Cavallo

Meat from both horses and donkeys (asini) was eaten during the War, when meat was scarce and prices high. Some Italians still have a taste for them, partly because they believe the deep red colour of the meat means it is very good for you.

In Puglia, however, horse meat is very much in demand during the summer, especially because it is thought that the meat keeps better than that of pigs or sheep. In Puglia there exist many shops, called equina, where it is obvious you can only get horse meat. In Alberobello in Puglia I also discovered a dish made of escalopes of donkey meat formed into rolls and then stewed for several hours in a tenderizing sauce. It was a piece of bravado which did not really meet with my approval.