ABSTRACT
Hippophagy is an old practice which can be found in prehistoric times, but religious prohibition, royal decrees and prejudices prevented horsemeat consumption in France and Europe generally for centuries. It was not until the second half of the nineteenth century that horsemeat consumption became authorized and that horsemeat became a ‘popular’ food, accessible to most. Over the course of a century, between the 1870s and 1975, consumption increased, reaching a peak after the Second World War. Considered the beef of the poor, horsemeat was sold at horsemeat butchers’ shops which multiplied in Paris and the provinces. At the same time, the trade was getting organized and the state regulated and controlled horsemeat production and consumption. The French were among the leading consumers of horsemeat, along with the Belgians. After this long thriving period, a crisis occurred as motorized vehicles replaced horses, reducing the supply and raising prices. The consumption of horsemeat, which declined over the past 25 years, is minimal today.
