- Horse meat is eaten in many countries, including Mexico, Belgium, Canada, Chili, Spain, Iceland, France, Russia, Kazakhstan and many Eastern European, South American, South East Asian, and Eastern countries such as China and Japan.
What countries still eat horse meat?
In many other nations, however, eating horse meat is no big deal – and in some cultures, it’s even considered a delicacy. Mexico, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, Poland and China are among the nations where many people eat horse meat without a second thought.
Can you eat horse meat in the US?
It’s taboo to eat horse in America. The three U.S. slaughterhouses that dealt in horse closed in 2007, according to the New Food Economy. Horses in the United States can be sold and shipped to other countries, where it is legal to slaughter them for food.
Is horse meat good to eat?
Eating Horse Meat Is Good for You That’s right. Horse meat is not only high in protein, but a good cut has about half the fat, less cholesterol and twice as much iron and Vitamin B as beef.
Does Taco Bell use horse meat?
Taco Bell has officially joined Club Horse Meat. The fast-food chain and subsidiary of Yum Brands says it has found horse meat in some of the ground beef it sells in the United Kingdom. Sure, the mastermind behind the Double-Decker Taco Supreme is a fast-food mainstay in the US.
Why is horse meat illegal in the US?
U.S. horse meat is unfit for human consumption because of the uncontrolled administration of hundreds of dangerous drugs and other substances to horses before slaughter. These drugs are often labeled “Not for use in animals used for food/that will be eaten by humans.”
What does dog taste like?
What Does Dog Taste Like? It’s a red meat, quite fatty, and extremely fragrant. Take a cross between beef and mutton, add extra meaty flavoring, and you’ve got the taste of dog. … It was so tasty and delicious that if it wasn’t for the “psychological thought of eating dog”, everyone would probably love it.
Do they eat horses in Canada?
Horsemeat, or chevaline as it is called in French, can still be found in specialty butcher shops and grocery stores in Quebec and on the menus of a few high-end Montreal restaurants. The real money, though, is in the overseas market; the live horse trade represents $20 million in sales for Canadian shippers.
Can Muslims eat horse?
Eating of horse meat is lawful. It was narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Jabir who said: ‘On the Day of Khaibar, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited eating the flesh of domestic asses, but permitted horse flesh. ‘
Do people eat zebra?
Zebra meat can also be sold in the U.S., say health officials, although it may still be hard to find. “Game meat, including zebra meat, can be sold [in the US] as long as the animal from which it is derived is not on the endangered species list,” an official with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told TIME.
Is horse meat illegal in Texas?
Since 1949, Texas law has prohibited the sale, possession and transportation of horse meat for human consumption, yet for decades this law was ignored as two foreign-owned plants slaughtered thousands of Texas horses annually for horse meat consumption overseas.
Is it illegal to slaughter horses in the US?
In the year 2020, approximately 36,000 American horses were trucked over our borders to be slaughtered for human consumption. Until this practice is banned and Congress passes a law against slaughter here in the U.S., no horse is safe. Horse slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia.
Why do we eat cows but not horses?
Cows are just more efficient sources of food than horses. Brian Palmer of Slate explains that in terms of caloric content, 3 ounces of cows give you more bang per pound: A three-ounce serving of roast horse has 149 calories, 24 grams of protein, and five grams of fat.
Is there horse meat in hot dogs?
It’s another case of horse meat being found in products that are not supposed to contain it. Furniture giant Ikea said Thursday it pulled hotdogs from its stores in Russia after tests revealed they contained rogue horse meat.
Why don’t we eat horses?
The controversy surrounding horse meat in Europe continues to spread: Nestle SA, based in Switzerland, stated this week that it will remove beef pasta dinners from shop shelves across Europe following the revelation that they included horse meat. When it was discovered that what seemed to be beef products included horse meat, most U.K. retailers were obliged to take them off the shelves. Now, regulators are attempting to determine how the horse meat found its way through a sophisticated supply chain and into numerous products.
However, the outpouring of rage following the revelation has prompted the question: Why is horse meat deemed forbidden in certain countries and commonplace in others?
A New York City resident, Victoria Milton, was asked to explain why she would not eat horse meat, and she compared them to pets, adding that “people have horses and they love them and they’re part of their family.” Horse flesh, on the other hand, is not regarded a delicacy in many other countries, and in other cultures, it is even considered a delicacy.
