Horse meat is not familiar with many people. So it is mentioned sometimes, they will say how could it be. But it is. In the food history, wild horse meat was same with many types of animals for meat contributed the value protein to human body and survival.
In the history of food
In the ancient time, horse meat was consumed as one of the important sources of food. In the Middle Age, it was used widely in Europe. It was said that for 15.000 years, horse meat eating was followed the steps and habit of people from North American Continent to many places in the world. It was found out the dry horse meat called charqui. It was a dry product from the horse meat consumed in some places in this area.
In the time of Napoleon in France, horse was used by the soldiers to overcome the hunger. In 19th century, it was consumed widely by the soldiers. In this time, it was supplied in the first time in the butchers in France as beef and pork and with the lower price. From this moment, it has been used as normal. It has been considered one of the fresh meat for the plate.
Horse meat and taboo
Talked about horse meat, absolutely mentioned the taboo is attached because there are the places where it is not consumed. Eating horse meat even is consider the taboo in some cultures. There are different reason for prohibiting. Horse was considered a combatant with soldier side by side so the eating its meat was the wrongdoing. Or horse was a symbol closed with gods, so eating this meat was an act of disrespect etc.
Horse meat eating was also an expression of the poor. So it was also the reason to be a taboo in some places. This act was for removing the boundaries of the classes in the society.
Consumption today
Although horse meat is arranged in the red meat list and horse meat eating is still considered the taboo in some these places but it is consumed widely in other places. In some countries, it is in the same position with beef and pork in the line. So it is supplied by the butchers and still be on the kitchens, the plates in the families.
There are the tens of thousands tons of horse meat produced each year. This number is showed the large consumption of this meat in the world. The countries where produce this meat mainly today such as China, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Italia, Kazakhstan, Australia etc.
And the places where horse meat is consumed strongly and widely such as Mongolia, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Russia, a part of Europe, etc. There is the interesting thing such as some countries produce a large amount of horse meat but it is not consumed in these countries and Australia is an typical example.
