Kumamoto basashi (raw horse meat)

Background

Basashi is a Japanese dish of horse meat sliced thin and eaten raw like sashimi. According to Japanese Wikipedia, the custom of eating raw horse meat in Japan is found in Kumamoto, Nagano, Yamanashi, Fukushima and other prefectures, which have long been horse-producing areas. Kumamoto Prefecture accounts for about 40% of Japan's slaughtered horse meat, making it the country's top producer, and the horses raised there are mostly heavy draft horses. Basashi is divided into cuts such as fatty "toro," marbled "shimofuri," lean red meat, and "koune," the fat under the mane. Horse fat has a low melting point and melts in the mouth. Since 1998 Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare has set hygiene standards for horse meat for raw consumption, and only slaughterhouses meeting the standards may ship it; much of the basashi on the market today comes from imported horses or horses fattened in Japan after import.

Local customs

• It is usually dipped in soy sauce with grated ginger, garlic and spring onion, and in Kumamoto the sweeter Kyushu soy sauce is common
• lean meat, marbled cuts and koune (mane fat) are often served as a platter
• there are also cooked ways to eat it, such as horse-meat sushi, seared horse meat and sakura nabe (horse-meat hot pot).

Religion & beliefs

• Basashi has nothing to do with religion
• Kumamoto's horse meat cuisine is tied to the local history of horse breeding and farming. Some visitors do not eat horse meat for personal or cultural reasons, and there is no need to force yourself. It is not subject to any particular religious dietary rules, but horse meat is considered taboo in some cultures.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• There are many horse meat restaurants and izakaya around Shimotori, Kamitori and Kumamoto Station in central Kumamoto, and a meal takes about an hour. You can combine it with Kumamoto Castle and Sakuranobaba Josaien, which also has restaurants serving local dishes. You must understand the risks of eating raw: raw horse meat may carry bacteria, and there have been cases of food poisoning caused by the parasite Sarcocystis fayeri. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends methods such as freezing at a core temperature of minus 20 degrees for 48 hours or more to reduce the risk, and reputable restaurants use meat that meets the standards for raw consumption and has been frozen. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity should not eat it raw, and those with sensitive stomachs can choose cooked dishes such as sakura nabe or seared horse meat. The dipping soy sauce contains soy and wheat, and the grated garlic condiment is quite pungent. Prices and opening hours are as set by each restaurant
• popular long-established restaurants often have queues, so going outside regular mealtimes is more relaxed.