When it comes to eating horse, Americans used to be a lot more relaxed about it.
According to Marion Nestle, a professor of food studies at New York University, there was a de facto “black market” for horse meat in the 1940s and 1950s, in which people would go into pet food stores and buy horse meat for their own consumption, believing it to be a more affordable and tasty alternative to beef.
- “Sometimes the decisions we make are influenced by how desperate we are,” she explained.
- According to Nestle, slaughterhouses began opening pet food enterprises in the 1920s in order to dispose of horse meat.
- Today, according to Nestle, most pet food producers do not pretend to utilize horse meat, in part because they are concerned that it may deter customers from purchasing their products.
- In that year, more over 100,000 horses were slaughtered for food, the most of which was sent to Europe and Asia.
- (The restriction was lifted in 2011, but no funds have been set aside to conduct fresh inspections.) Horses are still being exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter and, in many cases, for human food, despite the protests of animal rights advocates in the United States.
- (Glue is a another thing entirely.) Horses are also not especially effective at turning grass and grain into meat, which reduces their appeal as a source of food for human consumption.
- It’s a concept that has been perpetuated in popular culture by television series such as “Mr.
- As Nestle explains, “We had this entire western thing where horses were a part of the whole western culture as well as the border.” “And then there’s the whole romantic cowboy thing.
- In continental Europe, it is frequently used to make sausages or to cook like a steak, for example.
- Professor James A.
- According to him, “we have this tendency for a type of morality that we apply in humans to seep out to other species,” and “the criterion by which it leaches out to appears to be pretty arbitrary.” Brian Montopoli is a well-known actor.
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21 Intriguing Horse Meat Consumption Statistics
Despite the fact that horses are often regarded as intellectual animals and as a beneficial companion in the accomplishment of tasks in many parts of the world, there are many nations and families that view horses as a source of animal protein. Despite the fact that horse meat eating is officially prohibited in some countries, most notably the United States, it is a frequently eaten food in other areas of the globe and is sometimes the principal source of protein in a family’s diet in other cultures.
Horse Meat Consumption
When it comes to horse meat consumption, the European Union is by far the greatest consumer. The United States not only produces the most amount of this animal protein in the world, but they also serve as the world’s top importer of this animal protein. In addition to Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay, which all export large quantities of horse meat to the European Union, slaughterhouses in the United States, where consumption of this animal protein is prohibited, are also producing and exporting horse meat to countries around the world.
- As a result, China produces more horse meat than any other country on the planet, accounting for roughly half of global production of this animal protein. The reason it is seen as a harmful animal protein is that horses are frequently administered a medication known as phenylbutazone, which is toxic to humans. If you compare horse meat to a conventional beef product, you’ll see that it has lower fat content, lower salt level, and less cholesterol. The consumption of horse meat is widespread around the world. It is consumed in nations such as Mexico
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chile
- Spain
- Iceland
- France
- Russia
- Kazakhstan
- And a slew of Eastern European, South American, South East Asian, and Eastern countries such as China and Japan.
If horse meat has a higher nutritional value than the meat that most people consume, why isn’t it more commonly accessible and why is it deemed unlawful to eat? It’s difficult to identify the origins of horse meat because horses aren’t often used as a source of protein in livestock farming operations. Because there is no information about the animal’s past, it is difficult to determine whether the animal had a disease that could have been potentially life-threatening, whether the animal contained medications that could be harmful to humans, or whether the animal was of sufficient quality to provide a safe diet.
Who Eats Horse Meat Right Now?
- Basashi is a type of Japanese dish prepared with horse flesh that is popular throughout the country. More than 28,000 tons of horse meat were consumed by Russians in the previous year alone. Italy consumes almost exactly the same quantity of horsemeat that Russia does in a single year. Italy produces half of the horse meat that the European Union eats each year
- The rest is imported. Horsemeat is exported from China in large quantities every year, with annual production reaching as high as 197 tons on occasion. In the majority of nations where horse meat is consumed on a regular basis, according to a poll conducted in October 2012, less than 7 percent of individuals stated they did so on a regular basis. Less than 20% of those polled stated they would occasionally consume it. Each year, Belgium imports more than 44 million pounds of horse meat from North America, making it the country with the highest per capita consumption of horse meat in the world
Despite the fact that horsemeat is legally accessible in some countries and is even considered socially acceptable to consume, the truth remains that the vast majority of people do not consume it despite the meat’s greater protein and lower fat content. The highest increase in horsemeat consumption happened last year as a result of a controversy involving the replacement of horsemeat for beef in frozen items, which prompted individuals to try horsemeat for the first time. This brief flurry of activity has neither resulted in an increase in total consumption, nor has it resulted in any changes to legislation prohibiting the consumption of horses in places where it is now prohibited.
