Horse

The domestic horse (Equus caballus) is primarily known as a working and companion animal, but it is also a food animal in many parts of the world. Horse meat — often called chevaline — is consumed in Central Asia, parts of Europe (notably France, Italy, Belgium, and Kazakhstan), Japan, and South America. Horse milk, fermented into a drink called kumis or airag, is a traditional staple of Central Asian pastoral cultures.

Horse meat is lean and red, with a slightly sweet flavour compared to beef. In countries where it is consumed, it may be eaten raw (as tartare or sashimi), cured, or cooked. Cultural attitudes toward eating horse vary sharply — it is mainstream in some countries and considered taboo in others, particularly in English-speaking nations including Australia.

In Australia, horse meat is not commonly sold for human consumption, though it is legally produced, primarily for export to markets in Europe and Japan. Feral horse (brumby) management programs in some regions also produce meat, though this is a separate and often contentious issue.