 February 2013 |accessdate=7 February 2013|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Horse meat was featured in a segment of a 2007 episode of the [[Gordon Ramsay]] series ''[[The F Word (TV series)|The F Word]]''. In the segment, [[Janet Street-Porter]] convinced locals to try horse meat, though not before facing controversy and being forced to move her stand to a privately owned location. The meat was presented as having a similar taste to beef, but with less fat, a high concentration of [[omega-3 fatty acid]]s, and as a safer alternative in times of worry regarding [[Avian influenza|bird flu]] and [[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy|mad cow disease]]. The segment was met with skepticism from many viewers after broadcast for various reasons, either because some felt the practice was cruel and against social norms, or simply a belief that if the taste was really on par with other meats, then people would already be eating it.<ref name="thefword">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1550742/We-should-eat-horse-meat-says-Ramsay.html|title=We should eat horse meat, says Ramsay|first=David|last=Harrison|date=May 6, 2007|accessdate=July 24, 2016|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}</ref> ====Ukraine==== In Ukraine, especially in [[Crimea]] and other southern steppe regions, horse meat is consumed in the form of sausages called ''mahan'' and ''sudzhuk''. These particular sausages are traditional food of the [[Crimean Tatars|Crimean Tatar]] population.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} ===North America=== ====Canada==== {{See also|Canadian cuisine}} A thriving horse meat business exists in [[Quebec]]; the meat is available in most supermarket chains there.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/why-you-should-eat-horsemeat-its-delicious/article567009/?page=all|title=Why you should eat horsemeat: It's delicious|date=January 4, 2011|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref> Horse meat is also for sale at the other end of the country, in [[Granville Island]] Market in [[downtown Vancouver]], where according to a [[Time magazine|''Time'']] reviewer who smuggled it into the United States, it turned out to be a "sweet, rich, superlean, oddly soft meat, closer to beef than venison".<ref name=Time2007-02-08>{{cite news|last=Stein |first=Joel |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1587279,00.html |title=Horse — It's What's for Dinner|publisher=Time.com |date=2007-02-08 |accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Horse meat is also available in high-end [[Toronto]] butchers and supermarkets. Aside from the heritage of French cuisine at one end of the country, most of Canada shares the horse meat taboo with the rest of the [[English-speaking world]]. This mentality is especially evident in [[Alberta]], where strong [[horse racing]] and breeding industries and cultures have existed since the province's founding, although large numbers of horses are slaughtered for meat in Fort MacLeod,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tierschutzbund-zuerich.ch/en/investigation-reports/country/select_category/36.html |title=Investigation reports, Canada |publisher=Tierschutzbund Zürich TSB |location=Zurich, Switzerland |accessdate=2015-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629155935/https://www.tierschutzbund-zuerich.ch/en/investigation-reports/country/select_category/36.html |archive-date=2017-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and certain butchers in Calgary do sell it. The consumer protection show ''Kassensturz'' of Swiss television [[Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen|SRF]] together with Tier Schutz Bund, Zürich, reported on 19 February 2013 the bad treatment and brutal animal husbandry in Canadian horse meat farms in Fort MacLeod, Alberta,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tierschutzbund-zuerich.ch/en/investigation-reports/details/article/canada-fort-macleod-slaughterhouse-bouvry-exports-and-feedlots-1.html |title=Canada, Fort Macleod, Slaughterhouse Bouvry Exports and Feedlots |date=17 October 2012 |publisher=Tierschutzbund Zürich TSB |location=Zurich, Switzerland |accessdate=2015-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.srf.ch/konsum/themen/konsum/quaelerei-auf-pferdefarmen |title=Quälerei auf Pferdefarmen |trans-title=Cruelty to horse farms |author=Ursula Gabathuler |author2=Samira Zingaro |publisher=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF |date=22 February 2013 |language=German |location=Zurich, Switzerland |accessdate=2015-01-14}}</ref> consequently the import from such farms has been boycotted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migros.ch/de/medien/medienmitteilungen/aktuelle-meldungen-2014/kein-pferdefleisch-vom-produzenten-bouvry.html |title=Migros bezieht kein Pferdefleisch mehr vom Produzenten Bouvry aus Kanada |language=German |publisher=Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund |location=Zurich, Switzerland |date=6 June 2014 |accessdate=2015-01-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114212512/http://www.migros.ch/de/medien/medienmitteilungen/aktuelle-meldungen-2014/kein-pferdefleisch-vom-produzenten-bouvry.html |archivedate=14 January 2015 }}</ref> [[CBC News]] reported on March 10, 2013, that horse meat was also popular among some segments of Toronto's population. <!