Basashi (Fresh Horse Sashimi)

What is Basashi?

Basashi (馬刺し）means sashimi of horse meat. It is a Japanese cuisine where horse meat is cut into thin slices and eaten raw.

While it is customary to eat horse meat raw in other areas in Japan where horses are produced, Kumamoto is famous for this cuisine and it is a specialty of Kumamoto prefecture. In fact, basashi, as a local food, has been loved for many years in Kumamoto.

Kumamoto accounts for 40% of horse meat production in Japan and has become the largest producer in Japan.

There are many restaurants serving basashi in Kumamoto, such as Suganoya who operates 4 restaurants in Kumamoto and Tengoku who operates 2 restaurants in Kumamoto.

How to eat Basashi?

Basashi is delicious eaten as it is since it is fresh sashimi. However, it is recommended to eat with sweet soy sauce. To eat with sweet soy sauce is popular way to eat basashi in Kumamoto.

Also, it is delicious to eat basashi with sliced onions, shiso leaves, ginger, and green onions served together.

If you visit Kumamoto, why not trying Basashi that is not easy to find elsewhere.

Restaurant for Basashi (Fresh Horse Sashimi)

• Suganoya (菅乃屋)
  • Popular restaurant for horse meat dishes
  • Owns a farm in Aso and carefully raises horses using nutrient-rich grass, water, and carefully selected homemade feed
  • The largest producer of horse meat in Japan
  • Operates 4 restaurants for horse meat dishes in Kumamoto prefecture
    • Suganoya Kumamoto Station: Kasuga 3-15-30, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto City
    • Suganoya Ginzadori: Shimotori 1-9-1, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City
    • Suganoya Shinshigai: Shinshigai 2-10, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City
    • Suganoya Nishihara: Azatakaru 1600-5, Oyatsu, Mashiki, Kamimashikigun (temporary closed)

• Horsemeat Restaurant Tengoku (馬料理 天國）
  • Horse meat specialty restaurant in business for more than 30 years
  • Handles only high quality horse meat through long-established and unique procurement route
  • Operates 2 restaurants for horse meat in Kumamoto
    • Tengoku Honten: 2-13-12 Nihongi, Niku-ku, Kumamoto City
    • Nidaime Tengoku: 1-11-20 Shimotori, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City

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