| Gordon Ramsay, England's foul-mouthed, | | | | would contain 875 calories-40% less than |
| fire-tempered master chef recently landed | | | | beef. |
| himself in hot water. Famous for his many | | | | |
| high-class restaurants and TV shows | | | | Then there's the flavor, which Ramsey |
| (including the American Hell's Kitchen), | | | | describes as lean, sweet, and "a little |
| Ramsay took some heat last May from fellow | | | | gamey" and has led to horse's status as a |
| cooks, PETA, and the UK at large for his | | | | delicacy in countries like Japan. It's also |
| praise of horses as food on his popular | | | | versatile; during World War II, it handily |
| cooking show 'The F-Word.' After sending TV | | | | replaced rarer meats in all kinds of recipes |
| journalist Janet Street-Porter to sample | | | | from casseroles to sandwiches (which is, |
| horse cuisine, Ramsay himself tried it and | | | | incidentally, how people in France got such a |
| the two praised the meat for its flavor and | | | | taste for it). |
| nutritional value. He also suggested a rise | | | | |
| in horse consumption, to many Britons horror. | | | | Sounds good, right? Well, that's why it's so |
| | | | popular. But despite all the benefits, cheval |
| Meanwhile, over the Atlantic, a bill passed | | | | remains taboo in America and England. Animal |
| in Illinois banning the slaughter of horses | | | | rights activists point to the problem of |
| for human consumption, effectively closing | | | | transport-horses meant for the butcher's |
| the last horse slaughterhouse left in | | | | block are usually driven thousands of miles |
| America. According to bill sponsor Senator | | | | for slaughter-while others balk at consuming |
| John Cullerton (D-Chicago), horses are just | | | | such soulful animals. It makes sense, |
| "different." Domestic horse meat is already | | | | especially in the USA, where the horse has |
| illegal in the United States, but the small | | | | always been a noble companion. Icons like |
| DeKalb plant profitably served a huge | | | | Black Beauty or Mr. Ed occupy the nation's |
| international market. | | | | imagination, as does the classic cowboy |
| | | | riding his beloved pardner. Even when the |
| Where is this market, exactly? Well, it's | | | | idea of eating horse is entertained, it's |
| just about everywhere in Europe, thrives in | | | | viewed as something done out of desperation, |
| several places in Asia, and exists in a | | | | not culinary curiosity. Many Americans and |
| smattering of other countries around the | | | | English would no sooner eat horse than they |
| world. They can't get enough horse meat, | | | | would stew up the family dog. |
| which-unlike beef, mutton, or pork-has no | | | | |
| less-distressing name to go by. Some clever | | | | Ironically, the shutdown of Illinois' |
| sellers refer to it as "cheval" (guess how | | | | slaughterhouse may only make the situation |
| you say "horse" in French!). | | | | worse for doomed horses, which will probably |
| | | | end up taking longer trips to Mexico and |
| Ramsay's words sparked PETA UK protests | | | | Canada before being put down. And while some |
| outside his London restaurant, where entering | | | | consider eating horse-or dog, for that |
| customers enjoyed the sight of men dressed as | | | | matter-unthinkable, other countries with less |
| horses cavorting around a 1-ton pile of | | | | sentimental visions of the animal do it with |
| manure. In Illinois, both sides of the debate | | | | gusto. |
| fought bitterly over the issue for years | | | | |
| ("Wi-i-ilburrrr," one opposing senator said | | | | Will horse ever catch on in the US or the UK? |
| in his best Mr. Ed voice). Message boards and | | | | Barring some catastrophic meat shortage, no. |
| blogs roundly condemn the eating of horse | | | | Fad meats like ostrich, emu, and buffalo |
| meat. Given all the fuss, why would anyone | | | | enjoy periodic surges of interest, but none |
| suggest eating horses in the first place? | | | | have significantly impacted the meat market. |
| | | | And nobody even likes ostriches. Even if |
| For one thing, it's nutritious. According to | | | | you're curious about trying an Arabian or |
| an USDA informational site (now down, but | | | | Mustang in your next stew, good luck finding |
| archived by the International Generic Horse | | | | it. Horse meat is an expensive import in the |
| Association), "cheval" (doesn't that sound | | | | USA and a niche dish in Britain, and despite |
| better?) is exceptionally healthy-100 grams | | | | Ramsay's urgings, it looks like it'll stay |
| contain just 175 calories, a whopping 28 | | | | that way. |
| grams of protein, and only 6 grams of fat. | | | | |
| Compare that to 100 grams of beef, which has | | | | If you manage to get your hands on some |
| 288 calories, 26 grams of protein, and 19.5 | | | | horse, it reportedly goes very well in |
| grams of fat. That means your average | | | | casseroles, stews, and on the grill. |
| 500-gram steak, if made from horse meat, | | | | |