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How did eating horse meat in European culture start? |
Travel Info How did eating horse meat in European culture start? Travel Tips In pre-Christian times, horse meat was eaten in northern Europe as part of Teutonic religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the worship of Odin. Europe was also periodically invaded by horse-eating Asian nomads like the Huns and Mongols, whose descendants continued the diet. The eating of horse meat is forbidden by Jewish and some Christian religions. In AD 732, Pope Gregory III tried to stop the pagan practice of horse eating, calling it "abominable". In some countries the effects of this prohibition by the Catholic Church have lingered, and horse meat prejudices have progressed from taboos to abhorrence. According to legend, the French taste for horse meat dates from the Battle of Eylau in 1807, when the surgeon-in-chief of Napoleon's Grand Army, Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey, advised the starving troops to eat the flesh of dead battlefield horses. The cavalry used breastplates as cooking pans and gunpowder as seasoning, and thus founded a tradition. Today many European countries including France, Italy, Romania, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Belgium consume horse meat in notable volumes. China is actually the largest producer of horse meat. Others northern Europeans had trouble raising cows, horses are more cold hardy, hence they eat what they could grow! thats all the had, soo many wild horses so they would kill what they have (since you cant kill and eat what you dont have) and there for they eat meat.. same as in china with cats and dogs... its a true story " ... In the late palaeolithic (Magdalenian), wild horses formed an important source of food. In pre-Christian times, horse meat was eaten in northern Europe as part of Teutonic religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the worship of Odin. According to legend, the modern French taste for horse meat dates from the Battle of Eylau in 1807, when the surgeon-in-chief of Napoleon's Grand Army, Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey, advised the starving troops to eat the flesh of horse that had died on the battlefield. The cavalry used breastplates as cooking pans and gunpowder as seasoning, and thus founded a tradition. Horse meat gained widespread acceptance in French cuisine during the later years of the Second French Empire. The high cost of living in Paris prevented many working-class citizens from buying meat such as pork or beef, and in 1866 the first butcher's shop specializing in horse meat opened in eastern Paris, providing quality meat at lower prices. During the Siege of Paris of 1870-71, horse meat was eaten by all citizens ... " you can read the whole article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/horse_meat... its interesting. Thanks for the question. I learned something new too :-) Part of it may have come from our battle filled ancient past. Many horses were used and killed in battles, and with food so limited, it was impratical not to use them. me - a grateful veggie! |
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