🍜 Baniku Soba (Buckwheat Noodles with Horsemeat)

According to statistics published in 2019 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Kumamoto prefecture is the highest producer of horsemeat in Japan. Other names for horsemeat aside from “baniku” are “sakura-niku” or “ketobashi.” Horsemeat sashimi is a specialty of this region. Japanese daimyo Kiyomasa Kato of the Higo domain had no choice but to eat the meat of a military horse during his expedition to Korea because he ran out of food. He found the meat to be so tasty that he continued to eat horsemeat sashimi even after he returned to Japan. This is how horsemeat became prevalent in Kumamoto. Horsemeat is high in protein and contains many vitamins and low in fat, making it a healthy option. During the Edo period, when eating meat was banned, horsemeat was served as a medicinal food to those that were ill or injured as it is highly nutritious. In Kumamoto Prefecture, horse meat has been eaten by some farmers since before World War II. The pastureland at the foot of Mt. Aso was a production area for army horses, and the use of their meat, which had served as a substitute for beef and pork in the postwar food shortage, spread horse meat cuisine. Around 1955, local restaurants began to serve dishes using horsemeat. In Kumamoto, horsemeat is sold at supermarkets and people like to use it to make curry, “nikujaga” (=meat and vegetable stew) and other dishes. “Shigureni” (=simmered horsemeat tsukudani) made with leftover meat after horsemeat sashimi is prepared, is a sweet-flavored meat dish made with soy sauce, sugar, and ginger. It is a popular dish eaten by the locals and is usually eaten with rice or enjoyed with drinks. It is also used a as a topping for soba noodle or udon noodle soup.