Russian canned horse meat – Photo by SA_Steve
Believe it or not, in many non-English speaking countries, horse meat is considered a very healthy choice for a meal –even healthier than beef. In Japan, chefs even make sashimi (raw, chilled, sliced meat) from horse meat and it is considered a delicacy. It is sometimes served with a shiso leaf wrapper, and is sometimes prepared ‘BBQ’ style. In Italy, a stew is regularly made from horse meat in the Veneto region. Referred to as pastissada, the recipe includes paprika, wine and horse meat.
Some cultures serve horse mane as a dish. In that case, you are not eating the horse’s hair, but rather the skin from beneath the hair. In Belgium there are many different horse dishes to try, such as horse steak, horse meat tartar, horse sausage and smoked horse. Horse is even served in France with fried potatoes and a side of foie gras.
People in Bolivia take it a step further by grinding up llama and serving it as a traditional dish.