page_title: Horse meat
section_title: Italy
hierarchical_section_title: Horse meat / In various countries / Europe / Italy
caption_attribution_description: English: Horse meat butcher near Rialto in Venice.
context_page_description: Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Europe, South America and Asia. The eight countries which consume the most horse meat consume about 4.7 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existence, wild horses were hunted as a source of protein.
context_section_description: Horse meat is especially popular in Lombardia, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Parma, Apulia, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.
  Horse meat is used in a variety of recipes: as a stew called pastissada (typical of Verona), served as steaks, as carpaccio, or made into bresaola. Thin strips of horse meat called sfilacci are popular. Horse fat is used in recipes such as pezzetti di cavallo. Horse meat sausages and salamis are traditional in various places. In Sardinia, sa petza 'e cuaddu or sa petha (d)e caddu (campidanese and logudorese for horse meat) is one of the most renowned meats and sometimes is sold from kiosks with bread - also in the town of Sassari is a long tradition of eating horse steaks (carri di cabaddu in the local dialect). Chefs and consumers tend to prize its uniqueness by serving it as rare as possible. Donkey is also cooked, for example as a stew called stracotto d'asino and as meat for sausages e.g. mortadella d'asino. The cuisine of Parma features a horsemeat tartare called pesto di cavallo, as well as various cooked dishes.
  In Veneto, the consumption of horse meat dates back to at least 1000 BC to the Adriatic Veneti, renowned for their horse-breeding skills. They were used to sacrifice horses to their goddess Reitia or to the mythical hero Diomedes. Throughout the classical period, Veneto established itself as a centre for horse breeding in Italy; Venetian horses were provided for the cavalry and carriage of the Roman legions, with the white Venetic horses becoming famous among Greeks and Romans as one of the best breeds for circus racing. As well as breeding horses for military and farming applications, the Venetics also used them for consumption throughout the Roman period, a practice that established the consumption of horse meat as a tradition in Venetian cuisine. In the modern age, horse meat is considered a luxury item and is widely available through supermarkets and butcheries, with some specialised butcheries offering only selected cuts of equine meat. Prices are usually higher than beef, pork, or any other kind of meat, except game.
   
  In the Province of Padua, horse meat is a key element of the local cuisine, particularly in the area that extends southeast from the city, historically called Saccisica. Specialties based on horse meat constitute the main courses and best attractions of several typical restaurants in the zone. They are also served among other regional delicacies at the food stands of many local festivals, related to civil and religious anniversaries. Most notable is the Festa del Cavallo, held annually in the small town of Legnaro and totally dedicated to horses, included their consumption for food.
  Some traditional dishes are:
  Sfilacci di cavallo: tiny frayings of horse meat, dried and seasoned; to be consumed raw, can be a light and quick snack, more popular as a topping on other dishes: ex. pasta, risotto, pizza, salads, etc. 
  Straéca: a thin soft horse steak, cut from the diaphragm, variously cooked and dressed on the grill, pan or hot-plate
  Bistecca di puledro colt steak, whose preparation is similar to straéca
  Spezzatino di cavallo also said cavàeo in umido, small chunks of horse meat, stewed with onion, parsley and/or other herbs and flavours, potatoes, broth, wine, etc., usually consumed with polenta, much appreciated also is a similar stew made of donkey meat, served in traditional trattorie, with many variations for different villages: spessadin de musso, musso in umido, musso in tocio, musso in pocio
  Prosciutto di cavallo: horse ham, served in very thin slices
  Salame di cavallo or salsiccia di cavallo: various kinds of salami, variously produced or seasoned, sometimes made of pure equine meat, sometimes mixed with others (beef or pork)
  Bigoli al sugo di cavallo: a typical form of fresh pasta, similar to thick rough spaghetti, dressed with sauce like Bolognese sauce, but made with minced horse meat
  Pezzetti di cavallo al sugo: horse stew, seasoned with sauce, vegetables and various peperocino, widely used in the Salento 
  In southern
caption: Venetian horse meat butcher
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