Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Eurasia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume meat bear 4.
During the Paleolithic, wild horses formed an important source of food for humans. In many parts of Europe, the consumption of horse meat continued throughout the Middle Ages until modern times, despite a papal ban on horse meat in 732. The earliest horses evolved on the North American continent, and by about 12,000 BC, they had migrated to other parts of the world, becoming extinct in the Americas. France dates its taste for horse meat to the Revolution. With the fall of the aristocracy, its auxiliaries had to find new means of subsistence.
The horses formerly maintained by the aristocracy as a sign of prestige ended up being used to alleviate the hunger of the masses. Hunger during World War II led to horses being eaten. Horse meat gained widespread acceptance in French cuisine during the later years of the Second French Empire. Horse meat has a slightly sweet taste reminiscent of beef. Many consumers allege not being able to tell the difference between beef and horse meat. Meat from younger horses tends to be lighter in color, while older horses produce richer color and flavor, as with most mammals.
Horse meat can be used to replace beef, pork, mutton, venison, and any other meat in virtually any recipe. Horse meat is usually very lean. Jurisdictions that allow for the slaughter of horses for food rarely have age restrictions, so many are quite young, some even as young as 16 to 24 months old. This article appears to contradict itself on consumption in Mexico. Please see the talk page for more information.
In most countries where horses are slaughtered for food, they are processed in a similar fashion to cattle, i. In 2005, the eight principal horse meat-producing countries produced over 700,000 tonnes of it. In 2010, Mexico produced 140,000 tonnes, China 126,000 tonnes, and Kazakhstan 114,000 tonnes. As horses are relatively poor converters of grass and grain to meat compared to cattle, they are not usually bred or raised specifically for their meat. A misconception exists that horses are commonly slaughtered for pet food.