Donkey meat is produced from the butchering ofdonkeys. It is traditionally consumed inChina,Italy, and Latin America, bothSouth America andMexico.[1]
Donkey meat is considered to be of low quality,[2] so donkeys are usually not raised specifically for meat production,[3] except in arid regions where they represent an important food source. Since the donkeys are typically slaughtered at the end of their useful life asworking animals, their meat is frequently tough.[2]
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The main global producers of donkey meat areChina,Burkina Faso,Senegal,Nigeria,Mauritania, andSpain.[4][2] Donkey meat has a smaller market compared tohorse meat, and the main consumers are China (which is a significant importer),[5]Italy, andMexico.[6] Approximately 3.5 million donkeys and mules are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide.[7] In Italy, which has the highest consumption of equine meat in Europe and where donkey meat is the main ingredient of several regional dishes, about 1,000 donkeys were slaughtered in 2010, yielding approximately 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons) of meat.[8]
InWest Africa, old donkeys are typically butchered at the end of their useful lifetime as pack animals, and their meat is traditionally dried and smoked. InFrance, donkey meat consumption has become rare afterWorld War II, it is however still used as ingredient for traditional sausages inProvence.Hungary,Poland, andRussia have similar traditions. In theAnglosphere, donkey meat consumption, similarly tohorse meat, is generally consideredtaboo.[9][10]
Donkey meat can be consumed fresh, or used as ingredient for hams and sausages. Fresh donkey meat can be roasted or used as ingredient forstews. Donkey stew andtapulon are two examples of traditional stews inItalian cuisine. In China, thedonkey burger is a traditional street food inBaoding andHejian,Hebei Province. Donkey sausage is traditionally prepared inItaly (salame d'asino),Provence (saucisson d'Arles), inHungary (Eselwurst) andPoland (Salceson).[11]
Despite the slaughter and consumption of donkeys being outlawed throughout India, donkey meat is still considered a delicacy in some regions of the state ofAndhra Pradesh. Donkey meat’s popularity is fueled by superstitions that donkey meat will cure bodily pains and increase strength and virility while donkey blood will increase speed and pain tolerance.[12][13]
Donkey meat is similar tohorse meat and has a dark red colour, with yellowish fat.
A 100 g portion of donkey meat provides 116 Kcal, with a 3.1% fat and 20.7% protein.[14]
Judaism forbids donkey meat consumption.[15] SomeIslamic scholars[specify] also consider donkeyharam.[16][better source needed][17]
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