If you like Japanese food and enjoy sushi then you’ve probably had sashimi, sushi without the rice. In Japan this is a popular food, but as we in the West expect, it is usually fish or seafood. However, sashimi can come in many forms in Japan such as chicken, pork, or beef. In this article, I will tell you about basashi, raw horse in Japan.
In Kyoto Japan, a block from the infamous lantern-lit Pontocho Street, is Umayarou, a restaurant specializing in horse meat.
Offering a selection of horse-based dishes, cooked or uncooked with a wide array of Japanese drinks, this black-walled restaurant has found a specific niche to attract customers. Filled with the smoky smell of yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) you sit on small stools around a table as servers rush past in this busy establishment.
I came here specifically to try basashi and as is common in Asian dining we ordered a few dishes. Who wouldn’t try this raw horse in Japan?
Above is the photo of the basashi plate. Various cuts of raw horse with a side of white onions, spring onions, and wasabi. The taste was fine and it was great combining it with the garnishing. There was a strong umami taste.
Another dish we ordered, which I unfortunately can’t remember the name of, was a bowl of small strips of raw horse meat on a bed of onions with a raw egg on top. It had a tare-like sauce mixed in with cucumbers and spring onion to garnish. It sounds gross but was very tasty as all the flavours mixed well together.
After the raw horse, our grill was lit and we had some cuts of meat for barbequing brought to us. Mixed with some good beers and chu-hai this makes for a good dining experience that I recommend anyone to try in Kyoto.
Leave a comment if you’d try basashi, raw horse in Japan