Horse Meat? Some people can't handle the idea of eating raw fish. Sushi? No thanks, they'll say. You eat all the sushi you want - I'll have the teriyaki. Just imagine how a sushi-phobic friend might react if you offered a raw fish substitute. Like, say, raw horsemeat. Yikes! In 1973, fear of mercury contamination prompted consumers to just say "No" to tuna, so some sushi chefs in Japan made due with raw horsemeat. And although horse pate is a considered a delicacy among some Japanese gourmets, you won't be surprised to learn that horse sushi just didn't catch on. Now, three-plus decades later, tuna is in short supply again because sushi is in huge demand worldwide - and tuna is to sushi as turkey is to Thanksgiving. Many governments have even lowered catch limits for tuna fishermen, reducing supply even further. So it's 1973 all over again, and sushi chefs are again contemplating the unspeakable…Seabiscuit sushi. But there is one high profile chef who's not afraid to suggest horse filet. The firebrand star of the reality cooking show "Hell's Kitchen" - Gordon Ramsay - recently caused some controversy in the UK when he suggested that horsemeat should be accepted as part of the British diet. Besides being "tasty," Ramsay told the Sunday Telegraph that horsemeat is, "healthy, with lots of iron and half the fat of beef and far more Omega 3 essential fatty acids." Just about any dish that increases omega-3 intake is a good choice. But suddenly I'm in the mood for a nice cucumber and avocado roll. Sources: "Waiter, There's Deer in My Sushi" Martin Fackler, The New York Times, 6/25/07, nytimes.com
"We Should Eat Horse Meat, Says Ramsay" David Harrison, Sunday Telegraph, 7/5/07, telegraph.co.uk | 