The Future of Horsemeat
- Despite the fact that costs at slaughterhouses are increasing, total consumption of this animal protein has decreased over the previous eight years
- Yet, The market for horse meat continues to be robust, despite the fact that the vast majority of people believe they are consuming animal protein – which indicates that the flesh must be going someplace and into something
- Although the goods are not labeled as such or packaged to emphasize the animal protein, horsemeat is found in low-cost meat snacks in Belgium and the Netherlands that are sold as “cheap meat snacks.” 92 percent of horses in North America who are taken to slaughter are deemed to be in “excellent” condition, which suggests that they are still capable of leading productive lives at the time they are slaughtered. For horse slaughterhouses to be out of compliance with environmental rules is not unusual
- The most frequently seen violation is that of blood waste disposal. A recent commitment by Russia to invest RUB180 million to fund the production of local horse meat has been announced. In order to expand horsemeat production capacities by at least 50% by 2020, Russia intends to double their current capacity.
The discussion regarding the production of horse meat is often divided into two groups. The first question is whether these creatures should be eaten by humans or not. Are they capable of reasoning? Is there a more important function for them than to generate steaks for the table? Secondly, there is a legitimate concern about how horses are handled throughout the slaughtering process, and this is something that should be addressed. When it comes to horse slaughtering in North America, for example, horses are frequently held in temperatures of 110F or more, are mistreated during the transit process, and are not slaughtered to the best possible standards since there is no local investment in the product.
What’s the use of adhering to health regulations when someone half a globe away will consume the animal protein?
In Conclusion
- In 2013, Ireland removed 10 million burgers from supermarket shelves due to the presence of horse DNA. Aldi and Tesco pulled frozen pasta meals with meat sauce from their shelves after it was discovered that some of their items included up to 60% horsemeat. In fact, it was only last year that EU officials decided to begin testing for Bute in meat products in addition to testing for horse DNA in the first place.
When managed properly, authentically produced horse meat has the potential to be extremely safe and healthy. The problem is that horse meat is not properly managed and is instead being replaced for beef as a low-cost option without the public’s understanding. That is an issue that has to be addressed as soon as possible.
Why Don’t Americans Eat Horse?
When Top Chef Canada premiered six years ago, one of the episodes featured a scene that would never, ever be repeated on its American equivalent under any circumstances. For the most part, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the episode: Each contender had to prepare a dish using a different protein popular in French cuisine for the elimination task, which featured a French theme thanks to the appearance of New York-based chef Daniel Boulud as a guest judge on the show. The proteins were chosen at random by the candidates, who included sweetbreads, frogs’ legs, and horse.
- Although it was just 45 seconds, the incident sparked widespread indignation.
- Food Network, which produces the Canadian edition of Top Chef, justified the use of horses as part of “a genuinely authentic, traditional French dish,” according to a statement from the network.
- While eating horse may not be to the liking of those protesters, it is a prevalent practice in Europe and Asia, and has a long history of tradition.
- A horse sausage known as kazy is particularly popular in Central Asia.
- Because the horse’s hooves are not kosher, it has never been served to Jews, and while Muslims can consume it, they have occasionally been discouraged from doing so.
- As for the flavor, it’s as follows: With a hint of minerality and sweetness, it’s a red meat that’s commonly believed to be in the same family as both beef and venison.
According to McMillan, “I appreciate the richness of taste, and I genuinely think of it as a healthy alternative.” “If someone comes to me looking for a wonderful steak, I’m not going to guide them down the horse road.” A huge green salad and a horse tenderloin may be my recommendation if I see a guy who’s really toned or someone who appears to be pretty serious about the gym – no cream, no butter, no nothing.
