There are some cultural practices born of traditions that the West finds repugnant, among them the slaughter of some types of animals for human consumption, although we do make surprising accommodations when it comes to pleasing our stomachs.

On the other hand, we also threaten the bio diversity of the Planet when we hunt or gather rare species because they are thought to have special medicinal powers or the very fact of their rarity infuses them with a sense of mystique, causing those who have bored palates and great wealth to want them for their dinner tables.

At times of great human want and shortage of food, any creature that flew, crawled or swam was fair game for human survival.  That is no longer, for the most part, the case.  But traditions held in huge respect within cultures are resistant to change, and rhino horns, starfish, bear paws, dried snakes, scorpions, horse gallstones, rat fetuses in oil, turtle shells, elk antlers, bird beaks, donkey umbilical cords are all considered traditional pharmaceuticals in China.

In traditional Chinese medicine, elephant skin is used for acne, monkey heads eaten for headaches, turtle heads for labour pains.  Snake glands are considered good for the eyes; eating turtles aids longevity, lizards are meant for high blood pressure, powdered gazelle skulls help make humans physically robust and bull gallstones are used to treat fevers and inflammation.  These pharmaceuticals can be found anywhere that Chinese people live, including North America.


In Korea, food markets sell dogs for human consumption.  In the West these cultural drug and food preferences are held in distaste.  Yet though we recoil at the very thought of eating an animal like a dog or a cat both of which are viewed by most people as the pets of humankind, a growing number of people seek out horsemeat as a delicacy.  No one can deny that horses are noble creatures which are valued for their recreational and sport uses.

Few among us think of horses as sources of food for human beings other than in extraordinary circumstances.  Yet there exist now in Canada a small but growing community of horse meat restaurants and people whose palates respond to the curiosity of trying out different taste treats.  They declare the meat to be different and delicious, having no difficulty in separating their sensibilities in viewing a riding companion horse different from the meat served on their dinner plate.

Bill C-322 introduced in Parliament by NDP MP Alex Atamanenko seeks to end the Canadian importation and export of horses for slaughter for human consumption.  The bill reads, horses "are ordinarily kept as pets for sporting and recreational purposes", and this should exempt them from the inglorious role of providing succulent horsemeat dinners for horsemeat fanciers.

The Canadian Horse Defense Coalition has posted online videos claiming "inhumane" slaughter of horses meant for human consumption taking place at slaughterhouses in Quebec and in the Prairies.  Sixteen percent of the world's population is said to be horsemeat eaters, around a billion people.  Canadians consume roughly 300 tonnes of horsemeat per year, representing a $70-million horsemeat industry.

Canada, in fact, exported in 2010, over fifteen thousand tonnes of horsemeat to France, Italy, Japan and Mexico.  There are approximately 90,000 horses slaughtered each year in Canada, the majority of which come from the United States.  The very thought of eating horsemeat makes many people feel queasy and uneasy.  This is an issue that will never lead the front news, but obviously one many people feel strongly about.

Tyler Anderson / National Post

The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition held a protest in February outside Toronto restaurant La Palette, whose menu includes dishes such as horse tenderloin, above.