Horse meat
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/* Which cultures */
[[Image:Horse musculature Carlo Ruini c 1598.jpg|thumb|right|Musculature of horse]]
'''Horse meat''' is the culinary name for meat cut from a [[horse]]. It is slightly sweet, tender, low in fat, and high in protein.<ref> [http://www.vianderichelieu.com/en/cheval/content.htm Viande Richelieu] page title: ''Clarifying the notion of horsemeat'' covers Nutrients, Age, The sex of the animal, Race, Color, Tenderness, Taste, and Meat cuts.</ref>
==History==
In the late Paleolithic ([[Magdalenian|Magdalenian Era]]), [[wild horse]]s formed an important source of food.
In pre-Christian times, horse meat was eaten in [[northern Europe]] as part of indigenous [[Germanic paganism|Germanic pagan]] religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the worship of [[Odin]].
[[France]] dates its taste for horse meat to [[French Revolution|the Revolution]].
With the fall of aristocracy, its auxiliaries had to find other ways.
Just as hairdressers and tailors oriented themselves to serve commoners, the horses maintained by aristocracy as a sign of prestige ended alleviating the hunger of lower classes<ref name="Harris"/>.
It was during the Napoleonic campaigns when the surgeon-in-chief of [[Napoleon]]'s [[Grand Army]], [[Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey]], advised the starving troops to eat the flesh 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 ''[[bœuf à la mode]]''.
In [[battle of Aspern-Essling|Aspern-Essling]] (1809), cut from the supply lines, the cavalry used the [[horse armor|horses' breastplates]] as cooking pots and [[gunpowder]] as seasoning, and thus founded a tradition<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) with [[bouillon]] of horse meat seasoned with gunpowder. Parker, Harold T. (1983 reprint) ''Three Napoleonic Battles''. (2nd Ed). [[Duke University Press]]. ISBN 0-82230547-X. [http://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>. 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]], so 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>Kari Weil, [http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/gfc.2007.7.2.44 "They Eat Horses, Don't They? Hippophagy and Frenchness"], ''Gastronomica'' Spring 2007, Vol. 7, No. 2, Pages 44-51 Posted online on [[May 22]], [[2007]]. (doi:10.1525/gfc.2007.7.2.44)</ref> During the [[Siege of Paris|Siege of 1870-71]], horse meat 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 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.
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>
== The taboo ==
{{See also|Taboo food and drink}}
===Which cultures===
Horse is commonly eaten in many countries in Europe and Asia.<ref>{{Citation
|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}} (See the list headed "Horsemeat—By Any Other Name")</ref> It is a [[taboo food]] in [[Anglosphere|English-speaking countries]] such as the [[United Kingdom]], [[Ireland]], the [[United States|US]], and [[Australia]]; it is also taboo amongst the [[Romany]] people and in [[Brazil]] and [[India]]. Horse meat is not generally eaten in [[Spain]], although the country exports horses both "on the hoof and on the hook" (i.e., live animals and slaughtered meat) for the French and Italian market; however, horse meat is consumed in some [[Latin American]] countries such as [[Mexico]]. It is illegal in some countries. In [[Tonga]] it is eaten nationally, similar to chicken in other countries.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
In many [[Muslim countries]] horse meat is generally forbidden or considered ''[[makruh]]'', meaning it is not forbidden, but close to being such as 'detestable'. One reason given for its prohibition is the need for horses in military and other uses, and as such, considering the decline in usage of horses as in ages past, some consider its consumption permissible. Horse meat is eaten in some Muslim [[Central Asia]]n countries with a tradition of [[nomad]]ic [[pastoralism]], e.g., [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Turkmenistan]]. In other [[majority-Muslim countries]] there have been many instances, especially wars and famine, when horses were slaughtered and eaten. {{Fact|date=June 2007}}
Horse meat is [[forbidden]] by [[Kashrut|Jewish dietary laws]] because horses do not have [[cloven hoof|cloven hooves]] and they are not [[ruminants]]. It has been suggested that this holds a practical purpose as horses were used as a means of transportation and did work.