- “It’s a fairly healthy dinner.” Top Chef has made quite a commotion.
- However, there is another important reason why such an episode would never be broadcast: Horse meat is just not accessible in the United States.
- Although the USDA was denied funds to examine horse meat in 2007, the Appropriations Committee was successful in banning the practice in 2007.
- According to a spokeswoman for the USDA, “If there is no mark of inspection, then horse meat is not authorized to travel in our national commerce.” As a result, America’s three horse slaughterhouses, which were closed more than a decade ago, were no longer in operation.
- However, the USDA is not yet free to resume its examination of horse corpses.
- Horse meat will not be appearing on American restaurants anytime soon, to put it bluntly.
- However, even if horse patties were widely accessible, it is doubtful that they would appear on grocery shelves in large quantities.
- It is also available on the menus of a lot of eateries.
- Although Toronto is home to a horse meat butcher, horse meat restaurants are few and far between in the city.
Animal welfare organizations such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) have expressed concern about the killing process: Nancy Perry, senior vice president of government relations at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, expresses concern that slaughterhouses are designed with cows rather than horses in mind.
“Cattle are flighty, but they’ve been tamed for the most part over time, and the equipment and setup are really designed to accommodate cattle.” Many horse enthusiasts are more interested with what’s going on beneath the animals’ skin: Former racing horses are frequently sold into the meat supply stream, according to Dr.
- It would be necessary to cross the border into Canada or Mexico in order for American racehorses to do so.
- In Dodman’s words, “they’re virtually walking pharmacies; the racing industry is absolutely crooked and self-policing.” If you are caught, it’s a little like Wall Street: a slap on the wrist is the most you’ll get.
- No matter how you look at it, not all horse slaughterhouses are created equal.
- The wine must be natural, if not entirely organic.
- Whenever you ask the ordinary American why they don’t eat horse, you’ll find that they don’t know too much about bute or the slaughtering process.
In addition, Perry points out that Americans have a long history with horses that Europeans do not: “They played a significant role in the founding of the United States.” “Without the horse, we would not have been able to establish this country, and they undoubtedly had a role in every major conflict in which we have been involved up until recently,” says the author.
When it comes to serving horses, “I think it’s culturally fitting in this province, which is one of the last French-speaking areas in North America, if there was one darn pace to serve horse without penalties,” he adds.
Joe Beef would remain in Montreal, even if I created a Joe Beef restaurant there.
In the words of Sinikka Crosland, executive director of the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition and horse owner, they are “a buddy for the horse.” “I just felt a strong connection to horses,” she adds.
The more I got to know them, the more I discovered how sensitive and clever they are, and how you can form a link with them in the same way that you do with other animals who are kept as pets.” However, it is possible that the vision of the American frontiersman and his beloved horse is not so durable that it prevents Americans from diving into horse tartare even two centuries after it was first served.
A recent study by Stanford economics professor Alvin Roth found that the famous Harvard Faculty Club used to indulge in this delicacy even throughout World War II.
In his words, “repugnance has everything to do with not just what I want to eat, but also with what I believe you should not be permitted to consume.” “There are no laws prohibiting people from eating worms because there is no need for a law prohibiting something that no one wants to do.” He goes on to say that legislation, such as the state of California’s 1998 prohibition on horse meat, have served to indicate the animal’s cultural significance.
The cultural argument is one that James Serpell, a researcher who specializes in human-animal relationships, is well acquainted with.
In Asia right now, he adds, “there are some intriguing things happening with a lot of local resistance to the concept of eating dogs and eating cats.
“And it’s because of the increase in pet ownership in these nations, as well as the experience of having those animals as family members, that they are becoming less interested in eating them.” Serpell believes that if you take away the emotion from the situation, there isn’t a really rational reason for his unwillingness to consume horse.
- The question has been on Melanie Joy’s mind for a long time.
- “We’re taught to classify a small number of creatures as edible, and we’re educated to essentially detach from our own ideas and emotions.
- The majority of people would have a difficult time believing that it was manufactured from a Golden Retriever or kittens if they learned that it was made from them.
- With horse meat virtually extinct in the United States, persuading people to bring it back is a difficult sell, and discussions over its reintroduction are extremely passionate for what is just an appropriations item.
