Alan Davidson

Horsemeat

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

horsemeat the flesh of the horse, Equus caballus, is similar to beef, and eaten in many countries. In continental Europe, both horse and donkey, Equus asinus, are sold as ‘horsemeat’; the flesh of the mule, a hybrid of the two, can also be sold under this title.

All these animals are, however, considered unsuitable for human consumption in English-speaking cultures, and the idea of eating them often arouses distaste. As animals which do not have cloven hooves or chew cud, horses and donkeys are prohibited for both Jews and Muslims.