It is called hypophagia a the Ccustom of eating horse meat. This practice comes from prehistoric times, and has had more or less acceptance at different times. However, nowadays the cases of people obsessed with horse meat are increasing, although it is not a totally accepted custom.
Thinking about this, today we want to share with you everything we know about hypophagia and its role in history..
Hypophagia refers to the consumption of horse meat. This may sound quite far-fetched in Western culture where these animals are considered companions or working animals..
Our culture has certain traditions in which it is framed which are the animals suitable for human consumption and which are not. If we look from a logical point of view, in reality there is not much difference between a cow and a horse, but according to our customs, although we can enjoy a beef steak every day, cheering up to eat horse meat can be an act scandalous.
With this I do not want to invite you to eat horse meat, but it is simply important to emphasize that the fact of eating or not eating horse meat is something purely cultural.
If we take a historical look and approach contemporary times, we will discover that most cases of hypophagia occur due to food shortages or times of famine, in places plagued by war or other problems. But it wasn't always like this, and in fact you will be surprised that in many places horse meat was a much desired feast.
The ancient Scandinavian and Germanic peoples who believed in Odin, raised a breed of white horses specially destined to be sacrificed as a tribute to their god. After being slaughtered, they cooked their meat in various ways and feasted in which this was the main dish. This custom disappeared with the arrival of the Christians who saw horse consumption as an aberration, as this was associated with pagan rituals.
If we go much further back in history, various historians have verified that Before the domestication of equines, horse meat was considered one more food in the human diet. In fact, in many of the cave paintings you can see allusions to this type of consumption.
The domestication of horses occurred approximately 5500 years ago. It is at this point where they go from being seen as food to being valued for the multiple benefits they brought to the peoples. Horses went to war, served as transportation, loading tools, and were vital for plowshares. This is why they can be considered as a key token for the evolution of civilizations..
There are several textual testimonies of ancient Rome in which hypophagia is spoken of, they do not use the term strictly, but it is quoted literally from the consumption of horse and donkey meat. In fact, although the donkey is considered an animal "inferior" to the horse, many gastronomic treatises speak of the superiority of its meat in terms of flavor and nutritional properties..
Hypophagia was found to be the step before cannibalism. This means that in times of war, siege or expedition, horses were consumed as the last alternative to avoid starvation. If the horses ran out, the next step was to eat human meat.
The Baron François de Tott (1733-1793) narrates in his memoirs, that being consul in Crimea, the King of France invited him to eat, and the main dish was smoked horse ribs. According to their descriptions, it was an extremely delicious dish..
According to historical documents, in the times of the French Revolution, horse meat was the most consumed.
During the Napoleonic wars, horse meat was used to feed sick soldiers. It is said that the consumption of this meat contributed to a speedy recovery thanks to its high amount of nutrients.
The consumption of meat was quite widespread in Assyria, Greece, Egypt, Rome, the Middle East and many African countries. The fact that stopped the hypophagia was the appearance of Christianity, because in the Bible the consumption of these animals is prohibited.
Pope Gregory III is remembered for a fierce fight against hypophagia. One of his contemporaries, the German bishop Bonifacio, had hundreds of horses sacrificed for being closely linked with pagan rituals, such as those mentioned above, in which the Norse sacrificed horses to offer to their gods.
In the 20th century, horse meat began to be consumed with less prejudice. In fact, it is currently considered an export product. According to official data, today, horse meat consumption has increased in countries like the United States, France, England, Belgium and Germany.
Taking into account that hypophagia is a custom that spreads throughout the world, scholars have taken on the task of finding out the benefits of this type of meat for humans.
Among the main benefits, we find that horse meat has a lower fat content, and higher glycogen and protein values. In addition, equine meat has a antianemic effect and immunizing properties regarding tuberculosis. It is also said that this type of meat does not transmit as many diseases, as is the case with pork or chicken.
As you can see, hypophagia was once considered a disorder due to its relationship with paganism.. At present, the consumption of this meat is gaining relevance and it is considered a first-rate food source, as well as being a gastronomic pleasure..
The truth of the case is that although their consumption is more accepted, it still continues to generate some annoyances within society because they are clearly considered companion animals. What do you think about hypophagia?
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