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 flesh to those he converted, due to its association with Germanic pagan ceremonies.<ref>William Ian Miller, [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-2234(199108)89%3A8%3C2081%3AOOCHAW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X "Of Outlaws, Christians, Horsemeat, and Writing: Uniform Laws and Saga Iceland"], ''Michigan Law Review'', Vol. 89, No. 8 (Aug., 1991), pp. 2081-2095</ref><ref>Calvin W. Schwabe, ''Unmentionable Cuisine'', University
Press of Virginia, ISBN 0-8139-1162-1</ref> 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}} (quoting a 1997 USDA report said to be no longer available online)</ref>
The culturally close people of [[Sweden]] still have an ambivalent attitude to horsemeat, said to stem from this time.
====Reasons for the taboo====
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 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">{{Citation
|last=Harris
|first=Marvin
|authorlink=Marvin Harris
|title=Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture
|publisher=Waveland Pr Inc
|year=1998
|isbn=1577660153
|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=B1oGAAAACAAJ}}.</ref>, some cultures class horsemeat as taboo because the horse converts grass into meat less efficiently than [[ruminant]]s. 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 the [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] pigs in ''[[Babe (film)|Babe]]'' and ''[[Charlotte's Web]]''.
[[Totem]]istic taboo is also a possible reason for refusal to eat horsemeat. [[Ancient Rome|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. The ancient Indian [[Brahmin]]s engaged in horse sacrifice, as recorded in the [[Vedas]].<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. When the Nordic countries were Christianized, eating horsemeat was regarded as a sign of paganism and prohibited. A slight skepticism against eating horsemeat is still common as a reminder of this in these countries even today.
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 four for [[pig]] meat ([[pork]], [[bacon]], [[ham]], [[gammon]]), three for [[sheep]] meat ([[Lamb (food)|lamb]], [[hogget]] and [[mutton]]), 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 language|French]] for horse). Also, note that the words pork, bacon, mutton, veal, and beef all derive from [[Anglo-Norman language|an old version of French]], because of the class structure of England after [[Norman conquest of England|the Norman Conquest]] in 1066 [[Common Era|CE]]: the poor (Saxons) tended the animals, while the rich (French-speaking Normans) ate the meat.
==Production==
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 (abbatoirs) where they are [[stunning|stunned]] with a [[captive bolt gun]] and [[exsanguination|bled to death]]. (Note that it is not always clear whether "horse slaughter" refers only to horse meat for human consumption, or whether it also includes [[pet food]] and meat for carnivores, e.g. in zoos; see [[knacker]].)
As horses are relatively poor converters of grass and grain to flesh compared to cattle, they are not usually bred or raised specifically for their meat. Instead, horses are slaughtered when their other value as [[equitation|riding]] or [[draft animal|work animals]] is low, as 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>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/south/series2/new_forest_ponies_commoners_breed_improvements.shtml - BBC Inside Out - New Forest Ponies]</ref>.<ref name=countrysideonline237>[http://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/plugins/content/content.php?content.237 - BBC Inside Out - NFU Countryside Online: Passports for Ponies]</ref> [[British law]] requires the use of "[[animal passport|equine passports]]" even for semi-[[wild horses]] to enable [[traceability]] (also known as "provenance"), so most slaughtering is done in the UK before the meat is exported.<ref name=countrysideonline237 />
Ex-racehorses, 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>[http://www.netposse.com/stolenmissing/storyladyslaughter.htm Slaughter of Lady]</ref> Even famous horses may end up in the slaughterhouse; the 1986 [[Kentucky Derby]] winner and 1987 [[Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year]] winner, Ferdinand, is believed to have been slaughtered in Japan, probably for [[pet food]].<ref>[http://horsesdaily.com/news/racing/2003/07-21-derbywinner-ferdinand.html Death of a Derby Winner]</ref>
In 2005, the eight principal horsemeat producing countries produced over 700,000 tonnes of this product.
