Horse meat for human consumption?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/3 ... 20623.html

Horses could soon be butchered in the U.S. for human consumption after Congress quietly lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, and activists say slaughterhouses could be up and running in as little as a month.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationn ... ghter.html
I never had horse in Canada or Mexico. To my knowledge! But in France you see the butchers with the horse portrayed on the signage if they serve it.

When I lived in France it was quite normal to see horsemeat at a butcher shop or on the menu in a restaurant. They treat it just like beef which in reality it really is. In America it's just not the accepted norm just like eating a cow isn't for certain religions. It's not any different except in your perception.

[Robin Garr]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/peta-horse-slaughter.html
I never had horse in Canada or Mexico. To my knowledge! But in France you see the butchers with the horse portrayed on the signage if they serve it.

Also the golden horse's head outside the horse meat butcher shop.

[Robin Garr]

Horse and donkey (!) are surprisingly commonplace, even to this day, in smaller towns in the Italian Alps and foothills. I've had horse sausages in Bergamo, not that far from Milan, and donkey ragu in Valpolicella.

Now, to be honest, Italian cooks can make anything taste good, and sure, I ate all these goodies. But the idea is a little offputting.

But the idea is a little offputting.

Yeah. No want.

It's interesting though, how the US culture has evolved this aversion to equine meat. Just how'd that happen anyway?

[Robin Garr]

It's interesting though, how the US culture has evolved this aversion to equine meat. Just how'd that happen anyway?

I love food anthropology stuff like this!

The short, and somewhat insufficient, answer is that it's cultural. In general, people don't eat companion animals but do eat domestic farmed animals. Cattle, sheep and pigs (except for Arnold in Green Acres) generally fall on the "eat me" side. Dogs and cats, definitely not. Then there's the horse, which falls in between, beast of burden but also trusted friend. I'm going to guess that in earlier times, also before the automobile, America was largely rural, and most people had horses and rode them. In Europe, more people lived in cities and walked. We came to love our horses as companion animals who worked; Europeans saw their horses as farm animals.

All this is just somewhat informed speculation - I'd love to hear others' thoughts. Meanwhile, here's an interesting article from Slate on the topic:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_an ... _why_.html

I think this short clip sums up my position on this matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T-e4K2Jsoc

Back in the 1970's & 1980's, and maybe still even today, some of the good old boys in New Haven KY would get together once a year & have a pony roast, similar to a pig roast. Lots of pony meat & moonshine from what I hear. In Hungary years ago I had donkey meat salami, which is supposed to be a real delicacy. To each his own I guess.

Horse and donkey (!) are surprisingly commonplace, even to this day, in smaller towns in the Italian Alps and foothills. I've had horse sausages in Bergamo, not that far from Milan, and donkey ragu in Valpolicella.

Now, to be honest, Italian cooks can make anything taste good, and sure, I ate all these goodies. But the idea is a little offputting.

Horse is also common izakaya fare in Japan. There are even restaurants that specialize in horse:

http://www.bento.com/rev/3352.html

I'd definitely try it!

I think this short clip sums up my position on this matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T-e4K2Jsoc

That is pretty good.

[Robin Garr]

New Haven KY ... moonshine

New Haven isn't in Appalachia, it's in the Bourbon Belt! What need have they of homemade corn squezin's?

I would definitely eat horse at any local place that decided to offer it.
It might accord with Robin's theory as though I grew up in the country I never knew a horse or a donkey for that matter. By my generation there were tractors and cars. I will not eat a tractor or a car.
Besides the usual non-avians like cow & pig we've had bear, beaver, kangaroo, rabbit, ostrich, deer, elk, alligator, I forget what else but never horse. Never understood why that's not on a menu. For some reason they just look like they'd taste good. Count me in!

Meh. Horses 'round these parts are bred for runnin', not eatin'.
Although most are grass fed and grain finished with a side of bute or lasix!

It's interesting though, how the US culture has evolved this aversion to equine meat. Just how'd that happen anyway?

Drink enough half-price wine, and a person will eat anything.