Donkey meat



Donkey meat is produced from the butchering of donkeys. It is traditionally consumed in the Chinese, Italian, and Mexican cuisine.

Production and consumption


Donkey meat is considered to be inferior, so donkeys are usually not used specifically for meat production, except in arid regions where they represent an important food source. Since the donkeys are typically slaughtered at the end of their useful life as working animals, their meat is frequently tough.

The main global producers of donkey meat are China, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritania, and Spain. Donkey meat has a smaller market compared to horse meat, and the main consumers are China (which is a significant importer), Italy, and Mexico. Approximately 3.5 million donkeys and mules are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide. 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 of meat.

In West Africa, old donkeys are typically butchered at the end of their useful lifetime as pack animals, and their meat is traditionally dried and smoked. In France, donkey meat consumption has become rare after World War II, it is however still used as ingredient for traditional sausages in Provence. Hungary, Poland, and Russia have similar traditions. In the Anglosphere, donkey meat consumption, similarly to horse meat, is generally considered taboo.

Donkey meat can be consumed fresh, or used as ingredient for hams and sausages. Fresh donkey meat can be roasted or used as ingredient for stews. Donkey stew and tapulon are two examples of traditional stews in Italian cuisine. In China, the donkey burger is a traditional street food in Baoding and Hejian, Hebei Province. Donkey sausage is traditionally prepared in Italy (salame d'asino), Provence (saucisson d'Arles), in Hungary (Eselwurst) and Poland (Salceson).

Properties
Donkey meat is similar to horse 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.

Religion
Judaism forbids donkey meat consumption. Some Islamic scholars also consider donkey haram.