:{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Major Horsemeat Production Countries, 2005
! Country !! Animals !! Production in M Tons
|-
| Italy || 213,000 || 48,000
|-
| Mexico || 626,000 || 78,876
|-
| Kazakhstan || 340,000 || 55,100
|-
| Kyrgyzstan || 150,000 || 25,000
|-
| China || 1,700,000 || 204,000
|-
| Brazil || 162,000 || 21,200
|-
| Argentina || 255,000 || 55,600
|-
| Mongolia || 310,000 || 38,000
|-class="sortbottom"
| '''Worldwide<br />Totals''' || 4,727,829 || 720,168
|}
:<small>Source: {{Citation
|url=http://www.commonhorsesense.com/pdf/AWC_UnintendedConsequence.pdf
|title=THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF A BAN ON THE HUMANE SLAUGHTER (PROCESSING) OF HORSES IN THE UNITED STATES
|publisher=[http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.org The Animal Welfare Council, Inc.], citing FAO-UN Horticultural Database
|date=[[May 15]], [[2006]]
|page=10
|accessdate=[[2008-04-29]]}}</small>
The British newspaper ''[[The Daily Mail]]'' reports that every year, 100,000 live horses are transported into and around the [[European Union]] for human consumption, mainly to Italy but also to France and Belgium.<ref name=DailyMailHorses>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=455953&in_page_id=1770
|title=The English horses being sent to France to be eaten
|author=Tom Rawstone
|date=[[May 19]], [[2007]]
|publisher=Daily Mail
|accessdate=2007-10-04}}</ref>
Meat from horses that veterinarians have [[Animal euthanasia|put down]] with a lethal injection is not consumed, as the toxin remains in the meat; the carcasses of such animals are [[cremation|cremated]] (all other means of disposal are problematic, due to the toxin).
== Opposition to production==
{{main|horse slaughter}}
The killing of horses for human consumption is widely opposed in countries such as [[USA]] and [[UK|Britain]]<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/weekinpictures/180507.shtml?select=03 - Week in pictures - Who wants to eat horsemeat?]</ref> where horses are generally considered to be companion and sporting animals only.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} French 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]]'' showed that 82% of respondents supported [[celebrity chef]] [[Gordon Ramsay]]'s decision to serve horse meat in his restaurants<ref> ''[[Time Out]]'' 30 May -[[5 June]] [[2007]] </ref> (see further discussion [[Gordon Ramsay#Food views|here]]).
===Lobbying Efforts to Stop Horse Slaughter in the United States===
See [[horse slaughter]].<!-- Removed duplicate section we only need one copy of this info -->
== Preparation ==
[[Image:Horsemeatsandwich.jpg|thumb|right|Smoked and salted horse meat ("hamburgerkött") 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 color while older horses produce richer color and flavor, as with most [[mammals]]. Horse meat can be used to replace beef, pork, mutton, and any other meat in virtually any recipe.
Those preparing [[sandwich]]es or cold meals with horse meat usually use it smoked and salted. Horse meat forms an ingredient in several traditional recipes of [[salami]].
==Horse meat in various countries==
===Austria===
[[Image:Pferdeleberkäse Ad.jpg|thumb|left|Fast food shop selling horse ''Leberkäse'' (''Pferdeleberkäse'') in [[Vienna]]]]
Horse ''[[leberkäse]]'' is available and quite popular at various hot dog stands. ''Kare'' is a stew made with horse meat and a variety of vegetables.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} 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.
{{See also|Austrian cuisine}}
===Belgium===
In Belgium, horse meat (''paardenvlees'' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and ''viande chevaline'' in French) is highly prized. It is used in [[steak tartare]], in which, compared to the beef equivalent, the richer flavor 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. Horse steaks are also very popular; the town of [[Vilvoorde]] has a few restaurants specializing in this dish. Horse-sausage is a well known local specialty in [[Lokeren]] with European recognition.
