# Did I Hear This Right, We Can Now Eat Horse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577 "2012-02-02T21:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/21 "2012-02-03T08:48:19Z")
If you eat in a cheapish restaurant in Sweden your “beef” could very likely be horse or donkey meat. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/22 "2012-02-03T09:50:27Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > So can someone who’s eaten it let me in on what Horsemeat tastes like? If I exclude the black salami sausage that **naita** refers to, I’ve only eaten horse a couple of times (as steak and cured like ham). IME it’s rather similar to beef. However with a slightly sweet taste note which wasn’t perfectly to my liking ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/23 "2012-02-03T10:08:11Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > On the analogy of “beef”, “mutton” and “pork”, coming from Norman French, it should be “cheval”. In 1982, for a brief time, horseburgers were sold by cart in New York City. I remember seeing the cart by Central Park - I don’t believe it was there for more than a month or two. Sure enough, the company selling the burgers was called “Chevalean” (cheval plus lean) > **['HORSEBURGERS' ON PUSHCART MENU (Published 1982)](https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/02/nyregion/horseburgers-on-pushcart-menu.html)** ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/24 "2012-02-03T10:35:10Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > According to Marvin Harris’ book \*\* Good to Eat\*\*, people have been eating horse in modern-day Europe. This seems to be supported by the Wikipedia article on horse meat: > > [Horse meat - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_meat) Yeah, I remember there was a butcher’s in Barcelona which offered “colt” when I was little (must have been the 70s); that meat fell out of favor for a while, during which time it was mostly exported to France, but it’s making a comeback. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/25 "2012-02-03T10:53:16Z")
You can (or at least used to be able to, I haven’t looked for a while) buy horse meat as a cold cut in Swedish supermarkets. The weird thing was, it was referred to as “hamburger meat”. Google-translate-me-do of the relevant Swedish Wiki page: “SMOKED SALT HORSEFLESH” > **[Hamburgerkött – Wikipedia](https://sv-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Hamburgerk%C3%B6tt?_x_tr_sl=sv&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=sv)** ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/26 "2012-02-03T10:58:21Z")
> [@adeste fideles](#): > > Just to jump on the back of this horse, is there anywhere in the US that one can mail-order horse meat? I have always wanted to give it a try, and they don’t have a “horse” section down at the Kroger meat department. Perhaps Schrute Farms? Michael Scott [eating Dwight’s lunch]: I’m gonna have some of this meat sandwich. Dwight Schrute: It’s pony. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/27 "2012-02-03T11:05:12Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > You can (or at least used to be able to, I haven’t looked for a while) buy horse meat as a cold cut in Swedish supermarkets. The weird thing was, it was referred to as “hamburger meat”. Even my horse loving cousins had no problems eating it when we were children. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/28 "2012-02-03T12:25:17Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Even my horse loving cousins had no problems eating it when we were children. Hell, I’ve eaten it. I just found it weird that it was called “hamburgerkött”. I’m popping down ICA way soon due to a late lunch and a need to go to systemet, I need to investigate if I can find any hamburgerkött with horse. I shall report back. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/29 "2012-02-03T12:47:00Z")
We should have an American Idol style program where we vote on which animals are “too cute to eat.” eta: although it’s kind of funny, people (at least Americans) don’t want to eat the really hideous animals either - it’s just the middle of the roaders that are kind of stuck with the mass slaughter and consumption. Oh well. On a completely unrelated note, I recently decided that alpaca is quite yummy. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/30 "2012-02-03T13:49:09Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > …and my family in Eastern Germany served me guinea pig once without telling me. That thing was soooo greasy it (and finding out what I just ate) made me throw up, and I can still make myself nauseated just thinking of that day.:p… If you want to eat guinea pig, you gotta come to Peru. > [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > We should have an American Idol style program where we vote on which animals are “too cute to eat.” > > eta: although it’s kind of funny, people (at least Americans) don’t want to eat the really hideous animals either - it’s just the middle of the roaders that are kind of stuck with the mass slaughter and consumption. Oh well. On a completely unrelated note, I recently decided that alpaca is quite yummy. Alpaca is yummy and here in Peru you get it in supermarkets. Horse falls into what for many people is the “not eating tings with names”. I’ve tried horse salami and it was good. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/31 "2012-02-03T14:34:42Z")
It makes for very good steak tartare (raw scrapped/ground prep. with a bunch of condiments). I found it nicely sweet with good body, as it were. In Paris it is for sale all over the place. During the “mad cow” scare, it was the only meat available, at least for this dish. I believe afficianados of steak tartare prefer it over calf/cattle meat. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/32 "2012-02-03T15:40:46Z")
They eat horse in France. I was working late in Paris one night with my boss and some French people. The French guy asked us if we wanted to go get something to eat and my boss said he was starving. The French secretary said if he was really hungry she could take us to a place where they served horse meat steaks. My boss’ response was: "Madam. There is only one mammal I will both ride and eat, and it’s not a horse. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/33 "2012-02-03T15:55:42Z")
Ive had a horse meat sandwich in a random restaurant in Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/34 "2012-02-03T15:56:58Z")
At the grocery stores I shop at in Quebec, I see ground horse commonly enough, but never horse steaks. Bison is the same way. Why? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/35 "2012-02-03T16:09:41Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > I see ground horse commonly enough, but never horse steaks. Well, there’s the Belmont. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/36 "2012-02-03T17:05:38Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > If you want to eat guinea pig, you gotta come to Peru. > > Alpaca is yummy and here in Peru you get it in supermarkets. That’s where I tried Alpaca, in Cusco. I was at the table when a few people tried guinea pig, but I just couldn’t dig it - it was served whole, teeth and all. Not my cup a jo. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/37 "2012-02-03T18:59:31Z")
Hay! Don’t be a neigh-sayer! ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/38 "2012-02-03T19:16:30Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > That’s where I tried Alpaca, in Cusco. > > I was at the table when a few people tried guinea pig, but I just couldn’t dig it - it was served whole, teeth and all. Not my cup a jo. Posher restautants serve a larger breed of guinea pig and serve legs (thighs). It lessens the “it’s a fried hamster” factor. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/39 "2012-02-03T19:23:16Z")
Don’t try to be cuy about it - you’re still eating a rodent … ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577/40 "2012-02-03T19:30:32Z")
> [@Testy](#): > > They eat horse in France. In the form of horse d’oeuvres. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-hear-this-right-we-can-now-eat-horse/611577.md?page=3)