As Europe investigates how horsemeat got into pre-made lasagne meant to contain beef, some Maltese restaurateurs wish the precious meat were more available here.
Several restaurant owners who spoke to The Times said that over the years the amount of local horsemeat on the market – used to make traditional horsemeat stew – had dropped and they were increasingly going for the imported option.
They prefer Maltese meat to make the slow-cooked dish, popular in the typical fenkata-style restaurants, but very few horses are eligible for human consumption in Malta.
“I much prefer the Maltese product. The taste is much better, much richer… but you don’t find much these days from local agents,” Joseph Sant, co-owner of Horse Shoe Bar and Restaurant in Mosta said.
Stephen Sammut, owner of Il-Barri restaurant in Mġarr, said the Maltese liked going there specifically to eat horsemeat. The dish was a regular on his menu and when local horsemeat was not available he imported it.
Wistin Vella, of Sunny Bar and Restaurant, also in Mġarr, agreed that people liked the dish although the Maltese palate seemed to prefer a less red meat such as rabbit.
While horsemeat is pretty popular in certain restaurants, cooking it at home seems to be rare.
Chef Gloria Mizzi said some people fried horsemeat steak or turned it into a stew. However, she never cooked it because she loved horses too much.
Many butchers said they did not stock the meat because it did not sell. But a butcher in Qormi, who preferred not to be named, said he would order it from a supplier if someone asked for it.
“There are times when people want it for health reasons because they have low blood pressure or are anaemic,” he said.
Jurgen Abela, a general practitioner, said this was a myth because horsemeat did not have any particular benefits over other red meats, such as beef, when it came to blood pressure. If one had low blood pressure one would be better off ordering something saltier, like bacon. While horsemeat had a relatively high iron content, Dr Abela added, it was not extraordinarily rich in iron.
“If I have anaemic patients I’d recommend they eat meat and other things but not specifically horsemeat,” he said.
A nutritionist from the Health Promotion Directorate said horsemeat was a good source of protein, vitamin B and minerals such as iron.
“Like other foods of animal origin, it contains fat and cholesterol. Nevertheless, consumed in small to moderate amounts, it adds variety to our diets and can be included as part of a healthy balanced diet,” the nutritionist said, adding that baking was a preferred cooking method to reduce fat.
A Rural Affairs Ministry spokesman confirmed there were very few horses in Malta that were specifically reared for human consumption.
He said horses registered as companion animals or animals used in sport and racing were not accepted for slaughter for human consumption unless the veterinarian responsible for the horse registered all medications administered to the animal and guaranteed that none of such medications were banned from use in production
Horsemeat sold on the Maltese market also originated in other EU member states, he added.
Matthew Brincat, chairman of the Malta Racing Club, confirmed that, contrary to what some believed, racehorses that had to be put down or died were incinerated at the abattoir.