-- The article also reported that countries where horse meat is part of the diet include France, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Italy. --><ref name=CBC2013-03-10>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/03/10/toronto-horse-meat.html|title=Toronto restaurateurs say horse meat a prime dining choice|date=March 10, 2013|newspaper=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> ====United States==== {{See also|Horse slaughter#United States}} Horse meat is generally not eaten in the United States, and is banned in many states across the country. It holds a taboo in American culture very similar to the one found in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodreference.com/html/arthorsemeat.html|title=Horsemeat - Food Facts and History - Food Reference|work=foodreference.com}}</ref> All horse meat produced in the United States since the 1960s (until the last quarter of 2007) was intended solely for export abroad, primarily to the European Union. However, a thriving horse exportation business is going on in several states, including Texas, primarily exporting horses to slaughterhouses in either Canada or Mexico.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tierschutzbund-zuerich.ch/en/investigation-reports/country/select_category/37.html |title=Investigation reports, USA |publisher=Tierschutzbund Zürich (Animal Welfare Foundation) TSB |location=Zurich, Switzerland |accessdate=2015-01-14}}</ref> Restriction of human consumption of horse meat in the U.S. has generally involved legislation at local, state, and federal levels. Several states have enacted legislation either prohibiting the sale of horse meat or banning altogether the slaughter of horses. <!-- OUTDATED, as horse slaughter occurred until 2007 Texas, for example, banned in 1949 the sale of horsemeat, as well as the any trade operation, such as transportation, involving horse meat.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/AG/htm/AG.149.htm | title=Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 149 "Sale of Horsemeat for Human Consumption" | publisher=Texas Constitution and Statutes, State of Texas| year=1949 | accessdate=December 28, 2014}}</ref> --> [[California Proposition 6 (1998)]] was passed by state voters, outlawing the possession, transfer, reception, or holding any horse, pony, burro, or mule by a person who is aware that it will be used for human consumption, and making the slaughter of horses or the sale of horsemeat for human consumption a [[misdemeanor]] offense.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://vote98.sos.ca.gov/VoterGuide/Propositions/6.htm | title=Criminal Law. Prohibition on Slaughter of Horses and Sale of Horsemeat for Human Consumption. Initiative Statute. | publisher=California Secretary of State | year=1998 | accessdate=September 12, 2012 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224023712/http://vote98.sos.ca.gov/VoterGuide/Propositions/6.htm | archivedate=February 24, 2012 }}</ref> In 2007, the Illinois General Assembly enacted Public Act 95-02, ameding Chapter 225, Section 635 of the state's compiled statutes <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1381&ChapterID=24| title=225 ILCS 635 "Illinois Horse Meat Act" | publisher=Illinois General Assembly| year=2007 | accessdate=December 28, 2014}}</ref> to prohibit both the act of slaughtering equines for human consumption and the trade of any horse meat similarly to Texas Agriculture Code's Chapter 149. Other states banning horse slaughter or the sale of horse meat include New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. In addition, several other states introduced legislation to outlaw the practice over the years, such as Florida, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New York. At the federal level, since 2001, several bills have been regularly introduced in both the House and Senate to ban horse slaughter throughout the country without success. However, a budgetary provision banning the use of federal funds to carry out mandatory inspections at horse slaughter plants (necessary to allow interstate sale and exports of horse meat) has also been in place since 2007. This restriction was temporarily removed in 2011 as part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2012 <ref>{{cite news |title = Horse: Coming soon to a meat case near you? |url = http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/11/30/horse-coming-soon-to-a-meat-case-near-you/ |accessdate = 2011-12-01 |publisher = CNN |date = 2011-11-30 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20111202170850/http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/11/30/horse-coming-soon-to-a-meat-case-near-you/ |archivedate = 2011-12-02 }} </ref> but was again included in the FY2014 Agriculture Appropriations Act and subsequent federal budgets, hence preventing the operation of any domestic horse slaughter operation. Until 2007, only three horse meat slaughterhouses still existed in the United States for export to foreign markets, but they were closed by court orders resulting from the upholding of aforementioned Illinois and Texas statutes banning horse slaughter and the sale of horse meat. The taboo surrounding horse meat in the United States received national attention again in May 2017 when a restaurant in the [[Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh)|Lawrenceville]] section of [[Pittsburgh]] served a dish containing [[Steak tartare|horse tartare]] as part of a special event the restaurant was hosting with [[French Canadian]] chefs as guests. The restaurant, which otherwise does not serve horse meat (which is legal to serve and consume in [[Pennsylvania]]), received an inspection and a warning from the [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] not to serve horse meat again. A [[Change.org]] petition subsequently went up to advocate making serving horse meat illegal in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/usda-warns-pittsburgh-restaurant-that-served-horse-meat/ |title = USDA Warns Pittsburgh Restaurant That Served Horse Meat|date = 2017-05-15}}</ref> From the 1920s and through the 1950s or 1960s, and with a brief rationing hiccup during WWII, horse meat was canned and sold as dog food by many different companies under many different brands, most notably by [[Ken-L Ration]]. The popularity of horse meat as dog food became so popular that by the 1930s, over 50,000 horses were bred and slaughtered each year to keep up with this specific demand.