Horsemeat in the culinary traditions of the Mishär Tatar diaspora in the eastern Baltic Sea region: cultural and historical aspects

Journal of Ethnic Foods

Sabira Ståhlberg¹  Ingvar Svanberg¹  Renat Bekkin² 

[1] Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala University;Institute of Oriental Studies at the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia;

关键词: Commensality;    Food-cultural studies;    Food ways;    Halal;    Heritage food;    Hippophagy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s42779-020-00072-2

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Hippophagy is still unthinkable in many European countries, but in the Mishär Tatar culinary tradition, horsemeat products play an important role. Part of the Mishär Tatars, originally from Nizhny Novgorod province (Russia), migrated to the eastern Baltic Sea region in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. They continued to slaughter horses and eat horseflesh, despite being opposed and stigmatized by the majority in their new surroundings. Today, home slaughtering has disappeared, and the tradition focuses mainly on sausages prepared for domestic consumption or bought in food stores. Horsemeat is today considered a delicacy and an important aspect of commensality among Mishär Tatars. There is a small and persistent market for horseflesh products in the eastern Baltic Sea area, mainly Finland, Saint Petersburg (Russia), Estonia, and Latvia. Hippophagy continues to play an important role for the diaspora Mishär Tatar identity and the preservation of traditional narrative and culture, and so far it has resisted all adaptation attempts in the majority societies, where horsemeat is frowned upon.

【 授权许可】

Unknown