Horse Sushi @ Suganoya, Sakura No Baba Josaien, Kumamoto

 

If you are so hungry that you might eat a horse, be careful what you wish for as you may have to eat your own words! Pun is definitely intended. At the lower part of the Kumamoto Castle complex, lies Sakura no Baba Josaien, which is a tourist area of sorts, selling food items, souvenirs and is one of the main entry points of the museums and the castle itself. 

Some of the shops in the premises

Being a focal point of local tourism, the area does carry a bevvy of Japanese specialties with an emphasis on local produce. One such produce is well, horse meat! And you can get it in Suganoya, a horse meat specialty shop. They serve a variety of horse dishes like croquettes and sausages. They do sound tempting, but the cooking and seasonings would probably make it more palatable than most and the true essence of horse cannot be experienced. 

Not going to lie, felt a bit disappointed by the size.

So I daringly got myself a serving of horse sushi standing at 600 yen for 2 pieces. From far it looks like a typical sushi made of chopped tuna and a bit of barbecue sauce and the more "normal" image of it does make it look relatively tame. Funnily enough, it tastes quite pleasant. The horse meat was very close to a beef tartare. The meat was already pounded into oblivion, so you cannot feel the muscle fibers of the horse. The taste is a cross between beef and venison, to an extent. I have not tried raw venison but I have tried rare steaks of beef to totally raw tartare as well. It had a mild gamey flavour but without that smell of blubber you get from beef if you get what I mean. 

Went to get some shade as the summer heat was torturous. 

Full and frank disclosure, this is not my first horse eating experience and I had horse sashimi before. But it has been so long that I have forgotten how it taste like. So this was a good experience to jog my memory. However, the real star is actually the sauce that was doused on it. It was straight up garlic barbecue saue which was sweet, spicy and slightly tangy. Any meat whether raw or cooked would be delicious with this sauce. It was punchy like a firecracker and the smokiness helps temper then gamey scent even further. As such, eating this becomes much easier than it sounds. 

Other items in the menu. 

As to why horse meat is this popular here? There are a few theories as to why Kumamoto is famous for this delicacy. One is that Lord Kato Kiyomasa spread horse-meat culture in Kumamoto during the Sengoku period and that basashi, the Japanese name for horse meat developed as a staple dish from the Edo period onward. Another theory is during one of the campaigns during the Sengoku period, food supply chains were cut off and Lord Kiyomasa and his men had no choice but to eat their horse for sustenance and thus normalised the eating of their own stead. Regardless of the history, this has become synonymous with Kumamoto's food culture and it is hard to separate the two. And Lord Kiyomasa's impact can still be felt to this day, in the form of Kumamoto castle. I am aware it is a reconstruction, but it is still an amazing monument to behold. 

If you cannot find your way, just look for the castle! 
There is no bigger or better landmark than this. 

So if somehow you are heading to Kumamoto castle and feel slightly adventurous, why not give this a shot? As mentioned, it is actually much better than it sounds. But if that is too much of a task, there are other treats with a lower barrier of entry too like ramen and cakes. Fancy a go, the address of Sakura no Baba Josaien is as follows:

1-1-2 Ninomaru, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0008

PS: if you cannot find your way, just look for the castle and it is at the lower end of the complex.