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.neatorama.com/pet/2013/05/20/Kibble-Me-This-The-History-of-Dog-Food/ |title = Kibble Me This: The History of Dog Food}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.animalfixer.com/articles/historydogfood.html |title = The History of Dog Food}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|isbn = 978-1592231164|title = Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader|last1 = Institute|first1 = Bathroom Readers'|year = 2003|url = https://archive.org/details/unclejohnsunstop00bath}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://thecatsite.com/threads/the-history-of-dog-food.89636/ |title = The History of Dog Food}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.lrgaf.org/slaughter/savin.htm |title = Savin' All My Love for You}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://rtfitchauthor.com/tag/ken-l-ration/ |title = Ken-L-Ration – Straight from the Horse's Heart}}</ref> ====Mexico==== As of 2005, Mexico was the second-largest producer of horse meat in the world.<ref name=production2005 /> By 2009, it became the largest producer of horse meat in the world.<ref name=farminguk2009-01-17 /> It is only exported as it is not used or consumed in Mexico.<ref name="mexventa">[http://www.informador.com.mx/economia/2013/439909/6/mexico-consolida-venta-de-carne-de-caballo-al-exterior.htm "Mexico consolidates horse meat exportations" (in Spanish)] México consolida venta de carne de caballo al exterior. El Informador. Retrieved April 22, 2014.</ref> ===South America=== ====Chile==== {{See also|Chilean cuisine}} In [[Chile]], it is used in ''[[charqui]]''. Also in Chile, horse meat became the main source of nutrition for the nomadic indigenous tribes, which promptly switched from a [[guanaco]]-based economy to a horse-based one after the horses brought by the Spaniards bred naturally and became feral. This applied specially to the [[Pampa]] and [[Mapuche]] nations, who became fierce horseman warriors. Similar to the [[Tatars]], they ate raw horse meat and milked their animals. Although not nearly as common as beef meat, horse meat can be readily available in some butcheries throughout the country. It is generally less expensive than beef and somewhat associated with lower social strata. ====Argentina==== [[Argentina]] is a producer and exporter of horse meat, but it is not used in local consumption and is considered taboo.<ref name="lanacion1">{{cite web|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1370512-carne-de-caballo-el-negocio-tabu-que-florece-en-la-argentina/ |title=Carne de caballo, el negocio tabú que florece en la Argentina|language=Spanish|work= La Nación |date= 2011-05-04|accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> ==See also== * [[Horse slaughter]] {{portal|Food|Horses}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * [[List of meat animals]] * [[List of smoked foods]] * [[Mare milk]] * [[Repugnant market]] {{div col end}} <!-- Encyclopedic?===People=== * [[Carl C. Rasmussen#Positions|Carl C. Rasmussen]], Los Angeles City Council member in the 1940s, revealed during a City Council discussion in the midst of World War II meat rationing over whether to adopt an ordinance requiring that charcoal be added to all horse meat offered for sale in the city, that he had served "dinner filets" made of horse meat to his guests and "they said they were delicious." He added: "I gave one of the steaks to the Mayor [Bowron], but he said his wife was out of town and he had to feed it to the dog."<ref>"Councilman Discloses He Served Horse-Meat Dinner", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', May 3, 1944, page 1</ref> --> ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{cite web |url=http://www.igha.org/USDA.html |title=U.S.D.A. Promotes Horse & Goat Meat |publisher=International Generic Horse Association |accessdate=2007-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010200000/http://www.igha.org/USDA.html |archive-date=2017-10-10 |url-status=dead }} (quoting a 1997 USDA report said to be no longer available online) *[http://www.viande-chevaline.fr/ La Viande Chevaline], a web site made by the French Horse Meat Industry structure, called ''Interbev Equins'' (French) *[http://asiaobscura.com/2011/09/on-horse-meat-sashimi.html On eating horse meat sashimi] AsiaObscura.com *[http://windowstorussia.com/neigh-no-horse-meat-says-russia.html Yes, Russians eat horse meat] Windows to Russia {{Meat|state=expanded}} {{Cuisine}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Horse Meat}} [[Category:Horse products|Meat]] [[Category:Meat by animal]] [[Category:Horse industry]] <!-- we do not add "egg" to all "national cuisine" categories, because it is not a product, it is an ingredient. [[Category:Hungarian cuisine]] [[Category:Japanese cuisine]] [[Category:Mexican cuisine]] [[Category:Austrian cuisine]] [[Category:Central Asian cuisine]] [[Category:Chilean cuisine]] [[Category:Chinese cuisine]] [[Category:French cuisine]] [[Category:German cuisine]] -->'