It is widely believed that traditional [[Belgium|Belgian]] fried potatoes (''pommes frites'') were cooked in horse fat, but in fact ox fat ([[suet]]) was used, although for health reasons this has been supplanted by nut oil (considered inferior by many).
{{See also|Belgian cuisine}}
===Canada===
Agriculture in the province of [[Québec]] seems to prosper under the prohibitions from the United States. There is a thriving horse meat business in this [[Culture of Quebec|province]]; the meat is available in most supermarket chains. 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'' magazine]] 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> [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1587279,00.html "Horse — It's What's for Dinner" by Joel Stein, [[8 February]] [[2007]]] </ref>
{{See also|Canadian cuisine}}
===Chile===
In [[Chile]] it is used in ''[[charqui]]''.
{{See also|Chilean cuisine}}
===China===
Horse meat is not available in most parts of China, although it is generally acceptable to Chinese. Its lack of popularity is mostly due to its low availability and some rumors saying that horse meat tastes bad or it is bad for health, even [[poison]]ous. In ''[[Compendium of Materia Medica]]'', a [[pharmaceutical]] text published in 1596, [[Li Shizhen]] wrote "To relieve toxin caused by eating horse meat, one can drink [[carrot juice]] and eat [[almond]]." Today, in southwestern China, there are locally famous dishes such as Horse Meat [[Rice vermicelli|Rice Vermicelli]] (马肉米粉) in [[Guilin]]. In the northwest, [[Kazakhs]] eat horse meat.
{{See also|Chinese cuisine}}
===France===
In France, specialized butcher shops (''boucheries chevalines'') sell horsemeat, as ordinary butcher shops have been for a long time forbidden to deal in it. However, since the 1990s, it can be found in supermarket butcher shops and others. An organization called [http://www.viande-chevaline.fr La Viande Chevaline] (literally, "horsemeat") exists to promote the industry, offering consumer information such as recipes, nutrition, purchase locations, and so on. According to its website, approximately 15 000 horses a year are raised for meat production, mostly draft breeds. It argues that the economic importance of horsemeat helps maintain the genetic heritage of traditional French breeds.
{{See also|French cuisine}}
===Germany===
In [[Germany]], horse meat is traditionally used in ''[[sauerbraten]]'', a strongly marinated type of sweet-sour braised meat dish; in the last couple of decades, beef has become more commonly used. This dish is often eaten with ''[[Klöße]]'' (potato dumplings, in the [[Rhineland]]) or ''[[Spätzle]]'' (noodles, in [[Southern Germany]]) and red cabbage. ''Rosswurst'' (horse sausage) is a sausage containing horse meat and beef and is mostly sold in [[Bavaria]].
{{See also|German cuisine}}
===Iceland===
In [[Iceland]] it is both eaten minced and as steak, also used in [[stew]]s and [[fondue]], prized for its strong flavor.
{{See also|Cuisine of Iceland}}
===Indonesia===
In [[Indonesia]], one type of [[satay]] (chunks of grilled meat served with spicy sauce) known as ''sate jaran'' is made from horse meat. This delicacy from [[Yogyakarta]] is served with sliced fresh [[shallot]] (small red onion), pepper, and sweet soy sauce.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
{{See also|Indonesian cuisine}}
===Italy===
[[Italian cuisine]] is highly regional. Horse meat is used in a stew called ''pastissada'', served as horse or colt steaks, as [[carpaccio]], or made into [[bresaola]]. Horse fat is used in recipes such as ''[[b:Cookbook:Pezzetti di Cavallo|pezzetti di cavallo]]''. In the region of [[Veneto]] a dish is prepared which consists of shredded, cured horsemeat on a bed of [[arugula]], dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Also in Veneto, horsemeat sausages called ''salsiccia di equino'' and thin strips of horse meat called ''sfilacci'' are sold. The straight horsemeat steak ''carne di cavallo'', similar to classic American [[Porterhouse steak]], is generally available in the [[Province of Bolzano-Bozen|Alto Adige/Südtirol]] region of the [[Italian Alps]]. Chefs and consumers tend to prize its uniqueness by serving it as rare as possible. [[Donkey]] is also cooked, for example as a pasta sauce called ''stracotto d'asino''. 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>
