For People with an APPETITE for LIFE!

Welcome to THE MAIN INGREDIENT a place where Food News, Food Politics, Food Culture, Food Fashion & Food Humour meet. Each week you can preview topical foodie matter from my 'Gourmet Lifestyle' radio show called (wait for it) THE MAIN INGREDIENT. Food for the belly & the brain, I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me. Regards Kel

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Horse Meat Sushi

Gordon Ramsey recently raised more than a few eyebrows in the UK by promoting fresh horsemeat as a viable and nutritious meat product for both restaurants and home kitchens. Actually horse meat has long been a favourite in other parts of Europe where consumers are not so prissy about such things. However ‘Horse Meat Sushi’ is not something i’ve had the opportunity to try yet, and although I WOULD try it..... I’m not too sure I’d like it! Recently on the show we covered the shortages and rising prices of bluefin tuna thanks to the worlds growing appetite for sushi and sashimi. At New Yorks ‘Masa’ restaurant patrons can be expected to cough up an overwhelming $800/- for their sushi meal, and now with global fishing police restricting the tuna catch the Japanese are of course more than just a little concerned. Tadashi Yamagata vice-chairman of Japan’s national union of sushi chefs says “It’s like America running out of steak, sushi without tuna just would not be sushi” That said, innovative Japanese chefs are currently looking at ways to improvise with raw horse and deer meat. The Japanese are no strangers to horse meat, known to them as ‘Basashi’. In fact ‘Basashi Ice Cream’ is a huge favourite in certain regions of Japan. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the world takes to horse meat sushi. I have it on good authority (straight from the horses mouth so to speak) that Japanese chefs say its delicious! Soft, easy to bite off, and has no smell.Well i’ll have to wait for my first taste test to let you know, but I cant help thinking you can say that about a lot of things but it doesn’t mean you want to eat them. I must say I have surprised myself at my reluctance, I think its probably something to do with over exposure to the film ‘Black Beauty’ when I was young.

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