- However, it takes the perfect cultural moment, as well as possibly a splash of catastrophic shortage, to bring about such a change.
Eater Montreal is edited by Tim Forster, who also serves as its publisher. As an artist located in Portland, Oregon, Subin Yang is interested in the themes of home, culture (which means plenty of food), and identity, which she explores in her work. Daniela Galarza is the editor of this publication.
The Troubled History of Horse Meat in America
Six years ago, an episode of Canada’s Top Chef included a scene that would never, under any circumstances, be repeated on its American equivalent. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the majority of the episode: Each participant had to prepare a dish using a different protein popular in French cuisine for the elimination task, which featured a French theme thanks to the presence of New York-based chef Daniel Boulud as a guest judge on the show. The proteins were chosen by the candidates at random: sweetbreads, frogs’ legs, and horse.
- Food Network, which produces the Canadian edition of Top Chef, justified the use of horse as part of “a genuinely authentic, classic French dish,” according to a statement from the network.
- While eating horse may not be to the liking of those protestors, it is fairly prevalent in Europe and Asia, and has a long history.
- A horse sausage known as kazy is particularly popular in Central Asia.
- Because the horse’s hooves are not kosher, it has never been served to Jews, and while Muslims can eat it, they have been discouraged from doing so in some instances.
- What it tastes like is as follows: With a hint of minerality and sweetness, it’s a red meat that’s typically thought to be on the same level as beef or venison.
- According to McMillan, “I appreciate the richness of taste, and I honestly think it’s a good choice.” When someone asks for a wonderful steak, I’m not going to send them down a rabbit hole.
- Generally speaking, it’s a healthy dinner.” Due to the Top Chef controversy, there has been some confusion.
The fact that such an episode would never air is due to another important factor.
Despite the fact that horse slaughter is not officially prohibited in the United States, proposals for an absolute ban on horse slaughter have risen and failed to get through Congress on many occasions since 2006.
Without funding for inspections, there is no guarantee of safety, and consequently no horse meat may be marketed in the United States.
These facilities, which had been shuttered for more than a decade, were the last of their kind in the United States.
Earlier this year, the horse controversy was reignited: The USDA’s annual appropriations bill, which was enacted in July, did not include a limit on the financing of horse meat inspection.
That law must be passed by the House before the prohibition can be reinstated.
In light of the foregoing legal circumstances, the solution to the question “Why don’t Americans eat horse?” appears to be quite simple.
This is supported by the Canadian situation: Horse eating is tolerated to some extent in the French-speaking province of Quebec, which has strong cultural and linguistic links to France.
It is also available on the menus of a lot of establishments.
Even though Toronto has a horse meat butcher, there aren’t many horse meat restaurants to be found in the city.
The killing procedure is a source of contention for animal rights organizations such as the ASPCA: She is worried that slaughterhouses are designed with cows in mind rather than horses, according to Nancy Perry, senior vice president of government relations at the American SPCA.
” The cattle may be flighty, but they have been tamed through time, and the equipment and setup are specifically designed to accommodate them.
Retired racing horses are frequently sold into the meat supply stream, according to Dr.
It would be necessary to cross the border into Canada or Mexico in order for American racehorses to achieve this.
In Dodman’s opinion, “they’re virtually walking pharmacies; the racing industry is utterly crooked and self-policing.” If you are caught, it’s a little like Wall Street: a slap on the wrist is all you get.
No matter how you look at it, not all horse slaughterhouses are equal.
According to McMillan’s supplier, who was about to exit the horse meat industry at the time of the interview, it would be better for him not to serve horse meat completely rather than transition to a source with whom he had no prior experience.
The simple fact is that horse has been off the table in the United States due to cultural conventions.
When it comes to serving horses, “I think it’s culturally appropriate in this province, which is one of the only French-speaking areas in North America, if there was one damn pace to serve horse without repercussions,” he believes.
Those who come into direct contact with the animals have a stronger sense of cultural connection.
In her own words, “I just felt a connection with horses.” The thought occurred to me that since I enjoy dogs and cats, why not horses?
The prestigious Harvard Faculty Club, according to Stanford economics professor Alvin Roth, was eating it as recently as World War II, according to Roth.
In his words, “repugnance has everything to do with not only what I want to eat, but also with what I believe you shouldn’t be allowed to.” “There are no laws prohibiting people from consuming worms because there is no need for a law prohibiting something that no one wants to do,” explains the author.