{{See also|Italian cuisine}}
===Japan===
[[Image:Basashi.jpg|thumb|left|Basashi from [[Towada, Aomori|Towada]]]]
In [[Japan]]ese [[Japanese cuisine|cuisine]], raw horse meat is called ''sakura'' (桜) or ''sakuraniku'' (桜肉, ''sakura'' means [[cherry blossom]], ''niku'' means meat) because of its pink colour. It can be served raw as very chewy [[sashimi]] in thin slices dipped in soy sauce, often with ginger and onions added. In this case, it is called ''basashi'' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: 馬刺し). 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'' (literally, "horse meat") or ''bagushi'' ("skewered horse"); thin slices of raw horse meat are sometimes served wrapped in a [[perilla|shiso leaf]]. [[Kumamoto prefecture|Kumamoto]], [[Matsumoto, Nagano|Matsumoto]] and [[Ōita Prefecture|Ōita]] are famous for ''basashi'', and it is common in the [[Tohoku region]] as well. There is also a dessert made from horse meat called ''basashi'' ice cream.<ref>{{Citation
|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1214clay1214.html
|title=When it comes to eating horse, most say nay
|author=Clay Thompson
|date=[[December 14]], [[2006]]
|publisher=The Arizona republic
|accessdate=2007-11-15}}</ref> The company that makes it is known for its unusual ice cream flavors, many of which have limited popularity.
{{See also|Japanese cuisine}}
===Kazakhstan===
In [[Kazakhstan]] horse meat is a large part of the diet, due mainly to the nomadic roots of the population.<ref>[http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Kazakhstan.html "Food in Kazakhstan"]. ''Food in Every Country''. Referenced 5/6/08.</ref> 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.
{{See also|Kazakh cuisine}}
===Malta===
In [[Malta]] stallion meat ({{lang-mt|Laħam taż-żiemel}}) is commonly used in various dishes. It is usually fried or baked in a white wine sauce.
{{See also|Maltese cuisine}}
===Mongolia===
[[Mongolia]], a nation famous for its nomadic pastures and equestrian skills, also includes horse meat on the menu.
{{See also|Mongolian cuisine}}.
===The Netherlands===
[[Image:Horse meat in package.JPG|thumb|Horse meat from the Netherlands]]
In the [[Netherlands]], smoked horse meat (''paardenrookvlees'') is sold as sliced meat and eaten on bread. There are also beef-based variants. Horse meat is also used in sausages (''paardenworst''). The popularity of both varies regionally.
{{See also|Dutch cuisine}}
===Norway===
In Norway horse meat is used in some sausages, such as Vossafår.
{{See also|Norwegian cuisine}}
===Poland===
Used in production of ''[[kabanos]]'', recently declining in popularity.
{{See also|Polish cuisine}}
===Slovenia===
Horse meat is generally available in [[Slovenia]]. Colt steak (''žrebičkov zrezek'') is available in some restaurants and there is a popular fast-food restaurant in [[Ljubljana]] called Hot-Horse that serves hamburgers made of horse meat.<ref>{{Citation
|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>{{Citation
|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]]}}</ref>
{{See also|Slovenian cuisine}}
===Sweden===
In Sweden horse meat outsells lamb and mutton combined.<ref name=IGHA-USDA/> Smoked/cured horse meat is widely available as a [[cold cut]] under the name ''hamburgerkött'' (hamburger meat). It tends to be very thinly sliced and fairly salty, slightly reminiscent of deli-style ham. ''Gustafskorv'', a smoked sausage made from horse meat, is also quite popular, especially in the south of Sweden. It is similar to [[salami]] or [[medwurst]] and is used as an alternative to them, on sandwiches, in salads, on pizza, etc.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
{{See also|Swedish cuisine}}
===Switzerland===
In [[Switzerland]] horse meat may be used in [[Fondue#Fondue Bourguignonne|Fondue Bourguignonne]]. Horse steak is also quite common, especially in the French-speaking West, but also more and more in the German-speaking part. A speciality known as ''mostbröckli'' is made with beef or horse meat. Horse meat is also used for a great range of sausages in the German-speaking North of Switzerland.
