Friday, October 23, 2009

Would you eat horse meat?

Unlike most of the rest of the world, there is a very distinct taboo regarding the use of horses for food in North America. Based on what I've read, the taboo regarding horse meat is strongest in the USA, in terms of the fact that it's hard, if not impossible to buy it there. But there is a market for the meat, as some Americans do come to Canada to buy it and smuggle it back across the border.

Canada is somewhat less anti-horse meat, but you'll still have a tough time trying to buy it in many places. the exception? Quebec, where the horse meat market is thriving. What many people don't know (especially here in Alberta, where a lot of it comes from) is that Canada is a big exporter of horse meat to other parts of the world, Europe in particular.

My first experience with horse meat was during my visit to Germany in 1982, when I visited a little hamburger stand in a little town called Verden (Aller). I ordered and ate a home-made burger and remarked to the lads that it tasted 'different'. They revealed to me that the reason is because it was made with horse meat. It wasn't awful.... it was just..... different.

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