- Mr.
- In his research, the University of Pennsylvania’s professor of animal ethics and welfare draws a parallel between the American aversion to horses and the consumption of domestic animals like dogs in some parts of Asia.
- there’s definitely a cultural shift taking place.” As a result of the increase in pet ownership in these countries and the experience of having those pets as members of the family, people are becoming less inclined to eat these animals.
- In Serpell’s opinion, “eating old horses would actually make a lot of sense.” This appears to be an enormous waste of protein.
- The question has been on Melanie Joy’s mind for a long time.
- “We’re taught to classify a small number of animals as edible, and we’re socialized to essentially disconnect from our true thoughts and feelings.
- ” The majority of people would have a difficult time accepting it as food if they discovered it was made from a Golden Retriever or kittens.
- Approximately 80% of those who respond to polls on whether horse meat should be prohibited from eating it say they are opposed to it.
- People have been willing to put a fork in their horses throughout history, despite the romanticism that surrounds cowboys and their horses.
- It appears that horse meat will continue to be frowned upon in America for the foreseeable future.
Eater Montreal is edited by Tim Forster, who also serves as its managing editor. The themes of home, culture (which means lots of food), and identity are explored by Subin Yang in her illustrations, which are currently based in Portland, Oregon. Andrea Galarza is the editor.
Why you really should (but really can’t) eat horsemeat
Following the horsemeat crisis that engulfed Europe in 2013, a handful of high-end restaurants with a penchant for pushing the boundaries decided to experiment with introducing horsemeat to the modern American taste. In the end, it was a disaster. In response to his announcement that he would be serving horsemeat in his dining room, Philadelphia chef Peter McAndrews, proprietor of the luxury Italian restaurant Monsu, was sent horrific photographs of horses being murdered and even got bomb threats in the mail.
However, a visit by the Food and Drug Administration to all five of his eateries did the trick.
“I had the distinct impression that I was being watched by the FBI of the culinary business.” If you’re like the vast majority of people in the United States, the prospect of eating horsemeat at a restaurant would make you cringe, if not gag.
But Americans can’t seem to get their minds around the idea, despite the fact that many areas of arable public lands are currently overrun with approximately 50,000 feral horses – and that bringing them to the dinner table might be one of the best possible solutions to the overcrowding.
(Per the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon, the Bureau of Land Management is required to conserve the feral horse population in perpetuity.) Equine populations have thrived since the introduction of horses to North America in the 16th century, and the 1971 law was successful in reviving wild horse populations to the point where the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is now facing significant legal and local pressure to prevent them from running rampant across western rangeland, destroying habitat and sucking the land dry of water and forage.
An additional 50,000 wild horses are being held in holding facilities throughout 10 states – from Texas to Wyoming – in addition to the 50,000 wild horses now on the loose.
Horses were authorized to be killed under the original statute in circumstances of overpopulation and when adoptive owners could not be located.
According to Robert Garrott of Montana State University, who contributed in a two-year study by the National Research Council that questioned present wild horse management approaches, “people have a strong attachment to horses.” “They have the ability to be rational in their care of other companion animals such as dogs and cats.” Horses, on the other hand, seem to defy logic more than any other animal I can think of.”
Not your grandfather’s American mustang
Garrott believes that when the legislation was established in 1971, legislators and horse enthusiasts had a different vision in mind than what is now in place. “In the 1970s, scientists believed wild horse populations expanded at a pace of 1 percent to 3 percent each year,” says Garrot, who worked on studies in the 1980s that revealed wild horse populations grew at a rate around ten times faster than scientists had previously believed. Because the BLM is unable to kill the animals and because the number of people interested in adopting wild horses is too low to keep up with demand, the agency collects up thousands of horses every year and puts them wherever it can.
- In these short-term institutions, these animals are sometimes kept for years at a time because of the current scenario,” says the veterinarian.
- Faced with a population that is doubling every four years, Congress upped the budget for the wild horse and burro program to $80 million last year, an increase from $17 million in 1990.
- Photograph courtesy of Reuters’ Jim Urquhart The Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was forced to cancel two of its collaborations with wild horse conservation initiatives this past summer.