{{See also|Swiss cuisine}}
===United Kingdom===
In the United Kingdom the slaughter, preparation and consumption of horses for food is not against the law, although in practice it has been out of fashion since the 1930s and there is a strong taboo against it (see [[Horse meat#The taboo|above]]). It was eaten when other meats were scarce, such as during times of war<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/foodprogramme_20040425.shtml - Food Programme, April 2004]</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/25/a7269825.shtml - BBC - WW2 People's War - Horsemeat, A Wedding Treat]</ref> (as was whale meat, never popular and now also taboo). The sale of horse meat in supermarkets and butchers is minimal, and most of the horse meat consumed in the UK is imported from Europe, predominantly the [[South of France]], where it is more widely available.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/06/nramsay06.xml - We Should Eat Horse Meat]</ref>
Horse meat may be consumed inadvertently. A [[Food Standards Agency]] [[2003]] investigation revealed that [[salami]] sometimes contains horse meat, without this ingredient being listed. Listing is legally required.
{{See also|British cuisine}}
===United States===
People in the United States rarely eat horse meat, but during [[World War II]], due to the low supply and high price of beef, the state of [[New Jersey]] legalized its sale. At war's end, the state again prohibited the sale of horse meat, possibly in response to pressure from the beef lobby. [[Harvard University]]'s [http://www.hfc.harvard.edu/ Faculty Club] had horse meat on the menu for over one hundred years, until 1983.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/PA2VJBNA4R/SB112812616763357437-search.html The Pros and Cons of Eating Horses]</ref>
Until 2007, a few horse meat abattoirs still existed in the United States, selling meat to zoos to feed their carnivores, and exporting it for human consumption, but recently the last has closed by court order.<ref>{{cite court
|litigants=BELTEX CORPORATION; DALLAS CROWN, INC., v. TIM CURRY, District Attorney Tarrant County
|vol=
|reporter=
|opinion=05-11499
|pinpoint=
|court5th Cir
|date=[[January 19]], [[2007]]
|url= http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions%5Cpub%5C05/05-11499-CV0.wpd.pdf
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070629/horse-slaughter/
|title=Last US Horse Slaughterhouse to Close
|author=Tara Burghart
|date=[[June 29]], [[2007]]
|publisher=The Huffington Post
|accessdate=2007-07-16}}</ref>
{{See also|American cuisine}}
==See also==
{{cookbook|Horse}}
*[[Taboo food and drink]]
*[[Horse slaughter]]
*[[Repugnant market]]
*''[[Blood of the Beasts]]'' (''Le Sang des bêtes''), a 1949 [[documentary film]]
==References==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/26/international/asia/26horse.html?hp&ex=1135659600&en=ebc2553086dd95e4&ei=5094&partner=homepage New York Times article on the role of horses in Kazakhstan society and cuisine, describing a village slaughtering]
*{{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}} (quoting a 1997 USDA report said to be no longer available online)
*http://www.viande-chevaline.fr is the web site made by the French Horse Meat Industry structure, called Interbev Equins
{{Cuisine}}
[[Category:Germanic paganism]]
[[Category:Horse products]]
[[Category:Japanese ingredients]]
[[Category:Meat]]
[[ar:لحم الخيل]]
[[de:Pferdefleisch]]
[[eo:Ĉevalaĵo]]
[[es:Carne de caballo]]
[[fr:Viande de cheval]]
[[id:Daging kuda]]
[[kk:Жылқы етi]]
[[ms:Daging kuda]]
[[nl:Paardenvlees]]
[[ja:馬肉]]
[[pl:Konina]]
[[ru:Конина]]
[[fi:Hevosenliha]]
[[sv:Hamburgerkött]]