- According to Warr, the expense of transporting those horses amounted to “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” “The Bureau of Land Management is caught between a rock and a hard place,” Garrott adds.
In fact, Garrott points out that “not even other animals that people are enthusiastic about — wolves in the west – are protected in this way.” “Horses are the only species that I am aware of where society has not accepted the concept that if there is an excess of an animal and no one wants it, it should be put down.” The impact of wild horses on their environment has been likened to that of invasive pythons or feral pigs, both of which have been subjected to bounty hunts by state authorities in an attempt to maintain control.
Garrott, on the other hand, believes it is quite improbable that Americans would argue for a comparable treatment of horses.
Moreover, there is no tradition of consuming them.” The US Humane Society has expressed strong opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s management method, describing the helicopter-assisted roundups as “cruel and hazardous.” They support for more active measures to reduce the population through the use of contraception, which the BLM and National Research Council believe is insufficient given that the population is already 50% greater than what wildlife authorities deem to be appropriate.
The Humane Society is also a staunch opponent of any form of horse slaughter, regardless of the method used.
According to Stephanie Boyles Griffin, senior director of the Humane Society’s Wildlife Protection Program, “We regard them differently because they are an animal on which the West was created and because they are an iconic species.” “They exemplify the rugged independence that is emblematic of the American West.” “People want them to be free,” says the author.
In Carson City, Nevada, wild horses may be seen walking around a corral inside the Warm Springs Correctional Facility. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has had difficulty in recent years locating facilities that will accommodate the animals. Photograph courtesy of LISA J. TOLDA/Associated Press
Ah, horses – we ate them once
So, why not consume them? The same thing is done with other wild ungulates, such as deer, elk, and bison, to name a few examples. In addition, horsemeat is more nutritious than beef since it has less fat, more protein, and a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids than beef. Connoisseurs describe it as sweet with a delightful gamey undercurrent. Consumption of horses wasn’t always considered prohibited. It was a main food throughout the Paleolithic period. Horse chops temporarily returned to popularity at the time of World War II, owing partly to the inexpensive cost of the meat at the time.
- If horse owners believe they will be able to sell their animals for meat in the future, Princess Anne suggests that they will take better care of their animals.
- In 2013, the movement expanded its reach to the United States.
- However, horse conservationists and government officials reacted quickly and harshly to the news.
- Because there aren’t enough slaughterhouses in the United States, around 160,000 domestic American horses are sent to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico each year for sale in overseas markets.
- The European Council rejected horsemeat from Mexican slaughterhouses earlier this month, citing fears that medications used in American racehorses might contaminate the food supply chain in the process.
Wild horses, according to Dan Barber, author of The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food and co-owner of the farm-to-table restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York’s Westchester County and its sister restaurant Blue Hill in New York City, could find a place on the American menu in the not-too-distant future.
- For each animal – or crop, for that matter – we must consider the following questions: what is its worth in our environment and in our agriculture, and how can we optimize that value via culinary technique?
- Something like wild horsemeat, for example, is an excellent example (as long as you can ensure honest labeling and humane treatment).
- But what if you’re cooking on or near rangeland and you’re allergic to certain foods?
- The willingness to modify regulations around wild horse numbers – and maybe even their image in the public’s consciousness in the United States – would be required (as well as a market).
- He is concerned that wild horses in the United States will be permitted to roam free until they run up against the realities of scarce resources.
The situation, according to Garrott, is “absolutely and completely unsustainable.” “And if society chooses to do so, that is their prerogative. Horses and those who appreciate our western rangelands will suffer greatly as a result of this decision.”
- On the 4th of February, 2015, this article was updated. A accompanying shot of wild horses in Sabucedo, Spain, was originally included in the narrative as a result of a production error during production. It has been deleted from the system.
Why Horse Meat is Eaten in Italy
At first, it was shocking to find butcher shops that specialized in horse meat products, publicly selling slices of meat that were obscene to me when I arrived in Italy for the first time. It is inevitable that there may be times of culture shock when it comes to cuisine when living in a foreign nation. A few things that stood out to me were the full, skinned rabbits staring out of vacuum-packed chocolates in the grocery meat department, which reminded me of a scene from theMatrix, as well as the city of Milan’s willingness to sell and consume horse meat.
Horse Meat culture
In Italy, horse meat is regarded as a nutritious and hearty meat that falls midway between beef and venison in terms of nutritional value. Horse meat is served to the elderly and the sick in Italy, where it is very nutritious. Horse meat is considered to provide health advantages since it is lean and high in iron. Horse flesh protein has the ability to bulk you up. As a result, it connotes something that is excellent for you, something that tastes well, and something that is beneficial for you.
History of eating horse meat
So what is it about horse meat that makes it acceptable in Italy and France but not in the United Kingdom, Ireland, or the rest of the English-speaking world? The aversion to eating horse is something that has just recently emerged in human history, at least in terms of chronological order. Humans have always killed wild horses and eaten their meat; they were a very essential source of nourishment for hunter-gatherers in the past, and they continue to be now. Our connection with the horse altered, however, when the horse was domesticated between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago, according to historians.
- Furthermore, wasting food was not an option.
- In the year 732, something extraordinary happened in Europe: the Pope put a ban on the consumption of horse flesh.
- To date, horse meat has been prohibited only once in the history of Christianity.
- It was vital to establish strong breeding stock and to urge horses to be bred for fighting rather than for sustenance.
- For a while, at least, until the French Revolution.
- While on campaign during the Napoleonic Wars, French troops were urged to devour the horses they were riding on.
Italian horsemeat tradition can be attributed to the French conquest of the country, but the practice predates this period and dates back as far as 1000 BC, according to what we know of, in Veneto, where the Veneti were known for their horse breeding skills and offered equine sacrifices to their goddess Reitia or their hero Diomedes.
When it came to horse breeding in Italy, Veneto established itself as the capital, supplying horses to the Roman legions and for circus racing.
Horse Meat in Italy
Horsemeat became and continues to be a significant component of Venetian food, as well as of Italian cuisine in general. It has also never gone out of style in the Italian regions of Sardinia and Sicily, where horse and donkey meat salamis and sausages can be found in plenty. Paduais another province that places a high importance on horse meat, and the town ofLegnaro hosts theFesta del Cavallo, which is devoted to everything horse-related, including horse meat. It is one of those cultural differences that you gradually get used to when you are a foreigner living in Italy.
I’ve had horse and can attest that it is a tasty, somewhat sweet, acidic meat that is surprisingly soft and delicate when cooked properly.
There are no opportunities to accomplish this in Ireland at all.
Human beings were understandably outraged that horses had ended up in their burgers and minced beef.
According to Roman accounts, the goddessEpona, who was connected with battle and horses, was worshipped in Gaul and England.
Ireland, which had been conquered and colonized by the British for hundreds of years, had grown in a state of relative isolation from the rest of Europe.
We were mostly oblivious to the Industrial Revolution.
Ireland’s Catholics were barred from owning horses by the British-imposedPenal Laws, which were the exclusive domain of their landowning British overlords.
Italy, like France, has a long-standing tradition of serving horse, and no one blinks an eye when they see it on the menu.
Horse Meat recipes
- Horsemeat (500 gr. ), 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 stick celery, 1 bunch flat leaf Parsley, 12 litres of vegetable stock 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 1 sprig of thyme
- Season with pepper and chili flakes to taste 1 liter of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 glass of white wine
- 1 kilogram of tomato passata
This recipe comes from the region of Salento, where people adore eating spicy food, therefore feel free to use a lot of chilli in this dish. Horsemeat is frequently served with polenta in the northern hemisphere, but it is more commonly served with bread in the southern hemisphere. Serve with a powerful, robust red wine from the south, such as a Primitivo, to complement the dish.
Method
- Using a deep skillet, brown the chunks of horsemeat and set them aside. Pour a generous glug of olive oil into a large skillet and sauté until the finely chopped onion, celery, and garlic are soft and transparent
- Return the meat to the saucepan and add the glass of white wine, allowing the liquid to decrease
- Cover the meat with the stock and season with the parsley, bay leaf, and rosemary
- Cook until the meat is tender. Bring the water to a boil in a covered saucepan. Reduce the heat to a low setting and let it to simmer. Stir often for at least an hour or until the liquid has been reduced, then season with salt, pepper, and chile to taste, then stir in the passata. Make sure the beef is tender and the sugo is thick by continuing to cook for another half hour or 40 minutes.